Working Backwards

On the road trip from Virginia to Washington State we were in one vehicle and I found writing blog posts a great way to pass the time being a passenger most of the time. With JG and I each driving this trip I'm asleep as fast as the boys are settled in for the night. Here's a few things to note about the trek thus far:

1. Michael's Bistro in Moses Lake, Wash., is AMAZING. You've not lived until you've had their chicken salad sandwich and a lemon & raspberry (not dry) scone!

2. We got the awesome Duck Tours guide in Seattle who was once fired for taking a group through a Starbucks drive thru the Duck did NOT fit. We were happy he was hired back. Now every time we pass a Starbucks the boys say ChA-ChiNG! 

3. We did not visit Bruce Lee's grave as planned, but he is still the #1 answer we give for Edward's game of pick two random things versus each other. "Who would win? A pirate or a ninja?" Us: "Bruce Lee."

4. Speaking of Edward - we visited friends at a Seattle hospital when a nurse walks into the room and says he's being disruptive down the hall. Mind you, he has Michael's stroller (without the baby in it) and was in the way of a patient in a wheel chair. 

5. Hello Red Honda who passed me going at least 85 mph - I'll gladly get out of your way and watch as you get pulled over. Suck-ah!

6. To the woman driving the wanna-be-SUV-box of crap who cut off my truck in the left hand lane and effed my cruise control mojo to drive side-by-side with the vehicle that was in front of you for 35 seconds way too long: be lucky you didn't cut me off the second time because I could you tell you were thinking about it. 

7. Great Wolf Lodge: You do not disappoint. Thank you for the best room we will have on this entire road trip. 

8. JG sent Michael down the red slide in a life vest by himself. No fear. He loved it! 

9. Zachary broke out from something in the water. One more day of benadryl and he'll be in the clear. His omni pod did great at the water park!

10. In Arcata, JG went to visit the tattoo artist who did his 'dream' symbol for the free touch up only to find out he had moved to the Spokane area years ago. Crazy!

11. Enjoyed JG's memory lane experience through Humboldt County - the video rental building he worked at is being turned into a museum - the run down apartment he lived in was remodeled and looks respectable now (his words, not mine)

12. JG went on the air with his DJ friend in Ferndale then gave us a tour of downtown - we went into an old fashioned store and I spotted five items my father has in his kitchen - I was so tempted to buy the green kitchen scale.

13. Redwood trees are the most amazing living things I've ever seen. Drive Thru Tree Park and the Trees of Mystery (which now has a skyride) was phenomenal.

14. The 101 was the most scenic drive - LOVE THOSE TREES!

15. There is nothing in between the Redwood forests and LA. Nothing.

16. Fresh oranges out of the yard are so yum. We caught up on a week's worth of laundry at Grandpa Joe's house.

17. It doesn't matter where you are a mani and pedi does wonders.

18. Aloe plants get as big as a punch buggy. No joke.

19. Oh - Portland! Had wonderful lunch then ice cream cones (Michael had mint chip) and a tour of Powell's Book Store with a local friend.

20. I forgot to mention Porter Street BBQ lets you put UNLIMITED tomatoes on your sandwich. BIG SMILE.

21. And this morning we're going to DISNEY!

On the Road Again

2013 is nothing but a blur at this point. Life stood still for days after my beloved canine passed this fall - shortly afterwards I was able to talk JG into adopting a lab/boxer mix from a friend's litter. Female, runt, intelligent with a curly, faint brindle pattern adorning her back. 

I was well on my way to getting over the passing of my companion of 15 years until I saw "JUDY" clearly marked on one of the moving boxes that stood in our living room at the beginning of last week. Zachary wants to bury her ashes at Grandpa's house in Maine. 

With the knot swallowed I didn't think much else of it until I was taking my girlfriend and former owner of my new lab/boxer puppy Josie into our basement. Surveying the 26 boxes of comic books we came across Judy's things we stashed away in the basement. I confessed how much I still missed Judy.  I hate crying.

Once we find and place to live and unpack we'll be on our way to pick up Josie and bring her back home - and the boys will be able to bury Judy.

Right now we're sitting in the temporary lodging facility, TLF, getting ready for the road trip that starts Sunday. Our perfectly boxed, bundled and wrapped life was loaded into the moving the Friday - we got email notification yesterday our household goods are already in Maryland waiting on us. 

