More Practice

Today we went to practice some more on the motorcycles. This is our last weekend before we take the safety course, so I really wanted to take the opportunity to get as much practice in as possible. P. was able to go with me today. We went over to meet my mom and her boyfriend at their place. Last weekend I practiced on the Honda they have. Since P. and I both were going, they decided to take the Honda and my mom's Sportster (which is a Harley-Davidson). She hadn't really ridden the Sportster before today. Since P. is so tall, the Honda was much too small for him to ride on...it's really even too small for me, and he's almost a foot taller.

So we went to meet my mom and her boyfriend, and they rode the two bikes over to the parking lot where we were practicing. My mom has her Motorcycle Permit, which means she can operate one on the road as long as she doesn't have a passenger. We followed them to try to make sure no other traffic got close to them. Mom still isn't comfortable riding in heavy traffic yet, which is certainly understandable. We made it over to our empty parking lot and got ready to ride. Since the plan was for P. to ride the Sportster since it's bigger than the Harley, my mom had to ride it first. It was only fair that she get the chance to ride her bike before anybody else. So she took it for a couple of trips around the parking lot. She looks really good on that bike...it's the perfect size for her. She said it definitely felt different from the Honda.

After my mom took the Sportster for a spin, P. got on it and I got on the Honda. V. (my mom's boyfriend) asked if I needed any sort of refresher, and I told him I thought I remembered from last weekend. I started it up, put it in gear, and took off. It felt so good to be able to ride around, knowing I remembered what he had taught me a week ago. I wasn't nearly as nervous as before. So I practiced for a while, and P. practiced on the Sportster. After a while I decided to take a break and drink some water and relax.

V. asked if I was taking a break, and asked my permission to ride the kids on the Honda. They were ready this week. Last weekend they wore shorts and sandals, and V. wouldn't let them ride because he told them they needed to be wearing long pants and good shoes. Today they made sure to put on long pants and their tennis shoes because "V. said we could ride." So I told him it was fine to ride them around the parking lot. When A. got on the back of that bike with him, though (she rode first), a part of me just wanted to yank her off of there and tell her she wasn't allowed to ride on the back of a bike until she was 30! She LOVED it! J. was next, and he loved it too. My only regret is that my camera wasn't working. I had it with me, and even had my memory card in it (unlike last weekend), but my battery was dead! GRRRR!

After V. rode the kids, P. brought the Sportster back over. My mom rode it around a couple more times, and V. wanted me to try it out. So I did. Oh. My. Goodness. When I started it up, I could just feel the power. Then when I took off on it, I was hooked for sure! It may sound crazy, since it's a bigger and heavier motorcycle, but it's actually easier to ride than the Honda. I felt much more stable. I can't explain it, really, but it's just so fun!!

P. was watching as I was riding my mom's Sportster this evening, and he told V. that I was actually almost too tall for that bike. Almost, but not quite. The motorcycle he bought me is a Sportster, but it's an older model (1981 - my mom's is a 2003), and it's bigger. I can't wait till he gets it fixed up and I can try it out.

OK, I know, I'm gushing! I can't help it. This is the first time I've really been this excited about anything for a while. I think one of the best things about this is that it's something that P. and I can enjoy together, and teach our kids to enjoy it too as they get older.

Book Purchase

Based on the recommendations of Sarah, Heidi, and others, I purchased the book The Blog of War by Matthew Currier Burden a couple of weeks ago. I got the package in the mail today. Maybe I'll actually have time to sit down and read it sometime soon. It's hard to find the time between work, kids, and school, to read things I want to read. I flipped through it a little bit this afternoon, though. It looks like it could easily be one of those books that once I pick it up and start reading, I won't be able to put it down.

Motorcycle Mama?

Before we left Germany, P. ordered a new Harley Davidson motorcycle. He's always wanted one, as long as I've known him. Many years ago he set up an escrow account that he'd been using to save up for a custom bike. Well, with Exchange New Car Sales overseas, he had the opportunity to get a brand new H-D at a great price. We had enough in the escrow account to pay half of it in cash, financing the rest. He ordered it there and had it delivered to the local Harley shop here.

