4 months

4 months, that's how long it has been since I blogged.  Yes that is exactly how awesome I am.  I have a lot going on and will blog soon about all of my awesome Christmas swap partners because I really had great people this year.  My husband bought me a new ASUS tablet which I am typing this on now, have to try out all of the awesome new aps! :)  Right now we are in pre-deployment world getting read for a ton of underways and workups followed by hubbys 8-12 month deployment.  It'll be our first, wish me luck!
I finish my MBA in May so between hubby being gone and not having class work I am fairly certian I will be back to regular blogging this summer, maybe sooner now that I have this nifty tablet :)

Thank you faithful followers for sticking with me through so long of an absence.

Happy anniversary to me!

I am a horrible blogger, not only have I not blogged in like a month I also am insanely behind on reading and commenting. Im starting to get caught up but it's been mainly skimming not much in depth reading or commenting. Thank God for twitter i love keeping in touch with all of my imaginary friends :)

My birthday was pretty uneventful we went to dinner nothing exciting. We are now moved into the house and I spent about 4 hours last night clearing out the weeds in a flower bed :). I promise pictures as soon a we get stuff set up. It's coming together slowly but surely.

Today is my three year anniversary. I have no clue what we are doing if anything Adam has mentioned a few different things but not sure what he has settled on. I know one of his ideas involved a carnival but it's storming pretty bad so I'm pretty sure that one is out the window :)

Oh and BIG news in our house. Adam officially has a rate!!! He's no longer a pee on undesignated seaman. Now he's a pee on seaman with a title and he's going to be able to take the advancement test in September :)

So how have you been??

Descriptions of people

A coworker (also a navy wife) and I were just discussing how different milspouses and girlfriends act. Really we were just reflecting on personalities in general but we were talking about specific people we know. She said one thing that completely cracked me up when talking about a couple attached to her husbands last ship:

They had this whole Barbie and Ken thing going on and were just too intense for me. They were the type of people who just don't cuss and don't drink and don't not wear polos...

Ok maybe it was funnier in person but I laughed. :)

Jolly Box

By now I am sure you have all heard about Jolly Box but I was given the opportunity to review the first delivery in the form of a care package for my husband (right before his super-long, 3 whole day, underway/sarcasm) and wanted to give everyone my opinion.  I was not paid for this review, but JollyBox did provide me with a code for a discounted box to check out.  I didn't want to endorse something that I wasn't sure was legit.  So here is what I think!
The box arrived right on time, and the contents were definitely worth $30, especially considering that it includes shipping & during deployments they take care of the customs forms. 

When I got home Adam had already tore into the package but I got a few pictures before he ate anything at least. :)

I decided to select the "healthy options" package since it was coming in right before Adam's PFA.  I was impressed with some of the items included. 
The package contained a Mojo bar, and a bag of whole cashews, (which are his favorite)

2 sticks of beef jerky, a giant bag of sunflower seeds, one 5-hour energy, and one Eternal Energy drink  

But it also contained some not-so healthy stuff which kind of surprised me (not all pictured because like I said, he already dove into the package when I got home.) Two small bags of chips and a box of skittles

Even tho I was surprised to see the chips and candy overall I think it was a great package.  Adam was happy and healthy people still like treats like skittles and Doritos from time to time.  I don't think I'll purchase one of their monthly subscriptions when Adam deploys but I will probably order him one from time to time if I know getting a package out to him will be hard one month or he is going to have to go extra long without port visits. 

What Adam Thought:

Adam thought it was great.  He had a friend with him when he got home and opened it.  They both thought it was the best thing every to have all of those yummy snacks delivered to them.  They also seemed to get a kick out of the JollyBox sticker that was on the label and had fun sticking the few in the box on people at work.
Granted I could accomplish the same thing but this took me no time and I'm fairly certain after postage etc. it would have cost me just as much to send the exact same stuff. 

From the company:

With JollyBox, we send a care package every month filled with fun (and sometimes practical!) products to help them get by. It's a super easy way for you to help them out from afar.

Want to check out JollyBox for your own special service member or college student?  Check out www.myjollybox.com and use the code FIRST10 to save $10 off of your first order.

ENJOY!

Great timing...thanks navy.

My dear sweet husband has duty tonight. My mom will be here tomorrow night through Tuesday morning. Something happened this morning that I really need to talk to him about in private. Hope he's home early tomorrow.
Great timing navy, thanks a lot.

**no I'm not pregnant and I don't think it is anything that will cause a fight etc. it's just something no one else, least of all my mom, needs to hear.

Sorry for the vagueness but this is my blog and I need to complain about crappy timing somewhere. :)

House hunting

Adam and I are looking for a new place to call home.  We realized over the weekend that our current lease for the shoebox is up on July 31 so it's kind of crunch time...oops :)  Luckily I am super at house hunting and compiled a great list of options.  We did a bunch of drive-bys this week and have 12 that are ok, 6 of which we really like however 2 really stand out above the others.  They have everything we want, fenced in yards for the puppies, large yards for entertaining, 3 bedrooms.  Major draw back is they both only have one bath :( but that's ok.  Being as it's still just us I'm betting we move again before having to deal with sharing the bathroom with a pre-pubescent who likes to primp so while I would rather have 2 bathrooms we can totally live with 1.  We have scheduled viewings for both of them this week so as soon as we are done I will post pictures etc. Until then here are a few pictures I stole from the realtor's websites :) Option 1: (My #1 before viewing, Adam's #2 before viewing) 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath 1,152 Sq Ft Fenced in backyard with separate fenced in run area in back yard for dogs if they needed space away from humans (ours usually don't but might come in handy if friends are over with their dogs or kids??)  Small Storage Shed in backyard Washer & Dryer included Street parking may be congested for guests, room for 3 cars in driveway Commute time/miles:  Adam-15minutes/4.5miles Shanon-20minutes/8.5miles Option 2: (My #2 before viewing, Adam's #1 before viewing) 3 Bedroom (2 downstairs, 1 Upstairs), 1 Bath 900 Sq Ft Fenced in front and back yard Garage  Corner Lot, Ample street parking for guests, room for 3-4 cars in driveway including garage Washer & Dryer not included Commute time/miles:  Adam-20minutes/6miles Shanon-17minutes/7miles

I want to be a better person

People say it all the time…”I want to be a better person”-but what do they really mean?

Being a better person means different things to different people at different times.  It could me I want to be have and be a “good boy,” as was the case with Huck Fin after he was taken in by the Widow Douglass (before of course he ran away with the Slave Jim).  Another possible meaning by I this statement is that I want to be more Christ-like, I want to be less sinful, I want to be nicer…All of these are completely valid meanings when saying I want to be a better person.  They are not however what I mean.  Do I want these things yes but right now I am in a place where I truly want to be better, in every aspect of myself.

