MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #42

I'm back! I wasn't able to do last week's fill-in and Blogger disappeared #40, but then it reappeared three days later. This week, I wasn't able to log in to Blogger for the past three days, but it mysteriously started working when I logged in via Google Chrome. Hopefully there will be no more issues. On to the fill-in!

1. Do you think civilians, in general, understand the meaning of Memorial Day?

I know that some of them do. However, there is also a massive chunk of the population who are like, "Wooo!!! Three day weekend, let's drink some Bud Light!" followed by "Of course I can drive, I'm not that drunk!" They just happen to be louder, and thus they are the Memorial Day stereotype.

2. What are your plans for the Memorial Day Weekend?

Well, the husband is very excited about a Sci-Fi yard sale (sponsored by the local Star Trek fan club) that is being held down in Va Beach on Saturday morning. I can only hope there are Comic-Con worthy costumes for sale. Then we are hopefully stopping by my friend's mom's annual Memorial Day Field Party.

3. What skill/talent do you wish you had? submitted by The 3 Turners

I still need to learn how to knit. 

4. Which came first: the chicken or the egg? submitted by I married into the Army

The chicken. Thanks, interwebs.

5. What is the best thing about your base? The worst? submitted by Randomly, Robyn

Are we talking the actual base or are we including the area around the base as well? Best thing for me: location/proximity to family. Best thing base specific: Commissary is large and open every day. Multiple gyms. Best thing including surrounding area: Near the beach. Lots of shopping options. Trader Joe's.
Worst: Traffic. Oh, how I loathe the traffic. And the heat/humidity. It was 90 degrees yesterday and it isn't even summer yet. I'm almost looking forward to the damp and cool of Washington.

As a bonus, here is the mysterious disappearing/reappearing Fill-in #40 that never got published.

1. Which was the best day of your life - Wedding Day or Homecoming Day? submitted by Pink Champagne, Gatorade & MREs

I'm going to have to go with neither. Our wedding day consisted of walking down to the courthouse, and me going to my Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany class a couple of hours afterward. Homecoming Day was exhausting. While both days were happy, we have had many other days that are far more deserving of the title "best day of your life."

2. Were you a part of the joining the military question or did you sign up for the relationship when your man was already in the military? submitted by Cammo Style Love

He was already talking to a recruiter and setting up a MEPS date when we started dating. Prior to that, when we were mere friends/co-workers, I definitely tried to talk him out of it (what can I say, I'm a big hippie). Obviously it worked out, and I realize now that it was a good decision.

3. What is your favorite Disney movie and why? submitted by Raising Roscoe

This is hard. Despite having no children, we immediately buy every (classic) Disney movie as soon as it is released on BluRay. I'll go with The Little Mermaid, solely based on the strength of the song Part of Your World. It is my ultimate sing-along song. 

4. What is your favorite family activity to do on the weekends? submitted by Destination: RN!

We like to geocache.

5. Where do you secretly with you could be stationed with your SO's line of work? submitted by Wookie & Co.

It's no secret, I want to go to Ramstein or Aviano. The husband got to live at both when his dad was in the Air Force, now I want a turn!

Road Trip Deux

The pre-PCS busy season has officially begun. Last weekend, we went with the husband's family (parents, two brothers, a girlfriend) for the husband, brother-in-law #1, and mother-in-law's birthdays (which are all within a week of each other). While we didn't get as crazy as the other people on our floor, who were "Woooooo!!!!!"-ing in the hallways at 5am, it was a good time. At one point I was up $15 (I pretty much only play the penny/nickel slots) and then I had another drink and was broke in under 5 minutes. We squeezed in a lunch visit with the husband's uncle and an IKEA stop on the way home, and, most importantly, I drove a grand total of 4 hours over the entire trip. I love that my husband is afraid of my driving :)

Here is the most important thing I learned during this trip: for the love of God, never see the movie Sucker Punch. Brother-in-law #2 is still in high school, so we tried to do some suitable (aka non-gambling) activities with him. This movie was quite possibly the worst two hours of my life. I've never walked out of a theater before, but I was seriously considering it. I think I'd rather have teeth pulled than have to see it again. The only redeeming qualities were the approximately 3.5 minutes featuring Jon Hamm and the fact that we were able to discuss the horrible qualities of the movie for HOURS on the ride back down south.