Once he knew he was getting his, he then wanted me to have one to ride with him. He thought I would enjoy riding one of my own even more than I would riding on the back of his. I had my doubts, but the thought of it definitely appealed to me. I decided I at least wanted to go through the Motorcycle Safety Course with him. Well, when we got to the States, he found a great deal on a 1981 H-D Sportster and went ahead and bought it for me. It was obvious then that I was going to have to learn to ride. Once I had my own bike, I started to get a lot more excited about it.

My mom dates a guy who rides a Harley. They take every opportunity they can to take that bike out when the weather's nice. She has also caught the fever and decided she wanted to learn to ride herself too. Her boyfriend found a used Honda that would be perfect for her to learn on. It's smaller, of course, than a Harley, and lots lighter. He decided to use that one to teach both of us on. Also, my mom's taking the Motorcycle Safety Course with P. and myself.

Today I finally had the chance to go let Mom's boyfriend teach me how to ride. I had ridden on the back of a motorcycle a couple of times, but had never driven one. There's a large, open parking lot close by where he had been taking my mom to practice. I got on the bike and he explained how everything worked on it and then got on the back of it with me to coach me through riding. We practiced a bit like that until he was confident enough in my ability to start and stop it on my own. Then he let me ride it around by myself. Having another person on the back of the motorcycle makes things a lot different. Once I got over the initial nervousness of riding alone, I found it a lot easier. I just rode around and around that parking lot until I was so tired and sore that I couldn't ride any longer. I'll be lucky if I'm able to walk tomorrow! I'm a lot taller than my mom, and I think that bike is really too small for me. I can't wait till I get the chance to practice on one that fits me.

It was awesome, though. I can't wait until I have more practice and get my motorcycle endorsement after going through the course. Once I'm legal and get the confidence to get out on the road, I know I'll enjoy it even more. I'm really quite proud of myself though. Mom's boyfriend told me that he was really surprised at how quickly I picked it up. He said I was riding like I had ridden before. I'll have to share pictures once I find the cable for my camera.

Baby Girl

I posted a couple of weeks ago about A.'s first ballet and tap classes here. Last week I took a picture of her right before we left the house to go to dance. I just thought I'd share. Isn't she sweet?

Commercial

We were sitting here watching TV tonight when this commercial came on that just cracked us up. I didn't catch it the first time, so P. rewound it and paused it so I could see it. I LOVE my DVR!! Incidentally, it caught his attention because he heard the man speaking German...lol!

Anyway, it takes place in Germany and this guy, an American, is at a port receiving a shipment. The crate is being unloaded from the ship, and when they open the crate, it contains a 2006 Shelby GT 500. The man accepting the shipment is an American, and the Germany asks him couldn't he find a car he liked in Germany. The American says, "No, I couldn't find a speed limit in America that I liked." It cracked me up!

The funniest thing...

There's a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen during the scenes where the guy is driving the car at high speeds. It says "closed course...do not try" or something to that effect.

Are you kidding me?? I did that for five years in Germany...

In a minivan!!! LOL!!

I think I mentioned my new car in an earlier post. I have to set the cruise control all the time in the Volvo to keep from speeding. I found myself going over 70 in a 55 coming home from Bragg the other day, and I didn't even realize it.

Man I miss Europe...

Concert

OK, so while we were in Germany I got hooked on American Idol. It absolutely drove the husband crazy when it was on because I insisted on watching it, and he thought it was stupid. He could handle the last few weeks of it when it was more about the talent and less about the BS.

Season 4 was the first season when I caught the auditions at the beginning of the season. I saw Carrie Underwood audition and liked her from the very beginning. If I'd had the option to vote while we were overseas (couldn't because we usually saw the episodes the day after they aired here), I probably would have voted for her. I was very happy when she won that year. So of course I bought her CD when it came out. The kids love her too, and we usually have her CD in the car.

When I found out that she would be playing live at the County Fair here this year, I had to get tickets. I was kind of disappointed when I found out that she was playing on a school night, because I would have loved to have been able to take the kids to see her. Hopefully there will be another opportunity for them some time. P. wasn't able to go - he wasn't really crazy about the thought of the crowd - so I took my mom. She didn't know who she was, but enjoyed the concert anyway. She says she's going to have to go out and buy her CD now.