I want to be healthier
I want to be nicer
I want to be happier
I want to be more productive
I want to be more active
I want to help others
I want to be smarter
I want to be less lazy
I want to learn more
I want to show my husband how much I love him every day
I want to make other people happy
I want to be a more giving person
I want to be a more forgiving person
I want to be a better person.

So a few people have asked me what put me on such a health kick lately.  The honest answer is I want to be a better person.  I am by no means fat, but I am (slightly) overweight.  This time last year through last fall I did a great job losing it.  I trained for 2 5(k)’s, the first with my super awesome fellow navy-wife @Sespi from And You Never Did Think, my second with some friends from work.  I lost about 15 lbs and felt the best I have in years.  Then I got lazy, then the holidays came, then I moved…and I ended up gaining 20 lbs…guess what that was not a rebound from a crazy diet, it was simply me getting fat from being lazy.  I’ve realized that if I want to feel that good again I have to get off of my ass and do something about it.  So I am doing something about it.  I am taking the first (baby) steps towards being a better person.  Well the second steps…starting my MBA program feeds into this too, so will getting my CPA…I have a plan..and it’s not all about losing weight.  I really really really want to be the best me possible.  I want to accomplish all of my goals.  It may take me 5, 10, 15 years but I will do it because I am capable.  And once I accomplish a goal I’m going to do my damndest to make sure I don’t fall back into old habits.  So yes, right now I am obsessed with counting calories and making sure I go to the gym…but next year I’m going to be obsessed with the CPA exam...while still counting calories and going to the gym.  And the next year I’m going to be obsessed with volunteering, while keeping up my CPE credits to keep my CPA license active and counting calories and going to the gym.  This is just the part I am broadcasting right now.  If I can get into the habit of doing these things they won’t become work anymore.  I’m not saying my MBA classes are easy but aside from the occasional text about hating calculus (Why in the hell do I need to re-take calculus?  I have proven I don’t need it in the real world!?!?!?!?!) I am no longer broadcasting every time I complete an assignment. 

So thank you loyal blog readers for putting up with this weeks/months/years obsession and with me broadcasting every time I lose .1lb because when I write it down it seems real and the more I do the more I am likely to keep doing.

Tomorrow I will be a better person than today.  As Albus Dumbledore said “Do or do not, there is no try.” 

MilSpouse (first) Friday (or Saturday?) Fill-in

I am a complete failure...It completely slipped my mind last night that it was Friday and I forgot to post this...I even came up with one of the questions!   If you want to participate go check out Wifey's Blog and join in the fun!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed?May was really an awesome month.  I probably would have had my mom send me my old graphing calculator for this pain in the ass calculus class sooner but that's about it.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in May? 
Two of my best friends from college came to visit last weekend and it was AWESOME! Specifically the two standing behind hubby below, the third groomsman (the one standing out of line!) is currently deployed but we got to hang out with his wife last weekend too.

3. June includes the first day of summer… what are your plans for the summer?My mommy and her best friend/my maid of honors mom are coming to visit me, I'm super excited!  Also I'm hoping to go visit Colonial Williamsburg a few more times.

4. Do you use the services on base (gym, financial planning, family services, daycare)? And if so, what’s your favorite one? (thanks to Shanon at Modern Meets Traditional for this question!)
We have been going to the Chapel on base instead of shopping for a local church and I love it so far.  Also I went to the gym yesterday morning for the first time, my only real complaint was no hot water when I jumped in the shower.

5. What are you looking forward to in June?
Sunshine, Beaches, and My Mommy!!!

FRG---What's that??

So I’m not a complete idiot…I do, in fact know what the FRG is supposed to be. I also have heard plenty of horror stories about what it tends to morph into. But I have to be honest…I’m more than a little bit jealous of all of you who get to complain about your FRG. I know you’re thinking “Shanon, what are you talking about. Your husband is an active duty Sailor, on a boat that can technically deploy. Don’t you have your own FRG to complain about?” My only response is…NOPE!
So since my husband has been attached to this ship I have been asking for contact information. How do I contact the Ombudsman, who is the Ombudsman, what about the FRG? They have had a lot of underways, all less than a month so no big deal but things can happen in a week let alone a month. Furthermore one of their underways came back early another was a day late, how am I supposed to get this information?
Hubby asked and asked and asked. Finally he was able to get an email address for me for the Ombudsman (I do not know if it works or not, haven’t tried it but it’s just a Gmail account is that normal or do they have .mil emails?) When he asked about the FRG for me he was told “we are too busy to do that right now.”
Too busy? TOO BUSY??? You are too busy to find a spouse who can organize a group to meet every now and then to create a support system so that when the boat leaves we know who to contact/how to contact them? More importantly so that they know how to contact me if there is something I need to know?
I literally know 2 of the wives on Adam’s boat, and one of them is in divorce proceedings right now. Their husbands are in the same department as Adam and roughly the same rank…I’m pretty sure they aren’t going to know anything important if I don’t.
This is something that has been eating at me for about 2 months but I have kept quiet because I thought it was stupid. But over the past week I have heard more about FRG’s and Ombudsmen from my tweeps/bloggie friends than I have since I entered this virtual reality and it kind of brought the pissed-offness back to the surface.
What is your opinion of FRG’s/Ombudsmen/Spouse Support Groups? Does your ship/division/branch/base/post/whatever offer good support? Do they at least try? Do you have any spouse-friends who work with your husband/wife? How did you meet?
At this point I don’t care if it sucks, something has to be better than being told you don’t matter and they don’t have time for you.

Two thought Tuesday-Wednesday edition

So I just realized I forgot two thought Tuesday yesterday. I apologize profusely so I'm making it up now, from my phone. Which means no button or mr Linky but please feel free to join in!

1-Ace calculus the first time, retaking it 7 years after your last math class is a pain in the a$$ (I was doing homework for 4 hours last night, thus the missed post)

2-sometimes having enough of something (money, food, time) is more satisfying than having a lot of extras.

What are two random thoughts that sum up how you're feeling right now?

10-day cleanse—The Results

All in all I think the cleanse was a success. In total I lost 6.6lbs, 1½ inches around my waist, and ½ inch off my hips. It was a longer process than it should have been thanks to my minor derailment last weekend but I think the extra 3 days didn’t hurt anything. I feel a little better overall, more energized etc so I plan to try and keep the LIFESTYLE change up as much as I can. I’m still going to limit my processed foods and refined sugar/carbs and really hope to continue to see results in my everday life. I have updated my MyFitnessPal profile so it is now set to lose 1lb/week which means if I keep everything going on track I should hit my goal weight by the end of summer. I really hope I am able to keep up my activity level etc and hit it sooner but if not I am completely ok with that. I’m only 10 pounds from a “healthy” BMI which is my real goal more than anything. Having so many great cheerleaders on MFP has really made this a lot easier so thank you to them for their help and I hope that I am a helpful cheerleader for you as well.