So now, just when I think I've finally recovered from Atlantic City (those hotel beds did a number on my back), it's time for another out of town trip. When the husband gets off work this afternoon, we're heading to my hometown for a family reunion, which is probably the last time I'll be able to visit for a good long while. We halfway packed the car yesterday with boxes of my grandma's silver and china. When my mom gave it to me a few years ago, she claimed she didn't have space for it. I asked her not to give me in the first place because I didn't want to have to haul it all over the country/have it shattered by movers. Then she got this weird look and asked what I meant. That was when I had to explain to her that the husband wouldn't be stationed in Virginia forever, most likely no longer than 4 years. She had to have known this deep-down, but I think she was in denial prior to that. But she made me take it anyway, it's been under our bed for two years, and now we have to lug it back.

Today we still have to pack our clothes/toiletries/gadgets. I still have to prep deviled eggs for 40, shower, try to tidy up (there is nothing worse than coming home to a mess) and dose up Sicily with her holistic kitty valium. We bought a new, larger carrier for her this week and set it up in the living room. She seems to like sitting in it/on top of it, there are screens on all four sides that she can see out of, and there is room for a tiny litter box. We can only hope she still likes it when she realizes it's her new traveling home that she will be spending nearly two weeks in come July.

Speaking of, the husband officially got his orders yesterday (woo!). We have to stop by the office before we leave town to see what else we have to give them to get out of the lease. Next Wednesday we have a short PCS briefing to attend, then it's on to deciding when we're actually moving out of the apartment and setting up movers. And a few days ago, I prepared our official 11 day travel itinerary, complete with pet friendly hotels, sightseeing, and Man v. Food approved dining choices. I felt so accomplished. Does anyone know if the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame worth stopping at?

Song Time

Hmmmm, well I originally posted this on Thursday, but Blogger got all weird on us and disappeared some posts...

It is Thursday, which means two things: one, we are leaving for Atlantic City this afternoon for a birthday extravaganza, and two, it is song link up time with Goodnight Moon.

Once upon a time, I was considering having a wedding. The husband and I had already gotten married, but we did it sneakily and didn't tell most people, as at the time we were still planning on getting wedding-ed (side note: while I have never actually frequented theknot.com, from what I hear, ladies who are already married and then plan on having a wedding are majorly frowned upon in regular wedding planning circles). In the end, we decided not to get wedding-ed, as between me and the husband's shyness, my lack of caring to plan for such an event, and the redonkulous cost of the whole fiasco, getting wedding-ed just didn't seem important, since the legal part was already done. However, before that decision was made, I did plan for little bits of the ceremony that never happened.

This song was going to be the recessional, specifically the song starting at minute 1:21. And I really liked the idea of fake mustaches and fake elephant noses as favors during the reception (which I was thinking of having in a barn, while wearing a not-white dress). I'm sure my dear, sweet, traditional mother thanks Jesus every day that I did not have the wedding-ed event that I wanted in my head.


P.S..... the action post 3:45 looks like an excellent party to me...

Sad Face

Tonight was the husband's ALS graduation dinner. We got to dress up and it was fun (at least as fun as these sort of things can be), considering I knew a grand total of two people there. I was excited to wear a pair of shoes I had only worn once before in the five years that I've owned them, and by the end of the night my poor aching feet helped me remember why I never wear them.

Then we came home and I got on The Facebook (yes, that is what I call it, like an old person) and saw that an old friend of mine died today. I was friends with his older sister in high school and we met at a Halloween party she threw, where my Spice Girl costume (it was 1998) roused his amorous intentions. He and I "went out" for roughly three months, at least as much as a barely-14-year-old boy (I guess I've always had cradle robbing tendencies) and 15-year-old girl can date. He introduced me to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, and, though he was not my first kiss, he was my first real make-out partner, my first spoon, and the first boy I broke up with.

But as of the last nine years, we hadn't been in contact. The last time I remember hanging out with him was when we were 16 and 18 and he unsuccessfully tried to teach me to drive stick shift on his old VW Beetle in an elementary school parking lot. I found out a couple of years ago that he had a brain tumor and a blog about it, but, based on his blog updates, he seemed to be kicking its ass. Eventually, the blog wasn't updated very often and I ended up rarely visiting it. But apparently the last few months were bad ones.