Our seats were pretty good. I was able to get halfway decent pictures from my seat. I was able to go down to the floor and get closer for a decent picture, and I'm including it here. I really enjoyed the show. There have been times when I go see someone I really like in concert and end up disappointed because they don't sound very good. I wasn't disappointed with Carrie tonight though. She sounded great, and she has some really good musicians. They even did a couple of old Guns 'N Roses songs. It's things like this that make me glad I'm back in the U.S.

Figured it Out

Yay! I got it to look right! I had to take out the slideshows I had in a couple of my posts. I guess next time I want to add a slideshow I'll have to resize my pictures first. I'm glad it turned out to be something fairly simple, because I really wanted to get it fixed tonight. I did manage to finish my paper first. Maybe one day I'll learn enough about HTML to make my own design. I doubt it, though. I'm not exactly the creative type.

Oh well, at any rate, now my page looks different. I thought with fall just around the corner this design would be appropriate.

Changes

Well, as you can see, I've changed my blog template. I've been messing with it all evening. I've found several templates that I like, but this is the only one that I have been able to come close to getting to look right. The only problem is my sidebar isn't up there where it's supposed to be. So I still have to figure that out. This is my first attempt at using a template that I have to do more to than copy and paste into the template field of Blogger, and then add my links and stuff back in. I think I need to learn more about HTML or something. I'll have to wait until I have more time before I do that though.

Right now I need to go write a paper for my current class...it's already late. I'm such a procrastinator!!

Always Remember...

I don't really know what I can say about this day. I've been thinking a lot about it over the last few days. August is a difficult month for me personally, and I suppose the first half of September will be that way for me for some time as well.

So, where was I on that day? We had arrived in Heidelberg, Germany just three weeks before. We had managed to move into housing, but had not gotten our household goods or my van yet. We had bought a little "hoopty" and were using that to get around. That week I was going through the week-long "Families Learning About Germany (FLAG)" course offered to family members of soldiers who had just moved there. It was a pretty good orientation. It introduced us to the culture and also taught us a little bit of the language. That particular day, they invited the soldiers to attend with us, and I can't remember why now. But P. was with me in FLAG that day. After the class was over, we went to the daycare center to pick up the kids and then went over to the Thrift Shop to see if there was anything we needed. I don't remember now what time it was when we got home, but it was just after the first plane hit and before the second one did.

We walked into the stairwell building and up the steps to our apartment. I picked up the Stars and Stripes off my doorstep and we walked in and I turned on the TV. I turned it to AFN Atlantic. Like most Americans in Germany apparently (at least those whose blogs have mentioned this day), I enjoyed watching the Today Show in the afternoons. When I flipped to that channel, though, Katie was in the middle of the report. I remember yelling at P. to come into the living room. Then the second plane hit. We just sat there glued to the TV. I can't describe how scared I was. I was living in this country I knew nothing about yet, didn't have any of my personal belongings (comfort items, you know - we were in a cracker-jack box of an apartment with Government furniture), and was an ocean away from my Mom and Dad. Looking back, it's really no wonder I was in such a depression that first year. P. got notification from his office that "Essential Personnel Only" were to come in, which at the time didn't include him. I was thankful. With the heightened security at all the gates, it would have been a nightmare for him to get to work. Yes, we lived on post, but in Heidelberg everything is so spread out, so he worked on a different Kaserne (post) than the one we lived on. Going to the PX after 9/11, which was on yet another Kaserne, was just a nightmare. We didn't venture out much the first week or so. Fortunately, we were on the same Kaserne as the Commissary.

After 9/11, while we still lived in Heidelberg, there was a bomb threat at one of the Shoppettes in one of the housing areas. Some woman who worked there was putting together this plot with her boyfriend. Fortunately, they were caught in time. That certainly didn't do anything to ease my fears.

I eventually overcame my fear and started getting out of the house and off the Kaserne, Little America as the locals liked to call it. We started traveling and enjoying Europe. I will never, forget, however, the lives that were lost that terrible day, or the sacrifices that have been made since. I can't believe it's been five years...

Routine

Since we moved I've had a really hard time getting into a routine. I don't think I really realized just how much I thrive on a routine until I lost mine. In Germany, I got up in the morning, took my shower, got the kids up and ready to go (P. was usually already gone to work by this time), and finished getting ready myself. We left the house and I got them to their daycare centers in time for breakfast. Then I would stop at the Shoppette on post for coffee on my way to work, and my work day started at 8 a.m. I stayed busy throughout the day, and usually took an hour to have lunch with hubby, and sometimes friends.

