Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Two weeks
I have two full weeks to cram the rest of my inprocessing, outprocessing, unpacking, family time and work obligations in before I leave for the rest of the year. I have lots of worries as I'm about ready to switch roles with JG from this time last year. At least this go around we're at least mentioning my deployment, but we're agreeing not to talk about it.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday
JG and I are proving to work well together. We make a great team. This makes me smile. :)
The house is getting there ... some things need a place, need to be unpacked .... but this is definately HOME.
The house is getting there ... some things need a place, need to be unpacked .... but this is definately HOME.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Second Saturday
We've been in Washington 10 days and I'm still on EST. Everyone in the house is out like a light, except me. But, that's really okay - it seem to be the only time there's absolute quiet in the house. Yesterday was a crazy day. The DMV here is split into two completely separate departments: licensing and registration. And when I say "split" I mean not even in the same building. I had to make two trips. Over the phone they said since we were military we only needed our current driver's license and our military ID. The kicker? My Alaska driver's license didn't have a photo since it was renewed when I was in Virginia, so the couldn't count that as a form of ID.
We go home. JG finds my SSN card and we program the gps back to the "dmv." Only the gps remembers the first dmv address for the registration instead of the one for licensing. After that minor irritation I'm told that the SSN isn't enough to get a 'real' license. I had to get one that said "ID not verified" because I needed a third form of identification. I was (okay, AM) so annoyed still.
The kids were with us for the second trip to Spokane. We knocked out getting ink for the printer at Best Buy and picking up the last Star Wars Saga Edition game book at Barnes and Noble. We came to the reality that we couldn't get the house put any more 'together' until we found a solution for the computers so we spent more at Best Buy than we planned then added a trip to Staples.
We have three computers. The laptop that we got right before JG deployed last year; the home desktop that used to be in the master bedroom; and the previous home desktop that used to reside in the entertainment center. New house, new plan: Zachary got our computer desk in his bedroom with the older desk top. We needed a new desk for our desktop and a monitor since Zachary had ours since his computer used to use the television as the screen.
The original plan to turn the smaller room in the basement into a library and sitting room changed when we bought a desk that wasn't going to fit in the living room/dining room. So now, the new LCD TV/Monitor will go downstairs on the desk with the desktop and will eventually have a game system hooked up to it.
The basement is a good 10-15 degrees cooler than the upstairs and it's unfinished. So, we went to Home Depot and purchased carpet, a pad, an exacto knife and gorilla strips. Setting up the office is our big project for the day. I want to get started, but my attempt to get JG out of bed with me failed.
So now, I'm on the lookout for a velveteen type of thick fabric on sale to drape about a foot inside the walls of that room to help contain heat. I'm sure by the time the family is up and ready it will be free comic book day at one of the shops downtown. Big day ahead!
We go home. JG finds my SSN card and we program the gps back to the "dmv." Only the gps remembers the first dmv address for the registration instead of the one for licensing. After that minor irritation I'm told that the SSN isn't enough to get a 'real' license. I had to get one that said "ID not verified" because I needed a third form of identification. I was (okay, AM) so annoyed still.
The kids were with us for the second trip to Spokane. We knocked out getting ink for the printer at Best Buy and picking up the last Star Wars Saga Edition game book at Barnes and Noble. We came to the reality that we couldn't get the house put any more 'together' until we found a solution for the computers so we spent more at Best Buy than we planned then added a trip to Staples.
We have three computers. The laptop that we got right before JG deployed last year; the home desktop that used to be in the master bedroom; and the previous home desktop that used to reside in the entertainment center. New house, new plan: Zachary got our computer desk in his bedroom with the older desk top. We needed a new desk for our desktop and a monitor since Zachary had ours since his computer used to use the television as the screen.
The original plan to turn the smaller room in the basement into a library and sitting room changed when we bought a desk that wasn't going to fit in the living room/dining room. So now, the new LCD TV/Monitor will go downstairs on the desk with the desktop and will eventually have a game system hooked up to it.
The basement is a good 10-15 degrees cooler than the upstairs and it's unfinished. So, we went to Home Depot and purchased carpet, a pad, an exacto knife and gorilla strips. Setting up the office is our big project for the day. I want to get started, but my attempt to get JG out of bed with me failed.