10-day cleanse update

Phase 2—The middle 4 days are a little harder than Phases 1 & 3—
No: alcohol, caffeine, processed OJ, sugar, refined carbs, red meat, dairy, wheat, additives, preservatives, salt.
NO: white meat, white fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, grains (barley, rye, oats), milk substitutes, white potatoes, tomatoes, and organic yogurt (guess it’s the one dairy thing that’s ok?)
I already mentioned how hard of a time I was having with everything and how I almost quit. Plus the whole delaying phase 2 and stretching out Phase 1 thing. This week has been much better, so much so that today I am rewarding myself while still staying on track, for lunch I’m going to Mongolian BBQ with some co-workers, I just have to make sure I don’t get anything on the NO list for Phase3 and I’ll be good to go.
Yesterday and Wednesday I hit 1200 calories gross but on Wednesday I rode my bike to the store which took my net down to 1184. But I am feeling better than I was. I completely understand why they discourage going below 1200 calories on a regular basis, I was absolutely wiped. And I’m already feeling better. Last night I slept amazingly it was great.
The bike ride was my only “real” exercise during Phase 2, but I did stretch every morning and did situps on Tuesday and Thursday (but only 25 each day). Tonight I am going ballroom dancing @ the ballroom I discovered two weeks ago and I am soooo excited, I missed it so much! I also bought a Groupon for 10 hot-yoga classes; they have one for beginners on Saturday’s at 8:30am so I am planning on going tomorrow which will be fun. I’ve never done a true yoga class. I’ve done a few yoga videos and Wii yoga but that doesn’t really count.
I’ve lost another 2lbs putting the total for the past 10-days at 6.5lbs I know, not a healthy rate to lose weight blah blah blah but only 3 more days of the cleanse then I’m back to eating 1200-1500 calories/day NET, exercising regularly and actually trying to lose weight at a healthy rate. This has really given me the jump start I needed even if that wasn’t the point.
Adam will be home next week, I have no idea where he will want to eat for his homecoming dinner but I’m sure I’ll be able to keep up with my new lifestyle no matter what. For Memorial Day we have some friends coming into town (Izzy, Jersey, & I are going to stay at a friend’s house, not staying in our tiny apartment with 3 boys and 2 dogs!). We are planning on going to Williamsburg one day so I know I can eat healthy there and having a cookout on Sunday so I am going to buy either a pack of Morning Star burgers or some ground turkey haven’t decided which yet for my protein of the day. Either way I’ll still get to have fun with our friends.
I’ve discovered the next-best (if not better!) thing to a CSA. If you don’t know what a CSA is it is Community Supported Agriculture and basically you join in the spring and pay up-front for a box of produce weekly for the rest of the season. It shifts some of the risk from the farmers and gives you fresh, local produce from farmers you have actually met. There is a place locally that allows you to order whatever you want on a weekly basis and charges you a 15% markup on cost. They are also a retail store and their retail prices are 30% over their cost. All of their food is organic and when you order you have a choice of which farm your produce items come from so if you prefer local you can get local it may cost a little more or less depending on what the farmer charges the store. The downside is when you order most stuff is sold by the case but luckily their website has a section for splitting-cases where they try to divide them up among members who want to split them. I haven’t tried it yet, just found it this week, but do plan on placing an order soon. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Motivation

Today I was gonna quit the 10-day cleanse. Not because it isn’t working, not because I’m not seeing results, not because I don’t want to do it. I ate 966 calories yesterday, my average net calories (after exercise) for the past 1o days is 945, even without exercise my average calories consumed is 1090.

The average female needs at least 1200 calories per day (gross) in order to avoid putting her body into starvation mode, even when trying to lose weight. Do you know how hard it is to consume 1200 calories when all you are eating is fruits & vegetables? Well if you really are only eating fruits & vegetables without fat and oil and sugar it is very hard to do. And because I have been averaging so low the past 10 days I’m starting to get tired. Super run-down flat out exhausted tired. I feel similar to when I had mono in college. I get home from work and all I want to do is go to sleep. Last night, I couldn’t keep my eyes open past 8pm I kept waking up because of the thunderstorm outside and I wasn’t really asleep because I was watching tv but I was fighting sleep, hard.

But instead I have changed my mind. I am, in fact, not going to quit the cleanse mid-way. Instead I am going to force myself to eat enough calories. Only a few more days and the super hard part is over, I can totally do this I just have to work at it.

I have not been hungry once since starting this cleanse. I am eating more probably now than I ever have in my life, it’s just the things I am eating are healthier. It’s hard to hit 1200 calories worth of baby carrots and celery sticks!

Why the new-found commitment? Yesterday I lost 1 pound. No really, this morning I weighed myself and I weigh one full pound less today than I did at the exact same time yesterday. But that still isn’t all of my motivation. After all, the cleanse is not meant to lose weight, that’s just a happy side-effect, it is meant to get my body to a healthier balance. Get myself to a healthier place. I still stepped off the scale this morning determined to quit the cleanse an just do a regular weight loss diet until I hit my goal.

So what made me recommit to getting to a healthier place? Today I walked into work behind a woman who can only be described as morbidly obese. I am not saying that in a mean or hateful way, it is in this case simply the fact. This woman was about 5-foot tall (maybe) and could barely walk. When she walked her body bobbled from side to side, it made me sad more than anything. Then I saw what she was carrying, in her hand was a coke (if it’s a soda, pop, pepsi, 7-up it’s a coke!) from Hardees and a bag with a large to-go container. I like Hardees, especially their fried chicken, but I haven’t been there for breakfast in years so I wasn’t sure what she could possibly have in that container. When I got to work I pulled up their breakfast menu.

Let me start by standing up for Hardees, their breakfast menu has a lot of options that while not-necessarily “healthy” they aren’t very bad. Each of the items on their online menu gives full nutrition information so I was able to compare calorie and fat content for every item and must admit next time I want fast-food breakfast if I am able to resist the Chic-Fil-A Chicken Mini’s I will be stopping at Hardees. However they also have a lot of items that aren’t so great. I’ve narrowed down the list of possible things in the woman’s to-go container based on what would be served in that way. Basically it had to be a breakfast platter. The Country Fried Steak & Gravy platter has 810 calories and 49 grams of fat, the regular Breakfast Platter has 860 calories and 55 grams of fat, the Big Country Breakfast Platter weighs in at 870 calories and 44 grams of fat, the pancake platter isn’t so bad it only has 310 calories but still contains 50 grams of fat.

To put that into perspective, over the past 10 days my daily average fat consumption has been 38 grams. That is 6 grams of fat lower than is in any one of those breakfast platters. That single meal contains almost as many calories as I consume in one day, plus at least 6 grams of fat more than I eat. (and that includes the butter I put on my sweet potato at Texas roadhouse Sunday!)