After work on Tuesdays and Thursdays P. would pick up the kids and I would go to spinning class with Aura at the gym. Every night after work, I would do school work since I'm trying to finish my degree. This is how my schedule was until our moving schedule made this routine impossible. Once we were down to one car, it was pretty much impossible for me to get away. I quit my job in Vilseck a couple of weeks before we moved, and was pretty much a woman of leisure for a few weeks. Sounds great, right?

Wrong. I love my new flexible schedule. I do the same job here that I did in Germany, but I'm now a contractor and work at home. It's awesome. I still put in the same number of hours a week, but have flexibility to do the things I need to do during the day. My problem is that sometimes I'm not strict enough on myself during business hours. I start my work day later than I would have otherwise, take longer lunches, or do other things during the day that I may not have been able to do before. So then I end up working later in the evenings or on the weekends. It actually works for me, though, since P. is working later these days.

Today, however, I got a phone call, and my company needs me to do more onsite at the hospital for the rest of this month. It's not a problem for me, except for the fact that I'm just starting to get into a workout schedule. Three days a week I had planned an hour in the morning for a fitness class, and two hours the other two days of the week. I had a sick kid this week, and I was feeling kind of blah a couple of days myself, so I had hoped to get more into the schedule starting next week. I guess I'll have to rearrange it and hope that P. will be able to help me out by being home early enough for the next couple of weeks for me to make it to later classes.

Oh well. I guess starting the first part of October I'll have to strive to be stricter with myself and to set and keep a pretty regular schedule. I work better that way. Things will get a bit easier when I finish my degree this coming spring, although I am debating whether or not to go ahead and finish my Master's. Oh well...I'll cross that bridge when I come to it I guess.

Awesome Weekend

This weekend was one of the best weekends I've had since we returned to the States. One of my best friends in Germany, M., moved to Texas back in the summer of 2004, and I missed her terribly. Her sister lives about an hour from where I live and she came to NC for Labor Day weekend. She called me Thursday evening and we made plans to get together for dinner Friday night with Christy. It had been just over two years since we had seen each other. My kids and her kids were always really good friends too, so they were really excited to see each other. We had a really good time at dinner Friday night, but didn't have as much time as we'd liked, so we made plans for later in the weekend. M.'s husband is in Iraq right now, and watching her girls with my husband reminded me so much of how my kids bonded with her husband while mine was in Iraq. They obviously miss their daddy, and I know they will all be so happy when he returns home in a few weeks.

Saturday my kids went to spend some time with their grandparents. M. called me Saturday evening and we made plans for her and the girls to come down Sunday afternoon. The kids were wanting more time to play together. So we decided that she would call me Sunday when they were ready to come down. This would also give my kids a chance to spend the night with their grandparents, as well as part of Sunday afternoon. They were excited about that. Sunday afternoon P. and I went to his parents' to have lunch with his parents and pick up the kids. M. called me as we were on the way home to let me know they were on their way. They got to my house and we just spent the rest of the afternoon and evening visiting. The kids had a great time playing together and watching movies. We ordered pizza and the kids had a pizza party and watched movies in their TV room. The grownups reminisced about the fun we had in Germany. I pulled out the scrapbooks toward the end of the visit and we looked at photos from trips we had taken together. M. and I traveled together quite a bit, and would have probably done more if they hadn't had to leave Europe when they did. Christy wasn't able to join us Sunday night because she and her hubby returned fairly late from a trip, so we made plans to get together for breakfast. When it came time for them to leave for the night, her girls really didn't want to go, nor did my kids want them to. When the four of them saw each other again, it was almost as if they had just seen each other yesterday.

This morning we decided to meet at IHOP for breakfast. The kids really liked that...well, all of us did. After breakfast we decided to go do some shopping and hit the mall. We spent a good part of the day shopping together. The kids got to go to the toy store and get a little something, and got to ride the carousel three times. We all had a great time and hated to have to say goodbye again. Hopefully we'll get together again before another two years go by.