Despite not really knowing him for the past decade, this is giving me a major case of the sads. He was a handsome barely-26-year-old, had a long time girlfriend that he had recently proposed to and had spent the last two years battling a brain tumor, a battle that seemed to be going phenomenally well compared to others with a similar diagnosis. I can't imagine the grief his family, especially his fiance, is feeling right now. It's just effing heartbreaking. Gah.

Let's Have a Hoedown

Once again, I'm linking up with Goodnight Moon for What's Your Song?
I love Old Crow Medicine Show. They make me want to go to a barn dance.



Two words: Critter's sideburns. Delightful. And check out the lead singer, Ketch. Isn't he adorable?
Bonus fun fact that makes me like them a little bit more: Ketch and Critter (um, awesome names btw) started playing together in my beloved college town (though it was long before I arrived there) and their songs frequently name drop places in Virginia.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in #39

1. Have you and your spouse agreed to live in separate locations (a geographical bachelor tour) knowing that the short-term inconvenience would have long-term benefits for your family? How did it work for you? submitted by When Good People Get Together
I said no at first, then realized we actually had. Sort of. I was still in college when we sneakily got married, so he was three hours down the interstate. But we weren't living together prior to that, since he was away at basic/tech school/etc so it wasn't a big change from what we were already doing.

2. What is your favorite thing about being a MilSpouse? submitted by Sarah Ruth Today
The potential for awesome travel/living abroad. I want to go to fun places.

3. If you could still have your spouse and your family, but take the military life out of it...would you? submitted by Trust, Love, Believe, Bake
I haven't really experienced enough of the military life to say one way or another. It hasn't had any kind of drastic, life-changing effects on our lives yet. Get back to me in a few months when I'm across the country.

4. What have your homecoming experiences been like after a year long tour of separation? submitted by Army Soldier, Army Wife
Erm, not entirely applicable. When he came back from the 4 month deployment, I was exhausted from the will-he-be-here-or-won't-he run around - over the course of 3 days, I was told a different eta every few hours (and I had to prepare since I was picking him up at BWI - nearly 4 hours from home). After spending the day in DC with a friend, the husband called around 10 pm and said he'd be at BWI in 2 hours. A little while after I started driving to the airport, he called back and said he wouldn't be in until the next morning, so I tried to turn around to go back to my friend's house, took a wrong exit and was lost in downtown DC for an hour. By the time I was able to get back in touch with my friend and have her try to lead me back to her apartment, I got another call - he would be arriving that night after all. I got to BWI and neither the arrival signs nor any of the few people working (it was well after midnight by this point) had any idea where to point me. After another hour and a half of trying to nap/wandering around an empty airport, I suddenly saw a mass of camo at the far end of the corridor. How the hell was I supposed to pick him out?! He made it easy and found me first (only about 3 people were leaving from there, the rest were flying out again the next morning). We didn't get out of the airport until around 3:30, and at that point, he decided he just wanted to go home instead of doing the logical thing and getting a hotel, so we got home after the sun came up and immediately passed out since we'd both been up for over 24 hours at that point. Probably the least romantical reunite ever.

5. If you have a child(ren) why did you choose their name(s)? If not, why would you name your child something? submitted by Tiara's and ACU's
We have no younglings, but have unofficially agreed on Anja for a girl. I like the German-ness, as it would go well with the husband's last name. With me being saddled with the same name as 10% of the other girls born in the 80's, I will not go near anything on the "most popular" lists - I once worked with 5 other Ashleys...it got confusing/annoying. And we don't want to go for the other extreme of making up/horribly misspelling a "regular" name, as the in-law's left a letter off of the end of the husband's name to make it "unique" but that just ended up making people misspell/mispronounce his name his whole life. I'm going to make an educated guess and say that we will probably agree upon not insane sounding sci-fi related names.

Musical Funtimes

It is link up time with Goodnight Moon. I'm quite pleased that I remembered to do this before three days from now. Yay me! Every time I hear this song on the radio (like I did yesterday), I find myself unconsciously humming it for a day or two. Also, I want this chick's hair. And I wish high school picture day was this cool looking in real life.