Life is full of slippery slopes and I’m going to do my best to steer clear of this one. I’m going to eat as much as I possibly can over the next few days. For those of you who are on My Fitness Pal please feel free to add me as a friend. (SRPM) When the notification comes up that I’m under my calorie goal, yell at me. At least until next Monday. Next Monday I will reset my daily calories to a slightly higher number for now they’re set at 1200 not because that’s my limit but because that’s my goal. I have to eat enough to have energy to do the things I need to do but I also need to get all of that crap out of my system from all of the Taco Bell and McDonalds and Hardees I have eaten over the years.

44 Grams of fat…in one meal…that is why I’m doing this. That is why I’m going to succeed.

(and just so we are clear 44 grams of fat is roughly 3 ½ TBSP of Crisco or 3 ¾ TBSP of Butter, )

The cleanse-and update

So I have failed, ish. Over the weekend Adam and I visited historic Williamsburg and had a blast, unfortunately there were so many tempting treats! The good news is everything I ate was allowable under phase one, told you phase 2 would be a challenge! So I continued phase 1 through yesterday and will be following phase two today-Friday phase 3 will be Saturday - Monday then hubby will be home so I should be able to stick to it.

Energy level-today I'm a little tired but I didn't sleep very well last night, the neighbors left their porch light on (which they never do!) and it shined right on my bed so I'm thinking that was a contributing factor, however overall I am feeling good. My energy level is low today but higher than it would have been if I had been eating crap.

Weight-I'm down another 1/2 a lb since phase 1 ended the first time this puts me at 18lbs from my goal weight.

Exercise- I've continued stretching in the morning and am already seeing a small difference in my flexibility. I've been rising my bike when I can instead of driving and over the weekend Adam and I spent at least 6 hours walking around Williamsburg.

I promise a full post on Williamsburg sometime this week. I remembered the camera so I have some fun pictures to share! :)

Two thought Tuesday

So here are my two thoughts for this Tuesday!  Please feel free to share your thoughts also, just remember if you do to link up with Mr. Linky!

1-Nothing makes a girl feel pretty faster than a manicure and pedicure.

2-Puppy cuddles in the morning make everything better.

Happy military spouse appreciation day!!

Happy military spouse appreciation day! The Friday before Mothers Day is officially Milspouse appreciation day.  In honor of this day Household6 Diva (www.household6diva.com) and RC (www.riding therollercoaster.com) are hosting a blog swap!  I love blog swaps, unfortunately I don’t get to participate in them very often since I usually blog from my phone but I couldn’t pass this one up. I’m super excited to go through and meet new fun milspouse bloggy friends J A little about me: My name is Shanon and this is my blog “Modern meets Traditional.”  I came up with the idea for my blog because whenever anyone asks me to describe myself in an interview etc I usually come up with I’m a mix of modern and traditional, let me explain. I love the music of the 20’s-50’s as much as I do Hannah Montana, my fashion sense (if you can call it that!) is a mixture of sleek modern professional attire and 1940’s housewife, I am driven and want to be successful in my career, but I also want to have a family and actually raise my own children and that’s just my personality!  It is crazy the way my entire life encompasses this theme. I grew up in rural Kentucky and went to college about two hours away in Louisville.  When I graduated I decided to stay in Louisville, which didn’t really surprise anyone. I accepted a job, bought a house, and got a dog.  I was living the American dream. My husband Adam and I met in 2008, went on our first date a few days later, and never looked back.  The story is actually really funny; you can read all about it, including how I thought he was gay, in my blog post from April 23 if you want to go read it, I’ll wait. We got married in the Fall of 2009 after deciding that he should join the Navy.  It was something he had wanted to do for a long time but the timing was never right, in the spring of 2009 we got engaged and started trying to lose weight.  Unfortunately the company I worked for announced they were closing in January 2010 so I had relocated to Peachtree City, GA for a new job and he stayed behind.  During this time he realized he didn’t want to leave me stuck in GA by myself while he went off and joined the Navy.  SO in July, 2010 Adam moved to Georgia with me and all was right in the world.  Shortly after he moved down Adam got a job managing an oil change shop.  The corporation he worked for was great, however unfortunately as time went on we learned that his district and regional managers were both a little shady.  So about October 2010 we went back to discussing the Navy and Adam went back to trying to lose weight since he had regained some.  In January 2011 Adam moved back to Louisville so that he could finish his enlistment stuff with his recruiter there and in February he left for boot camp.   In July 2011 Adam was stationed in Norfolk and I stayed in Georgia.  We didn’t know what the schedule would look like for his new ship and wanted to wait to make sure I would have time to settle in before he deployed etc if I was in a new place.  By September I was job hunting in VA and in October I told my boss that I would be leaving as soon as I found a job.  Now here I am living in the tiny apartment we rented because it was perfect for just him and me on occasional visits, with my husband, and two dogs…living in one room…we are crazy!  I have a great job working with really nice people.  I have started to make friends and can’t wait to see what the rest of this crazy Navy adventure brings.

10-day cleanse progress report

Phase 1—The first three days of the cleanse are fairly simple, to refresh—
No: alcohol, caffeine, processed OJ, sugar, refined carbs, red meat, dairy, wheat, additives, preservatives, salt.
Limit: white meat, white fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, grains (barley, rye, oats), milk substitutes, white potatoes, tomatoes, and organic yogurt (guess it’s the one dairy thing that’s ok?)
How have I done? Well here is what I’ve had to eat:
Monday:
B: Tangelo, Pineapple Juice, Unsalted Roasted Almonds
L: Salad with Mushrooms, Onion, Beets, Bell Peppers, Raisins & Balsamic Vinegar and a small side of Quinoa.
D: Chicken Breast, Sweet Potato w/Ginger & Cinnamon, Lettuce w/Balsamic Vinegar
Snack: Cocoa Roasted Almonds
Tuesday:
B: Strawberries, Hard Boiled Egg, Banana
L: Salad with Mushrooms, Onion, Beets, Bell Peppers, Raisins & Balsamic Vinegar and a small side of cooked Baby Carrots.
D: Salad w/Chicken Breast, Almonds, Strawberries, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms & Balsamic Vinegar
Snacks: Unsalted Almonds, Tangelo, Baby Carrots, Blueberries, Silk Mixed Berry Fruit & Protein
Wednesday:
B: Granola w/Almonds and Honey, V8
L: Baked Potato, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Black Olives, Green Onion, & Tomatoes with 1tsp of butter
D: Flounder, Zucchini, Sweet Potato w/Ginger and Cinnamon
Snacks: Banana w/Natural Peanut Butter, Tangelo, Silk Fruit & Protein-Mixed Berry, Blueberries
I’ve noticed a change in my energy level already, I’ve been sleeping better, and I’m really proud of myself for avoiding caffeine and chocolate! Today starts the hard phase, 4 days with no foods from the limit list so no meat, no milk substitute, and no nuts, I think I’m going to have to find a way to incorporate beans into a couple of meals for protein this weekend. Tonight shouldn’t be bad since hubby has duty I’ll probably just eat raw veggies and fruit for dinner, maybe some air-popped popcorn. Tomorrow night we plan on trying to grill butternut squash for the first time, wish us luck!
On the exercise side I did some research and discovered that they discourage over-exertion because of the drastic change from most people’s regular diets (less fat, carbs, protein, calories) so I’ve toned down my goals a little bit. Monday I walked on the beach with the puppies for about 30 minutes, Tuesday I took a 20 minute bike ride, yesterday I had a final exam and by the time I was done with it hubby was asleep so I stretched some and did about 25 crunches, I figured at least it’s something. This morning I stretched and did crunches again before I got in the shower I think I’m going to make it my new morning routine, so easy, doesn’t take very long, and stretching is a good thing.
Oh and the thing you all want to know—the scale this morning was 4lbs lower than it was on Monday. This means I’m less than 20lbs from my goal weight!!! And right at 10lbs from being back in the “healthy” BMI range and out of “overweight”!