Lazy

Since we moved back to the States I've been pretty lazy. I was doing really well before we left Germany with working on getting back in shape. Aura taught a spinning class at the gym on post and encouraged me to come try it out. She assured me it was fun and a great workout. I had seen a few spinning classes and thought they looked awfully hard but could be fun, so I decided to give it a shot. I was hooked after the first time, even though I went home and complained to hubby that Aura was mean and kicked my butt (love ya Aura)! It was a butt-kicking I needed...lol.

Well, since we got back to the States I haven't been working out. None of my equipment (elliptical, mini stair stepper) is unpacked and set up yet and I haven't decided where I want to go to the gym. Christy called me last night and we got to talking about the gym she goes to. They offer lots of classes so I decided I should check it out. Turns out she is going to a spinning class this morning, so I decided the best time to start going was right now. I need to stop talking about it and just go. Plus I can go as her guest today and see how I like it. It was just the motivation I needed. So I'm going to finish my coffee, brush my teeth and wash my face, and then I'll be off to start my new workout regimen.

Rough Night

Last night we had a monster thunderstorm come through. We had a pretty good storm that scared the kids around 5:30 or 6:00 in the evening, and then it cleared up for a while. After everybody had gone to bed we had another one come through. I actually went to bed a bit earlier than usual (I'm quite the night owl) because I was really tired and wanted to try to get a bit more sleep.

Hubby and I usually sleep really well during storms. There's something relaxing about the rumble of thunder and the sound of rain on the roof. This time was different. The storm woke us up last night. Well, I'm not sure whether it was the storm that woke me or the sound of a house alarm. I don't know what exactly set it off, but after a particularly loud crash of thunder, this very annoying siren started going off. Well, apparently the people who live in the house were out of town or something, because it just kept screaming. I even ran outside in the storm to make sure it wasn't my car alarm. I didn't think it was because it was so loud, but just wanted to be absolutely certain. I didn't want to be responsible for that much noise at 2 a.m. It kept on through the rest of the night.

When we got up this morning (we overslept...imagine that) I still heard it. I was trying to hustle the kids to get them ready for school. Went outside and sat to watch and make sure they got on the school bus and came inside...all the while still hearing this annoying alarm. P. got up and got ready for work, and when he went out to leave, there were about 5 or 6 police cars outside the house across the street from us. Guess now we know for sure who the culprit was...lol. I went outside about 30 minutes after he went to work because the alarm was still sounding, but the police were gone. Hmmmmmmm. Came back inside, showered and dressed, and sat here trying to work. Do you know how distracting something like this is? I had the TV on, so that did cover up the sound some, but it was still constantly there. I told P. later that this should be some kind of torture method because I felt that it was going to drive me absolutely NUTS. It FINALLY stopped between 11:30 and 12:00. I don't remember exactly what time it was, but it was right before P. came by the house to see if I wanted to go to lunch with him. I guess they finally got in touch with whoever lives in that house. When I noticed it was finally quiet, I stepped outside onto the front porch and there was a little car parked in the driveway of the house. When P. and I left to go to lunch it was gone. Oh well...thank goodness it finally stopped. Hopefully tonight will be quieter.

My Little Ballerina

Let me begin this entry by telling a little bit about myself. Those who really know me know that I absolutely LOVE to dance. I'm pretty good at it, too. I'm not saying that to be conceited...it's one of my talents. What very few people know about me, however, is that I actually was a formally trained dancer. I received formal training in Tap and Jazz for nearly ten years from one of the best instructors in the Fayetteville, NC, area. THE best in my opinion. Tap was my very favorite. I also took a tiny bit of ballet...less than a year. I had the opportunity when I was in high school to attend a summer program called Governor's School. It was based mostly on academics, but since I went for one of the arts, I also had to audition. It was one of the best summers of my life.

Princess A. had a little bit of ballet when we were in Germany, and she loved it. It wasn't the best instruction in the world, but it was a decent introduction. Her teacher PCS'd after only one session, though. For the last year we were in Germany, A. was so disappointed that she couldn't take ballet again. Under the new teacher, though (who I heard was very good), classes for A.'s age and experience level were in the middle of the day, and I worked full time. Anybody I knew who I trusted to pick her up from CDC and take her also either worked or couldn't do it because of other obligations. So we had to put it off for that year, but I promised her that when we moved back to the States I would see what I could do.