So now, I'm on the lookout for a velveteen type of thick fabric on sale to drape about a foot inside the walls of that room to help contain heat. I'm sure by the time the family is up and ready it will be free comic book day at one of the shops downtown. Big day ahead!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Grounds
Today was our last day setting up the home and JG and I report to our office tomorrow morning. The daycare issue is still looming. I have to say there was a night and day difference between registering Edward at the Child Development Center and Zachary at the Youth Center. Last Wednesday, Edward was registered, enrolled and had a start date for Monday. Zachary is still in "the process." Meaning Wednesday we filled out paperwork to be able to pick up more paperwork Monday. Monday will filled out paperwork and returned it just to get a call today to have more paperwork done. And we still don't know if Zachary will be enrolled and if so what day he will start OR if this all in vain because he needs to go on a waiting list. SIGH.
At my last office I had a coffee pot marked soley for water. This was for tea or oatmeal without having a coffee residue taste. Last week at our first trip to the commissary I made sure to buy coffee filters and coffee. Monday I finally unpacked the box that had the other half of the coffee pot and was so excited I proceeded to make coffee only to realize I bought coffee beans and not ground coffee. So, today, at our fifth trip the base exchange here I bought a coffee grinder. So yummy, I'm finally enjoying real coffee in my own home!
I'm wearing a red apron. With all the time and messes in the kitchen I feel like it's about time I owned one. The last time I had one was when I was four. It was blue. The red matches my pot holders, floor mats, kitchen aid, food processor and our new dish set. I like red now much better than when JG and I met and the only color of anything he owned was black and red. Our new comforter is black and red too - but it's very elegant, not overly masculine.
The house is finally starting to take shape although not all of the furniture is placed. We are debating on making a library out of one of the rooms in the basement. More to come on that.
At my last office I had a coffee pot marked soley for water. This was for tea or oatmeal without having a coffee residue taste. Last week at our first trip to the commissary I made sure to buy coffee filters and coffee. Monday I finally unpacked the box that had the other half of the coffee pot and was so excited I proceeded to make coffee only to realize I bought coffee beans and not ground coffee. So, today, at our fifth trip the base exchange here I bought a coffee grinder. So yummy, I'm finally enjoying real coffee in my own home!
I'm wearing a red apron. With all the time and messes in the kitchen I feel like it's about time I owned one. The last time I had one was when I was four. It was blue. The red matches my pot holders, floor mats, kitchen aid, food processor and our new dish set. I like red now much better than when JG and I met and the only color of anything he owned was black and red. Our new comforter is black and red too - but it's very elegant, not overly masculine.
The house is finally starting to take shape although not all of the furniture is placed. We are debating on making a library out of one of the rooms in the basement. More to come on that.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Between S.D. and our first weekend at home
There's not a whole lot between Mount Rushmore and Spokane, Washington. The only significant things worth mentioning are that the Five Guys in Missoula, Montana is going to be worth the three-hour drive once a month. Also, my Aunt Daphne is awesome.
We stopped in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for the night and she met us a the hotel, drove us to the lake and put out a feast she made herself - crabmeat pasta salad, grilled chicken skewers with homemade peanut sauce, fresh veggies and fruit, crackers, wine, coconut pie - it was amazing and even more so eating on the road for more than a week. Something I've always loved about my aunt growing up is that she always treated my sister and I like we were adults. I was reminded of this when Zachary came off the playground to eat with us and she told her son to move some things out of the way so he could sit closer and be part of the conversation. It was so nice and so strange to be sitting with my now adult cousins who I've only seen once at the wedding just about their whole lives.
About seven miles from Fairchild on Route 2, JG was pulled over for the second time this trip. The only thing that seemed strange is that the law enforcement officer only cared for JG's driver';s license and not the registration or insurance. Weird, huh? He asked where we were going and we said we haven't got there yet. Luckily, JG got another warning.
After visiting with my Aunt and her family the next day, Tuesday, we went to base, checked in with our office, got our keys to our new home, unloaded the truck and trailer and returned the trailer. Day two, we started to put that mess away and started the process for getting the kids enrolled in school and daycare. Day three household goods arrived and Zach had his first day at school and Edward had his Kindergarten assessment. Day four Edward started school and we unpacked some boxes. Today the house is still a wreck, but we're taking a break to meet a long-time pen pal of JGs. I made salad and garlic bread.