Funny things I do

I totally just typed the first half of a blog post for tomorrow in my work email, then sent it to myself so that I can copy and past it into the blogger ap on my phone tomorrow and save the trouble of typing from my phone. This is not the first time I've done this--in fact I am doing the same thing now...
Do you ever email future blog post or drafts to yourself? Or am I just strange???

Two Thought Tuesday

The other day while pondering the meaning of life...or procrastinating, whichever I came up with a bunch of very random, completely unrelated thoughts that are interesting and thought "I should totally blog about this."  Thus, Two Thought Tuesday, was born.  The point of Two Thought Tuesday is simply that, to post two original, (or not) thoughts that are in your head right now.  Feel free to link up below and carry this forward on your own!

Today's Thoughts:

The better someone thinks they know you, the less they actually know about you.

Procrastination will bite you in the ass.

10-day cleanse, the plan

So I’m doing a 10-day cleanse…nope not the pop a pill and be in the bathroom all day type, that’s kind of gross and I don’t see how it can be at all healthy. This one is a holistic-cleanse your body of allergens/toxins/medication etc. type of cleanse.
I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately about diets/exercise/whole body health and I really feel like I eat too much crap. Yes, I eat better than the general American population but still it’s too much for my body. I read about this cleanse and it sounds like a good idea to me, especially since it is very simple and doesn’t cut out all of any one source of nutrition (think no-carb, no fat etc diets). My intention is to complete the cleanse then try to extremely limit the crap food I eat.
Adam and I agree that we eat out to much and there is no reason for it, plus we both love to cook and prefer healthy foods, so here is hoping this is a lifestyle change that we both end up being healthier after.
*side note, Adam isn’t doing the cleanse, he has his PFA soon and is about 20lbs over so he’s doing one of his stupid crash diets that cannot possibly be healthy but work, hopefully this change will also eliminate the need for these stupid diets!*
Here is the plan:
· Every day first thing in the morning drink a glass of water with lemon juice
· Eliminate all artificial sweeteners, preservatives, non-natural sugar (including corn syrup & white granulated sugar)
· Up my water intake to at least 10 glasses/day, preferably 15
· Eliminate all caffeine (wish me luck!)
· Take no medicine, including vitamins, Tylenol, and allergy pills
· Days 1-3 and 8-10 eat anything from the Foods to eat liberally & enjoy some of the foods to eat moderately list, eat nothing on the foods to avoid list
· Days 4-7 only eat foods off of the foods to eat liberally list
· Continue counting calories consumed/exercise/weight etc on My Fitness Pal (I reset everything to zero this morning)
· Track my water on MFP also (I’m bad about this one!)
· Days 1-3 & 8-10 exercise at least 30 minutes/day to break a sweat
· Days 4-7 exercise moderately, probably stick with stretching/yoga etc (4-7 are very low protein & carb days)

Foods to eat liberally:
Vegetables-
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, onions, asparagus, avocado, kale, artichoke, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, celery, watercress, peas, & herbs are all highly recommended.
Fruit-
Apples, pears, apricots, peaches, mangos, melons, papayas, pineapple, banana, kiwi, berries, lemons, legumes, whole grains, olive oil
Beverages-
Pure fruit juice, Vegetable Juice, dandelion tea (up to 3 cups per day), fruit & herbal teas, water

Foods to eat moderately:
White meat (chicken, turkey), White Fish (Cod, sole, haddock, herring), Eggs, Nuts, Seeds, Dried Fruit, Grains (barley, rye, oats), Milk substitutes (Soy, rice, almond milk), White potatoes, Tomatoes, Natural Organic Yogurt

Foods to Avoid-
Caffeine, Alcohol, Orange Juice, Sugar, Refined Carbs, Red meat, Dairy, Wheat, Additives & preservatives, prepackaged/processed food, salt

Realistically I think I’ll be able to do it no problem. The only things on the “avoid” list that I will probably re-introduce into my diet on a regular (though hopefully not as frequent) basis will be red meat, dairy (specifically cheese!), & wheat. I would love it if I could kick caffeine to the curb, it’s just so tasty!

I plan to keep posting along the was so I’ll let everyone know how I’m doing!

MilSpouse (first) Friday fillin

So I'm posting from my phone which means no links, images, or fun formatting but I didn't want to miss out, you know the drill and if you don't read on for more info:
From wifey @ wifeofasailor (our host)
I love learning more about my fellow MilSpouse bloggers. So I created a weekly meme, which has now morphed into a monthly meme. This happens on the first Friday of every month. To do this, I post a list of questions the day before (on Thursday so you can have your blog ready on Friday). Come back here on Friday (tomorrow) and enter your blog post into Mr. Linky!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed?
This sounds silly but I would have gotten out of bed earlier last Saturday to start the prep work for Adams party. It went off great but it was so late before I got to bed Saturday that I was exhausted all day Sunday and still haven't recovered 100%

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in April?
Adams party, well the look on his face when he realized what I had done, totally worth every second of hard work.

3. What are your plans for Memorial Day?
Hopefully my best guy friends from college (and Adams best friends!) including our wedding party boys will be in town visiting so lots of laying on the beach laughin at the boys. I will also be having a slumber party with a three year old because I will not be staying in the apartment with the boys.

4. Have you ever traveled Space A? If yes, where… if no, would you ever try it?
I haven't and am kind of hesitant to...

5. What are you looking forward to in May?
I cannot wait to see our friends from home. I miss those boys so much!

Ok, your turn go visit www.wifeofasailor.com and link up!

America's best blogging scholarship

So there is a scholarship currently available that has a writing which candidate has your vote for the  2012 presidential election and why?  I know this is a long shot but, on the off-chance that someone with some power will read my blog and think I actually have a good idea.  