When I found out we were returning to North Carolina for a couple of years, I told P. that if my former dance teacher was still in the business, I wanted to put A. into dance classes with her. She really wanted to take ballet, and I really wanted to have her try tap since it was my favorite and what I was best at. We got here and I found out that my former teacher is, indeed, still in business. Her husband actually owns the dance school now, and she is the lead instructor and has several that teach for her. Back when I was her student, she taught every single class. She had two classes every evening from Monday through Thursday, and then one on Saturday. So that was nine classes a week that she personally taught. Back then, though, she was renting space at another dance studio. Now that she has her own school, she has four classes every evening the same nights of the week as before, and she obviously can't teach them all.

I knew classes started today. I intended to go last week to get A. registered, but since I was sick all week, I obviously wasn't able to do so. I went with the kids to the dance school today to get A. registered. I didn't plan for her to participate today. She wasn't dressed properly and she doesn't have ballet or tap shoes yet. Well, we got there and my former teacher, Linda, was in the studio when we walked in. Let me just say...it's been almost fifteen years since the last time I saw her, and she hasn't changed a bit. After I filled out the paperwork, she suggested we go ahead and let A. dance today, so I agreed. Linda said just this once it would be ok if she wasn't dressed appropriately. A. was so excited! Ballet actually comes quite naturally to her, and I was so proud. Linda is actually the one teaching her ballet class, and I couldn't be happier about that. The same woman I took dance from all those years ago is teaching my daughter ballet. I was actually on the verge of tears a couple of times during the class as I watched. Sappy, I know, but who cares?? Both of her classes are on Mondays, back-to-back. It will be nice to only have to go once a week.

Tap was more challenging for her...she has to work harder at that, but it'll be good for her. What an accomplishment that will be for her when she gets it! And watching her, I know she'll get it, and she'll be so proud of herself. Besides, with that being my strong suit, I can help her out at home. All the steps came flooding back as I was watching the teacher go through the exercises with her. I could see that she was getting frustrated when she didn't get it right away, but she was really watching, and kept trying. She never gave up. That made me so proud. I really like her tap teacher too. She's very encouraging and wouldn't let A. give up. I just watched and never intervened or interfered. A. needs to learn to trust her teachers.

I felt really great at the end of the evening. I even kept the tradition from my days of dancing and took the kids to McDonald's afterwards. Not a great choice for a dancer, but hey...they're kids!! J. was with us and was so good the whole two hours. He didn't complain the whole time, and I know he was bored. What a trouper!! I know it was hard for him...sitting still is such a challenge. So McD's was a big reward for him, too. Little by little I'm beginning to feel a part of my new community. Maybe my life will get back to normal (whatever that is) soon after all!

Feeling Like Home

Well, I was definitely feeling better this weekend. We spent all day Saturday getting the house organized. We got quite a bit done. I worked downstairs and P. worked upstairs.

He spent a big part of the day organizing the kids' rooms. They have so much stuff, and quite a few of their toys were still in boxes in their rooms. It was nearly impossible to walk in there, and was really a bit too overwhelming for them to clean. P. got two huge storage containers at Walmart on Friday for them to put their larger toys in. Then he worked some more in our bedroom, hanging things on the walls and organizing some more. I still have clothes I need to get put away. Trying to figure out where to put them all is a challenge. We got new bedroom furniture after we moved here. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to utilize it.

I spent the better part of the day getting the den/family room in order. There was still quite a bit of stuff we had taken out of boxes that had not been put away and was still on the tables in the den. I had clothes I had to sort through and decide what to keep and what to give to charity. It felt so good to get this room done. This is where we spend the majority of our time at home, and I wanted it to be a place to relax. As of Saturday evening, it finally is. That felt like a real accomplishment to me. Now I just need to finish the kitchen, dining room, and living room and the downstairs will be finished. After we get our bedroom and bathroom finished, the next task upstairs will be the bonus room. That's going to be a challenge, but we'll get it done.

I had planned to get more done Sunday, but my plans didn't quite work out like I'd hoped. There was quite a bit of work that needed to be done in the yard, so P. spent the better part of the afternoon doing that. I had a school assignment I had to focus on since I was sick all week and spent Saturday working on the house. It took longer to get that done than I thought due to interruptions, so didn't get to get anymore housework done. Oh well.