The spaghetti lunch was great but mostly because the boys were so excited to have other kids to play with. We rounded out the day with more shopping for the house and topped off with dinner and pie at Marie Calenders.
We stopped in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for the night and she met us a the hotel, drove us to the lake and put out a feast she made herself - crabmeat pasta salad, grilled chicken skewers with homemade peanut sauce, fresh veggies and fruit, crackers, wine, coconut pie - it was amazing and even more so eating on the road for more than a week. Something I've always loved about my aunt growing up is that she always treated my sister and I like we were adults. I was reminded of this when Zachary came off the playground to eat with us and she told her son to move some things out of the way so he could sit closer and be part of the conversation. It was so nice and so strange to be sitting with my now adult cousins who I've only seen once at the wedding just about their whole lives.
About seven miles from Fairchild on Route 2, JG was pulled over for the second time this trip. The only thing that seemed strange is that the law enforcement officer only cared for JG's driver';s license and not the registration or insurance. Weird, huh? He asked where we were going and we said we haven't got there yet. Luckily, JG got another warning.
After visiting with my Aunt and her family the next day, Tuesday, we went to base, checked in with our office, got our keys to our new home, unloaded the truck and trailer and returned the trailer. Day two, we started to put that mess away and started the process for getting the kids enrolled in school and daycare. Day three household goods arrived and Zach had his first day at school and Edward had his Kindergarten assessment. Day four Edward started school and we unpacked some boxes. Today the house is still a wreck, but we're taking a break to meet a long-time pen pal of JGs. I made salad and garlic bread.
The spaghetti lunch was great but mostly because the boys were so excited to have other kids to play with. We rounded out the day with more shopping for the house and topped off with dinner and pie at Marie Calenders.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Before Rushmore
We’re on the way to Rushmore. We’ve got a solid three hours to go before we get there. Yesterday we stopped for dinner at Famous Daves. The wait was crazy. From as best we could tell it was like one of five restaurants in Sioux Falls. Good food though. JG and I tried Famous Daves in Virginia.
BBQ sauce is on the lesser scale of condiments (but essential in slow cooking or grilling, just not as an afterthought on meat). Ironically enough, of the five sauces at Famous Daves JG and I enjoy the same one best – Sweet and Zesty.
Before dinner JG was listening to the second Mets/Cardinals game – the score was 0-0 when we left for dinner and, from his mom’s voicemail still 0-0 but this time in extra innings. We call MiMi back and she announces the game as it’s happening for us off and on over the next two hours. Ended up being won in the 20th inning – 2-1 Mets.
Amidst all of that I was able to convince JG to let Ju-Ju in the cab after showing him how pathetic she looked shaking in her kennel. The temps had plummeted from the 80s to the 50s.
The Comfort Inn where we wanted to stay didn’t allow for pets and we were too tired to make it to Rapid Falls last night, so JG smuggled Ju-Ju in and out of the room. She is such a good dog. If only the boys were all well-mannered!
The goal today is to make it across the South Dakota, Montana boarder – then either stay in Western Montana or Idaho Monday night. We'll see what happens.
BBQ sauce is on the lesser scale of condiments (but essential in slow cooking or grilling, just not as an afterthought on meat). Ironically enough, of the five sauces at Famous Daves JG and I enjoy the same one best – Sweet and Zesty.
Before dinner JG was listening to the second Mets/Cardinals game – the score was 0-0 when we left for dinner and, from his mom’s voicemail still 0-0 but this time in extra innings. We call MiMi back and she announces the game as it’s happening for us off and on over the next two hours. Ended up being won in the 20th inning – 2-1 Mets.
Amidst all of that I was able to convince JG to let Ju-Ju in the cab after showing him how pathetic she looked shaking in her kennel. The temps had plummeted from the 80s to the 50s.
The Comfort Inn where we wanted to stay didn’t allow for pets and we were too tired to make it to Rapid Falls last night, so JG smuggled Ju-Ju in and out of the room. She is such a good dog. If only the boys were all well-mannered!
The goal today is to make it across the South Dakota, Montana boarder – then either stay in Western Montana or Idaho Monday night. We'll see what happens.
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