My political views are something I generally try to keep off of my blog for a few, very simple and obvious reasons.  (Protecting my husband as a Sailor, protecting myself from idiots, keeping stupid hateful comments at a minimum…) However, I have discussed this particular plan with a good friend with the polar opposite views as me when it comes to most political things and she agrees that I might actually have a good idea for a change. 

Imagine what would happen if a democrat and republican ran ON THE SAME TICKET!  Not just any regular old white male democrat and senator but specifically what if Hillary and Condoleeza ran together?  I don’t particularly care which one of them is president and which is VP I just think given the current political climate and international threats they are the two people most prepared for the jobs.  Yes, one could also list any other former secretary of state or defense adviser but “Team Condillary” seems much more fun and controversial than any other options.  On a serious note though, who is better equipped to lead our country back to what we once were? 

As First Lady of the United States many joked that Hillary ran the country and Bill just did as he was told.  While I don’t believe this was actually the case I do believe that Hillary saw more and knew more about the true operations of the country than any other first lady.  She made the trips to other countries, supported Bill daily and had the education and background necessary to rise to power on her own merits as well being a successful lawyer and businessperson.  Add to that the fact that she has already lead a powerhouse campaign for president and the additional experience gained over the past 3 years as Secretary of State, what better candidate is there?

On the other side we have Condolezza Rice, a Republican best known for leading the anti-terrorism campaign during the second Bush administration.  Rice has the experience with foreign policy and respect of foreign governments to continue working with other countries and rebuild our relationships and economies.  Also, we know that Condolezza and Hillary respect each other, Condolezza even endorsed Hillary as her successor.  One huge negative, we know that Condolezza doesn’t want the job.  She has been quoted multiple times as saying she does not see herself every running for political office in the United States, especially during the 2008 campaign.

What about public policy and political viewpoints?  Wouldn’t having opposing views be a problem?  I think not.  In a 2005 survey only 54% of those polled by Gallup considered her liberal, and over 30% deemed her moderate.  Furthermore, Condolezza describes herself as a moderate republican.  Wouldn’t it be amazing to see a country that has been so ripped apart by partisan politics bound together by the bipartisan Team Condillary? 

Both Hillary and Condolezza are rumored to be on their own parties short-list for VP candidates this year; both women also have extremely high approval ratings.  Women now make up 51% of the voting population, doesn’t that mean we should also hold 51% of the vacancies in Washington?  Why shouldn’t two of those spots be as President and Vice President of the United states? 

Vote for Team Condillary 2012!

PS-yes I realize the odds are way against this happening and only way they even could run together if they wanted to is if they decided to screw their own parties and join an independent party with no campaign budget, but still—wouldn’t it be cool???

PPS-I did enter this in the scholarship, who knows if I’ll even qualify since I didn’t pick a proper candidate but I did write about who has my vote.

PPPS-Please, I encourage your comments, however if anyone is hateful, derogatory, or uses vulgar language, your comment will be deleted.  Likewise comments of So-N-So sucks are ignorant and will be deleted.

by YourLocalSecurity.com

4 years

Yesterday was the 4 year anniversary of meeting my husband it is amazing how much my life has changed in such a short time. I thought about writing a short, reflective post on the past 4 years but that means in 2 weeks I will be celebrating 5 years since graduating college and that seems like a bigger anniversary to benchmark right now. So instead you get to hear about how we met. Aren't you lucky??
4-years ago the broadway musical Avenue Q was in Louisville and I really wanted to go. I called my friend Wendy who shares my sick sense of humor (or at least appreciate it) and likes the theater and talked her into coming with me. At this time Wendy had 2 good guy friends, one was gay the other was Adam. She asked if her friend could come & since it was a broadway musical I assumed it was the gay one--oops!
I met Wendy and Adam for dinner at Bluegrass Brewing Company (if you are ever in Louisville and like microbrews check them out!) and my first impression of him was a tall, well-dressed guy walking towards the restaurant with Wendy. My second impression of him was him completely checking me out and talking about a girl who he had gone out with the night before on a blind date (apparently she was a bit crazy)--ok so not the gay one :)
By the end of dinner Adam ha convinced me that he should be my date to a wedding I was in because the groom was threatening to set me up. By the end of intermission he had invited himself to join me at the ballroom dance party I went to every week on Friday (this was a Tuesday) and I had been invited to his birthday party (the following Tuesday) the next week was a whirlwind. Friday night he met me at the ballroom and was a champ, we hung out in the parking lot for at least 2 hours afterwards just talking. Saturday was the monthly city-wide charity ballroom social and he asked if I wanted to go.
Saturday night he picked me up to go dancing again. It was great :) then when he dropped me off after we sat in the car for hours, again just talking. He opened my door and pulled out my chair and everything!
Sunday we went to a Louisville Bats Baseball game (his favorite!) and the weather was horrible, cold, and rainy. I didn't want to look like a wuss do I made it past the 7th inning stretch and didn't complain one bit. He swears that's when he knew he would marry me. By the time we got back to my house my nose was stuffy.
Monday I called into work sick (i had a fever and everything) and he brought me chicken soup. (granted it was a can of condensed soup, a Tupperware bowl, and a can opener but he did heat it up when he got to my house!) and a card he made with a friends kids crayons. When he gave me the card I knew he was special but I wasn't sure if I was ready for special yet (my relationship before Adam was ugly maybe I'll write about it eventually but not now) so I told him I probably wouldn't make the party since I was sick. Apparently my attending the party was not optional, soooo
Tuesday after work (I was feeling better but still had a sore throat from coughing and was takin LOTS of DayQuil to function) Adam picked me up and took me to his birthday party at Incredible Dave's (think Dave & busters only smaller) where I was a super cheap date (a cup of soup is cheap pretty much everywhere!) because he wouldn't let me pay, nor would he let anyone else pay for his because he wanted to pay for mine :) we played a few games then he took me home I guess it was obvious that I was miserable. I will never forget Wendy saying as we left "I would never have set the two of you up but I should have done it sooner you really just kindda make sense" that's when I knew that we would be together for a long time because Wendy was right, we did (do) make sense which is so funny because on paper no one would ever put us together.
I kind of want to go on match.com or somewhere similar just to see if the computers would match us up but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't :)

How long have you known your significant other? Are they your "one"? When did you know that this was it??

Milspouse Friday fill-in

So it's been a long time since I've joined in so or those of you who don't know what this is:
(from Wifey @ www.wifeofasailor.com)
I love learning more about my fellow MilSpouse bloggers. So I created a weekly meme, which has now morphed into a monthly meme. This happens on the first Friday of every month. To do this, I post a list of questions the day before (on Thursday so you can have your blog ready on Friday). Come back here on Friday and enter your blog post into Mr. Linky!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed?
I spent way to much money in early March then had to make a surprise trip to KY to take care of house and car stuff. I probably would have backed of the shopping and massage early in the month if I had known. (really probably didn't need to do the shopping to begin with!)