It'll be waiting for a while. 

We are authorized eight travel days, but we're taking the scenic route via California, Texas and Georgia. If the road trip is anything like the road trip out here from Virginia I'm sure there will be interesting stories to tell along the way.

Ashes

Judy's ashes are ready to pick up from the vet's office. Is it bad I have a curiosity of wondering what type of container handles such contents? I visited my girlfriend for a quick minute today and stole a peak at their puppies who are only about a month old. Lab and boxer mix and oh my goodness are they the most adorable little creatures. Then I got all choked up because that's about the size Ju-Ju Girl was when I adopted her.

This weekend our base was busy helping linemen get to the East Cost to help the folks on Long Island get their power back So, I was too busy to dwell on the thought of getting a puppy. Now in the still of my thoughts I wonder how much crazier things would be around here.

Edward told us on the way home from putting Judy down that if I never had adopted her that we all wouldn't be hurting so much right now. I'm not sure how I feel about introducing him to a pet he's going to love dearly then mourn even harder come about his 18th birthday.

Needless to say I've worked through the vet hours the last two days. I may just wait until JG gets home mid week before I muster the courage. For three days I had tears, but I didn't cry. Until JG held me and told me he was so sorry about Judy. Then I lost it. Sometimes it takes a kind word to let down your shield. I'm okay with it if JG is my armor.

Judy

Judy's x-ray this morning revealed she had lung cancer. Her lungs were filled with nodules - I knew seeing the picture wouldn't have made a difference in my decision. Within two days her health declined significantly. We kept Zachary and Edward home from school today. We were all with her when the vet put her to sleep. I hope the boys take comfort in the fact that she exceeded a mutt's normal life span of 10-12 years significantly - she was pushing 16. We will be taking her ashes to Maine and burying her at my childhood home next summer.

Fly with Rabies

Hello fly with rabies flying around the bedroom. Most flies follow annoying zig zagging loose figure eights and occasionally landing with soft, yet infested, feet. Not this fly. It sounds like a single army - angrier than the fires of Mordor, bouncing violently off the ceiling. If it hits me, I know it will hurt.

I've thought about blogging at least a dozen times since July - and actually had two drafts started until about five minutes ago. Just like there's little point in keeping trophy jeans from 'the day' I don't like keeping drafts of anything that won't get published. So much has changed and I realize more than anything else I don't ever want to lose my words. A spark of inspiration and the glow of creativity are quickly smoldered when other more 'important' things take precedence. Do you know how sick I am of the trivial nonsense?

Life in this house seems to move around me. I'm starting to feel physically ill from the stress I bring home from work. Not usually a big deal to write off the shoulder and lower back tension but I've been getting incredibly sharp stabbing pains in the right side of my neck where you'd check your pulse. It's happening almost daily now and when it happens I can't do anything but grit my teeth and hope I don't pass out. My hands are also hurting. I was diagnosed over a decade ago with Raynaud's Disease, but I doubt it's related. All the joints in my hand ache all the time and if I carry anything heavy or awkward I get intense, sharp pain.

Separating work from home is difficult and even more so that JG and I work together. He says that if we didn't work together it would take twice as long to share about our days because we'd each be trying to help 'fix' each others' office instead of the same one. There's some merit to that. However, when we both can't sleep at night I'd honestly rather be making love then talking out what needs to happen the next duty day.

JG and I are still trying to find balance even though it's been three months since his homecoming. We've had three real dates since he's been home and we've exceeded the number of dates we had for all of calendar year 2011 (not including military functions). It's a good start.

I really need a new assignment. I think if my two worlds blend even more than they are I'll go crazy.

First Light

I was up before the sun. Things are so different now than they were a month ago. JG is home and my armor is slowly coming off and the sighs of relief are deep and unguarded. :)

Counting The Hours

JG is literally on his way home. I have butterflies in my stomach. I can't wait to see him and the look on his face when he's seen how big his three sons have grown! Michael was about two weeks old when JG left. He's made the most changes. Zachary and Edward have each grown taller. Zachary is getting ready to start wearing a pump for his diabetes. Edward's sternum is healing from when he cracked it with his own head on the trampoline. The trampoline is new. I can't wait to jump on it myself one day. I really can't wait for JG to jostle Zachary on it a bit so he understands what his brother must feel like when they jump together. I'll watch from a safe distance from JG's hammock - his father's day present from last year.