I think I'll be happier once we get the house done. We still have a lot of stuff in the garage to go through, but it seems a bit less overwhelming now with the work we got done this weekend. I think once my house feels more like a home everything else will start to fall into place.

TGIF

I am so glad this week is over. This has definitely been an awful one. The medication I got yesterday seems to be working. My throat hurts much less than it did this time yesterday, and I'm just generally feeling a bit better. I'm still sleeping quite a bit though. I was also finally able to eat today. I've had a hard time eating all week. So hopefully my energy levels will start to get better too. Guess whatever I had wasn't viral after all. Hopefully next week will be better.

Went to the Doctor

OK I went to the doctor today. I don't have strep throat, which is good news. My bloodwork was normal too. He said that even though the rapid strep test came back negative that he didn't like the way my throat looked so was going to go ahead and put me on an antibiotic anyway. Fine with me. So he gave me a sample of Zmax that he had there. The cool thing is that it's a full course of antibiotics in one dose. So I came home, mixed it up, and drank it and I'm done. Now we'll just have to see if it works. I sure hope so because I'm tired of being sick. I really have too much to do.

Still Sick

Since someone who reads my blog was kind enough to ask how things are going, I thought I'd post an update. I talked to my mom Monday, and my uncle was being sent to Greenville for a heart cath. She said she'd let me know if she heard anything else. I haven't heard any more news since then, so I guess there's been no change.

I'm still sick and it sucks! A. has at least gotten better. She was well enough to go back to school Tuesday, thank goodness. The hubby got home Tuesday afternoon, so at least he's here now to help. He told his commander what was going on, and his commander authorized him to take leave. He was in Georgia for training he had already been through, so didn't really absolutely have to be there anyway. I really didn't want him to have to come home, but am very thankful he was able to. I guess I'm going to break down and go to the doctor today since I'm really not feeling any better. My throat hurts pretty bad and is pretty red and feels swollen, from what I can see anyway. I probably need antibiotics since I'm not feeling any better. I was thinking it was something viral, but maybe not. Guess I'll find out in a little while.

It Never Fails

Why is it that things always happen when my husband's gone. Never mind...I know the answer to that question. Murphy's Law for the Military Spouse - If something can go wrong, it will...when the soldier is deployed/TDY/whatever...GONE! I'm just tired of it. This month has been tough enough already without adding to it.

P. left yesterday on a week-long TDY for training. Went to Fort Benning. He had been gone for a few hours when I got a phone call from my mom. My uncle (her brother) had been taken to the hospital with chest pains. He got there and they also diagnosed him with cirrhosis and had him on morphine. My mom was on the way to the hospital to see him and to find out what exactly was going on. When I called her later in the evening, I found out that the news isn't great. His doctors say he may have 6 months left.

To top it off, A. is home sick from school today. She's been complaining on and off all weekend about a headache and stomachache, and she's had a bit of a fever. I had a headache that started last night and must have had a fever late last night because I woke up with chills. Aren't we just quite a pair? So I just felt like complaining a bit this morning.

Closets!

OK, it's the little things that make me happy. I guess I didn't really realize how much I missed having closets until we got back here and have them again. We lived on the economy in Germany, and German houses have no closets. Yes, the government had wall locker type things that they provided, but they were tiny. We had one in each bedroom upstairs, and one downstairs. They were nowhere near big enough to hang all of our clothes in. OK, the ones in the kids' room were big enough for their clothes, but they're little. P. and I put as many clothes in ours that we could, but they were so packed in there that it was nearly impossible to find anything. And trying to get my shoes in there? Forget it!

In the house we're renting here, we have a huge walk-in closet in our bedroom. A. has a smaller walk-in closet (we figured she needed the room with the bigger closet since she's a girl), and J. has a closet that's plenty big enough for him. It's bigger than the wall locker things. Today I've been trying to organize our clothes. I can actually get all of our clothes in the closet, and can even organize them. I have all of P.'s uniforms together, the ones he uses every day in front of those he doesn't wear very often, then I have his shirts organized, etc. This is very important for an OCD person like me. :-) So today I'm feeling a little bit better about being back in the States.