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in March?
I got to go home and see some of my besties and spend some much needed time with my momma. Really as much as I love my friends I wish I had been able to stay at moms the whole weekend I really needed the time with her.

3. Check your phone… who was the last person you called and what is your favorite thing about them?
Sarah-she is always willing to help whoever needs in whenever she can.

4. If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why?
Hot pink because it's bright and shiny an today I need some bright and shiny in my life :)

5. What are you looking forward to in April?
Warm weather, sunshine, and walks on the beach with hubby & the pups :)

Go visit wifey's blog and link your own answers!!!

And the winner is...

Wounded Warrior Project
Thank you to everyone who voted, I visited the Wounded Warrior Project website this evening and made my $50 donation.  Would you like to learn more about Wounded Warrior Project or give yourself?  Visit their website here.

Have you voted?

Don't forget tomorrow march 29 th is the last day to vote for which deserving charity will receive my $50 donation in honor of Adams 1-year Navyversary! Thank you everyone who has voted so far. The gadget is on the sidebar of my blog.

Blogging from my phone

Completely sucks. I had a great post about reflecting over the past year typed up and the. I got a text message and now it is gone. Will post it tonight when I get home going to type it back up in word from my work compute then email it to myself :(

Happy Navyversary

Since I am scheduling this post to go up at 0:01, today marks one year since Adam left for boot camp. We are currently arguing whether today marks 1 year or tomorrow but I say today since today is the anniversary of the day he stood up and held his hand up high and said I pledge allegiance to the flag or something like that :)

I cannot believe it has been a year already. At the same time so much has happened over the past year that I can’t believe it has only been one year! Lets recap:

Adam joined the Navy (just in case you missed that little tidbit)

I ran a 5K with @sespi from And You Never Did Think 

The 5K was inspired by our friends @minivangirl and @justplainj Minivangirl's blog who were trying to raise money to get a service dog for their daughter Faith. (for more on that story visit Pepsi Pups very interesting things have happened!)

Adam graduated boot camp (again, just in case you missed it!)

I started working on my MBA

Adam went to undesignated A-school since he is color blind and smart they didn’t have any jobs there were willing to assign him to.

Adam graduated A-school (apparently this was REALLY hard //sarcasm)

Adam moved to Norfolk, I stayed in GA

I felt guilty for staying in GA

I started looking for jobs in Norfolk secretly

My boss got a new job that was too good to turn down

I got a new boss who was super nice & talented

New boss commented on how amazed she was that I could stay that far way from hubby

People at work started telling me I needed to leave because they could tell I missed my hubby

I started looking for jobs in Norfolk openly

I interviewed and applied and talked with head hunters until I thought I was going to have to move without a job and just look from here (which would have been MUCH easier)

I got an email that wasn’t a job offer but they wanted to contact me in early spring about a position they were anticipating being open if I hadn’t found something else

I though, bull shit I must really suck

I GOT A JOB OFFER! From a great company, with great benefits (I even have a pension, who still offers pensions????)

I moved to VA, with a job, while trying to help out sorority land train my temp. replacement as well as I could via email/phone/text

I started my job, working with really nice people, doing really interesting accounting stuff with debt (as in corporate bonds, which I know very little about) and investments (as in stocks & interest bearing accounts which I know more about)

Started thinking about my CPA again and researching review material b/c a lot has changed since 2007

I got an email from the first company saying the position had come open and asking if I wanted to come in and chat, of course I responded with thanks but found a job and like it so far—was told, point blank if I stay in the area but ever leave here to call them. (WOW guess I didn’t suck!)

Became an officer of the local Phi Mu Alumnae chapter

Became philanthropy advisor for the Phi Mu Chapter at William & Mary

Finally learned how to spell the word philanthropy right on the first try

Been proven right that the anniversary is indeed today (thank you military id expiration date and enlistment orders!)

The crazy thing is everything from the job offer on has happened in the past 2.5 months! Never mind all of the things that can’t really be put on a timeline all of the new people I have met and things I have learned, the slight changes in our dogs (yes I know they’re dogs but they’re my kids!) it has been an absolutely amazing year.

I thought that in celebration f my 1 year Navyspousaversary I would have a giveaway of some sort but I’m really not that great at keeping up with my blog so I’m pretty sure that at this point I have about 2 followers who actually read my blog and of those 2 followers I’m betting maybe 1 would enter a giveaway…so instead, I am going to make a $50 donation to a charity of my followers choice from the following options (each of these organizations have full profiles available under the “Support Our Troops” section of Charity Navigator and has an overall rating of 50 or higher)

National Military Family Association

National Military Family Association is the only national organization that for more than 40 years has represented officer and enlisted families of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Public Health Service. We help those seeking resources for: themselves and combat-weary service members returning home from war with fragile mental heath, for optimistic-but-anxious children separated from parents during deployments, for spouses forging ahead with educations to build better lives for their families or to prepare for the unthinkable, for widows seeking information about benefits available to them as they cope with their losses, and for proud parents of single service members. We identify and work with others to resolve emerging military family-related issues.

Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind, and to wounded warriors when they return home. Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers in 30 chapters nationwide. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has provided critical assistance to more than 105,000 military families in need. Some of our most outstanding accomplishments are: more than 5 million dollars provided to military families in crises; goods and services valued at more than 6.5 million dollars to assist military families; and an excess of 20,000 care packages delivered to soldiers abroad with an additional 2,500 packages delivered to military families at home.

American Red Cross

Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering. Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.

USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization, and is not a part of the federal government. Since 1941, the USO mission has remained the same: to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to service members and their families. The USO currently operates more than 135 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas. Overseas centers are located in Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guam, and Kuwait. Service members and their families visit USO centers more than 6.9 million times each year. Services include free Internet and e-mail access, libraries and reading rooms, housing assistance, family crisis counseling, support groups, game rooms and nursery facilities.

Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs, meets the special needs of veterans with specific disabilities - such as amputation and blindness - and aids and shelters homeless veterans. Programs supported by the Trust target several groups of physically and psychologically disabled veterans. Key programs include: helping to maintain a volunteer-operated transportation network providing rides to sick and disabled veterans needing transportation to and from VA medical centers for treatment; providing food and shelter and connecting homeless and needy veterans to essential medical care, VA benefits counseling and job training; supporting significant therapeutic initiatives; and many more.

Wounded Warrior Project

The mission of Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Our purpose is: to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women; to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Founded in 1904, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society operates nearly 250 offices ashore and afloat at Navy and Marine Corps bases throughout the world. The mission of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps, financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the Naval Services of the United States, eligible family members, and survivors when in need. We are committed to ensure that all available resources are used to assist personnel of the Naval Services - active, retired, and their eligible family members - to achieve financial self-sufficiency and find solutions to emergency needs.

