Me again

Okay Melanie....I'm posting already! 7 months isn't that bad, is it??

Gees, what has gone on since the last time I updated? Or rather, what hasn't gone on! I posted last that I started my MBA. Well, I stopped. Not permanently, just until I am eligible for the GI Bill next September. I have racked up too many student loans already, so a free education sounds much better.

I have a new addition to my family....Jinx! He is a absolutely gorgeous Champagne Point Tonkinese kitten, 5 months old next week. Here is a picture of him with his brother when he was about 9 weeks old, I'm not sure which one is him since to me they look just alike, but I will post other pictures that I have as soon as I upload them to my computer. It took him and Skittles only about a week to actually like each other, but now they chase each other around everywhere and are always sleeping side by side!

I had some laminate wood flooring put into the great room of my house and it looks fantastic! I also painted the dark panelled wall a pretty shade of green so light it looks white (unless next to a true white color). It really opens up the room and makes it cheerful! I have dismantled the boy's playroom and moved all of his toys back into his room. Now that room will be my sewing/craft room. Plus all of the workout equipment is going into the front room. I bought more paint to paint the bathroom and got new fixtures, so all that is keeping me busy and I am actually finally enjoying going home to a nicely fixed up house, rather than the dark, dirty-carpeted place I used to have! Oh, and I'm getting a privacy fence installed, so that will be very nice too. Now if only the trees would die and go away!

I went to San Jose, CA last weekend. My Honey drove up from Lemoore to meet me there. It was wonderful and we had a GREAT time! We spent Saturday in San Francisco which was really cool. We have plans to go back again for a longer time so that we can see more of it. He is leaving for a 2 month deployment next week, gets back in December, then turns right around in January and goes away again for 6 months. Then, hopefully, I can move out there and stop all of this long distance stuff.

Well, that's all I can think of that's been going on....I'll be driving to my parents today for the long weekend, so that will be fun. I'm taking the cat with me to play with their cat (same birthday!) and my brother may bring his cat over as well (same birthday too!)

Okay, I dutifully admit that I have been most neglectful in updating my blog, which I'm sure most of the world kept functioning quite well despite it all!
Truth be told, I have really actually been just way too busy (and/or tired from being so busy). I lost my mind temporarily and signed up for an MBA program, so I am, once again, a college student! And I have to take my remedial algebra class as a first course, so that is taking up most of my spare time.
Other than that, I have been trying to stay on course with my newly inspired running program. I actually went out the other day for a short run because I wasn't feeling too well, but I must have channeled Forrest Gump or something because my really short 2 or less mile run ended up being at least 5 miles. I paid for it for the next few days (okay, I'm still paying!), but, dang, it felt good to know I could still do it. I only allowed myself one slack day afterwards to mostly walk only, and then got right back into the running....a modest 3 miles at a time so far. I am going to take tomorrow off to enjoy "margarita Friday" at Chili's with a friend, and then on Saturday I am attempting a 7 mile run......wish me luck!
Other news....my wonderful, but quite a handful son, is going on vacation tomorrow with his most wonderful sitter for the next 12 days! Whatever will I do with myself! Oh, I know, I know....homework, house-cleaning and sleep! May sound boring to some, but to me, it sounds like a God-send! For those who don't know, the wonderful, but quite a handful son, is a 16 year old with Down Syndrome. A couple of the stereotypes that can be thrown out the window with him is that Down Syndrome children have low muscle tone and are so very friendly and always happy. My son is stronger than most "normal" 16 year olds and is almost too much for me to handle (hence why I work out!), and has an attitude to rival his juvenile delinquent brother! But he is quite a joy in my life and I don't know what I would do without him. Stuggles and all, he is worth his weight and more in gold!

Post-weekend

Well, I completed my first official race this past weekend. It was a 5k, benefiting brain cancer research. It was very cold at that hour of the morning (0900) and there were a couple of hills on the course, but I still think I did pretty good. I ran it in 31:53. That is about my normal pace of a 10-minute mile.

My lungs hurt for the rest of the day every time I took a breath, so Saturday after church, I went to the sporting goods store and bought some official cold-weather running gear. I wore them yesterday and they worked as advertised...Plus, they are cute! Today I am going to try to step it up to 4 miles...wish me luck!

Well, my loved one still doesn't have any idea of where they are sending him next, so we are still waiting on that news. Someplace far away from here would be nice....maybe overseas in an exotic country...I can dream, can't I!

I have been studying many hours for the stupid algebra assessment I have to take tomorrow. I am still not happy about having to take it at all, but what can I do?

Catching up

Well, I've been dutifully told that I've been too lazy and it's time to update the blog. I really have been meaning to, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out anything exciting that has been blog-worthy in my life! I am still procrastinating on the scrapbook that I said I was really going to get to working on in my last blog. My vacation request was denied, so now that I am not going to be able to visit my honey in Bahrain, I suppose that will give me more time to do it. I have been told by the same honey that I need to get my Christmas pictures on my picture site so that he can finally see them....geez, it's only been three weeks! There is a three day weekend coming up in a couple of days, so maybe this time I can make it productive.

I took my dog to get groomed the other day...she had mats from chewing on her legs and try as they might, they couldn't save her fur....Now I'm afraid she's cold so I've been keeping her sweater on...I'll provide a picture after I get home! It's like playing with dolls all over again!

A year for changes

Yes, this year will be a year for changes...I'm not sure what all changes are in store, but there will be many, I do know that much. I plan on making the most of whatever comes my way and no matter what that may be, I will work on myself to make me a better me!

Of course, that means many resolutions! I know people who swear away from resolutions because they say that they are made to be broken, or that you are setting yourself up for failure, and many other things I can't remember that they say. But I say that there is no better time than the beginning of a year to at least try to incorporate some positive changes into your life. And if for some reason you do anything to sabotage that goal, then try, try again. As many times as it takes to get you to where you are happy with yourself. I think I have learned that there is a plan for all of us and we think that we know what we want that plan to be. But a very wise friend (Thanks, Melboe!) tells me often that if what we would like to happen doesn't happen, there there must be better things out there for you. It is hard to think of things that way when you want something like you have never wanted anything in your life, but you just have to place trust where it belongs and believe in what happens after that.

Other things that have been going on since I last posted (yes, I am not very consistent yet!).....I have just decided to enbark on an MBA program (once again, Thanks Melboe!). Although I have to wrangle with the IRS for a copy of my last return in order to apply for financial aid, since I have no earthly clue what I did with it. I can't imagine filing without printing a copy, but it is not to be found. But, I should be able to start in March and it should take about 2 years from then. I see much more Prozac in my future!

I am still working on my first scrapbooking album. It is an album of my dog, Skittles. I am going to try to get that one done by the end of this month, because I want to start on another one that will be about my trip to Bahrain next month.

Time for a commercial break...Until next time!

Dog, chocolate, and white carpet!

No, those three things just don't mix...especially when the white carpet is your Moms new white carpet! So, Melanie, I feel your pain....I can't believe both of our dogs misbehaved like that!

For some reason, it just doesn't seem like it should be holiday time yet...I'm having difficulty getting into the spirit of things. Everyone asks if you are ready for the holidays...I say I'm just ready for them to be over so I can have some semblance of a semi-normal life. It just seems like it is more trouble than merriment. Money spent (and not on me!!), too much traveling...I just got back from my Moms on Sunday and will be going back this Friday.

Maybe I'm just ready for a change in scenery? That actually sounds wonderful...new city, new job..new is good! That is what the military has done to me; turned me into a gypsy. I get restless after a few years and need to uproot.

I have the fever

Scrapbooking fever, that is!!! I thought I would get a few things to help me get started in this new little hobby....well, my ideal of "a few things" is probably very different than most! However, I did get some really cool stuff, got to spend the day hanging out with my close friend who helps me spend my money very well, and the boy didn't even act too awfully bad. And now I get to play with all of my new, cool stuff. I really meant it when I said, "She who dies with the most stuff wins."
I am starting with a page about my dog Skittles. After I finish it, I will put a picture of it on here for all to critique. I am guessing that I may go overboard at first and probably have too busy of pages, but after I get some done, I'm sure it will all come together.
Hmmm, what else...church was interesting this morning...the boy was in rare form and I was able to get my one armed workout trying to keep him in check. Then to rub salt on the wound, I took him to Super Wally World...that is always fun. Needless to say, I needed a big glass of wine when I got home!