The Fisher House Foundation

The Fisher House Foundation program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 10,000 families, and have made available nearly 2.5 million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990.

So—Place your vote now, I will make the donation when I pay bills next weekend so voting will end in exactly 1 week at 0:01 on March 29.

Voting is available on the sidebar of my blog so if you are reading this through Google Reader or whatever visit shanonrenee.blogspot.com directly.

Blogging from my phone

Completely sucks. I had a great post about reflecting over the past year typed up and the. I got a text message and now it is gone. Will post it tonight when I get home going to type it back up in word from my work compute then email it to myself :(

I love my husband

Really, and this is just one of the 838836738367284839477492726281826294737 reasons why.
Last night I was talking about midterms and mentioned that I will be done with my MBA next spring, he said "so May 2013 you'll be done? Like really done? You're not going to decided to get your doctorate or something are you?". At first I was a little miffed, which he must have noticed :) I mean seriously?
I started my masters to further my career so he could eventually go back to school full time and not have to work (this was pre-navy and pre-Georgia) I stopped half way through to move to GA because we couldn't afford for me not to have a good job. Then he joined the Navy so I started my MBA back up through an online program. Now I'm in VA with him almost done doing it this way FOR HIM and he has the balls to make it should like me going to school is a bad thing???? I swallowed, took a deep breath, then said "well you know I like to learn do I might go bak again eventually but I want my CPA first and would probably wait until after we have kids maybe even after you are done with then navy so we are at home..."
He then goes into this super sweet speech about how he doesn't want us to both be in school at the same time but wanted to go ahead and look at his options for finishing his degree now so that I don't have to support us when he is out of the navy while he goes to school, even if he's in 20years he still wants to finish his degree so that our kids will understand that we both think education is important.
And yet again he turns what I took as an insult into a super sweet way of trying to take care of/protect me.

New job, new life

So I thought my loyal followers (if there are any of you left!) might like an update about my life. It has been a crazy first month in Norfolk but do far I am loving it. So here is what is going on in my world:

Teeny tiny apartment:
I think we will make it without killing each other, living in such a small space has made me the anal/clean/put everything away one. Though I have been so busy I haven't had time to clean. It has been stressing me out for over a week, just started bothering Adam last night (it being clean dishes not out away and a laundry basket of clean clothes that needs folded) so I will be making time tonight and we will be putting it away.

The Navy:
Adam has had 2 short underways so far neither really bothered me. This week he has had an "easy" week at work and beaten me home every day. Which has probably contributed to the laundry bothering me since they're mostly his clothes.

New Job:
I really like it. I am starting to catch on and I really like the people. A lot of the duties are similar to when I worked for Six Flags so I'm not having to completely learn stuff from scratch, mostly just concerned with learning systems etc. I know I'm nerdy but I really like GL accounting and since I'm working with debt and investments it's extra interesting.

School:
Last week and this week sucked. Tons of work due and midterms but one of my midterms has been postponed so I'm finishing one tonight and have about 3 hours worth of work left on a project then I'm done for now. I'm on track to graduate Spring 2013 which is sooner than I thought I for some reason thought it was December 2013. Woo Hoo!

Social Life:
I have become pretty good friends with A, whose husband is on the same boat as our friend John from home. His wife Sarah, A & I have hung out a few times and I've watched A's daughters who I shall call Kat and Weenie (based on real nicknames-I'm not mean enough to just call a kid weenie for no reason, their real names start with the same letter so can't use initials!) a few times. Saturday there is a huge St Patricks day parade that runs near my house so we are going to all go watch the parade and have a picnic, I'm so excited!

Ok enough resting my eyes from excel. Back to work more later I promise!

Surprise!

I have had a great few days. As a follow up to my whiney post the other day Debbie downer is gone and Dixie sunshine is back in place. I received a phone call Sunday and someone wanted to see the bug. Ended up selling it to a super cool young couple that wanted to hippie paint it to advertise their website selling custom art. How awesome is that!
Saw beauty and the beast in 3D it was amazing
Started packing the kitchen

Today I set my last work day (the 24) and helped my boss come up with a plan for keeping the ball rolling while they try to replace me
Pretty much finished packing the kitchen and living room
Took 3 bags of trash to the dumpster
Loaded 4 boxes of stuff in my suv for goodwill
Sent about 5 bags of frozen food home with my amazing friend who is helping me pack.
Had a congratulations cake at work because I work with some pretty awesome people.

Tomorrow I'm on my own so I think I'm Going to try and get at least 1/2 my bedroom knocked out. Wish me luck!
:)
Wednesday laney is helping again we will probably work on the guest room closet.
Thursday a trailer hitch is being installed on my truck
Friday & Saturday finish the guest room with laneys help
Sunday finish the bedroom
Monday going away party at laneys apartment.
Tuesday last day of work & laundry
Wednesday pick up trailer and load everything
Thursday drive to KY
Friday license car in KY and drive to Norfolk
Saturday unload everything with hubby
Sunday hopefully spend day sleeping in and getting brunch with hubby (he may have duty)
Monday start new job!!!!!
Woo hoo I have a busy 2 weeks ahead of me but it sure is exciting!

But I don't wanna

Wanna know a secret. I have a love/hate relationship with change. And right now we are on the hate side.
I love being new places and meeting new people but I hate all of the build up and excitement that comes before you make a major change in life.
This is part of the reason why my wedding was planned so quickly and low key. I could not handle 1+year of planning, someone would have killed me if I hadn't killed them first.
Right now I am in the midst of one of the most exciting changes in my life. But to tell you the truth I just don't want to do it. This is the part I hate. Here is my to-do list for the next week:
Finish packing living room
Pack kitchen
Pack guest room
Pack bedroom
Have trailer hitch installed on SUV
Work out last day with boss
MBA classes start

And the following week:
Last day at work
Pickup trailer
Load trailer
Drive to moms to register SUV in proper state
Drive to VA
Unload trailer (possibly without hubby's help depending on duty schedule)
Get Internet in Norfolk apt so I can do my class work.

And somewhere in the midst of all of this try and sell our Bug.

All I really want to do is crawl back in bed with the puppies and wake up in VA. Where is my fairy godmother when I need her??

I got a job!!!!

I am so excited! I received and accepted an absolutely amazing job offer in Virginia this week. I am so stinkin excited to finally be able to move to VA with hubby I think this is really going to make the "navy wife" thing a little more real. Up until now we have spent a ton of time living apart but it wasn't all because of the military and had kind of become our normal. I have 2 weeks to get moved and have a plan in place that I really hope works out. Now just to get everything packed. Today's goal-living room & kitchen. Tomorrows goal guest room. Next weeks goal bedroom. Think I can do it? I'm not so sure. Wish me luck!!!