You know, I don't usually write about things that happened but today was just a strange day. I went to run errands. Go to the pharmacy and get my prescription, the post office to mail job applications and taxes.
Going to the pharmacy isn't all that convenient, it's on a corner where two pretty heavily traveled highways intersect. It involves lots of u-turns to get in and out of there in some reasonably safe way. So I go in and ask for my prescription which I had called to get refilled ahead. Lady goes away for a few minutes and then comes back to ask me for my id card. Lady goes away again, long time. I'm like ok, what. She comes back after five minutes and tells me I can't pick up my prescription because my insurance system is down. YAY I leave, on the way to the car, the sky opens up and down the rain comes. LOL
Then while I'm making u-turns to go back toward the post office, I see this suv with one of those Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes peeing on something stickers. You know the ones I'm talking about, usually on trucks, Calvin peeing on a Ford if the truck is a Chevy kind of thing. This one was Calvin peeing on:
Jose ______ (some last name)
Deadbeat Dad Since
1992
That's just harsh. Now I know about dead beat Dads. Nonetheless, I would never have put that on my car. Imagine how that must make the child feel!
Ok, so off I go up the road to the post office. I go in, do my thing, come back out, its still raining. There is a woman by my car doing something. I get closer and realize she's trying to figure out how to get her child in her car. Some asshat has parked like less than a foot from the side the child's car seat is on. I can't even figure out how the asshat has gotten out of the vehicle! Child is screaming, it's raining on him, I would scream too I bet. She's just upset, the little boy is not that little, probably 18 months or so, not that easy to wrangle into a car seat on the other side of the car, plus he's screaming. I just told her I would back out, block traffic and then she could back out far enough to get the little boy out of the stroller, into the seat and get the stroller put away. I said I would stay in the way until she was back in her car.
So I did that, blocked traffic in the parking lot and got out to watch the baby while she backed up til I told her to stop at the point she could open that car door, then I hopped back in my car while she got organized. Meanwhile pick up truck man is behind me and very annoyed at the whole thing. He's waving his arms and getting all red faced. I'm ignoring him completely. LA LA LA He's up high, he can SEE what is going on, it's RAINING. Please, just give the girl a BREAK, ok? I didn't yell at him, though the thought crossed my mind, I just decided to keep with the good karma I had going.
That led me to thinking about how we forget things. We forget labor, we forget sleeplessness, we forget not being able to take a shower that is more than five minutes and a long soaking bath? Not in your dreams. We forget how hard it is to just do a simple thing, like go to the post office, when you are alone and have a child. Yeah, pack up the stuff (for included with the title mother is also the title "pack mule"), load it, load the child into the car seat with the all buckles and stuff, make sure you have the stroller. Get to the post office, get the stroller set up, unbuckle all the buckles and stuff, get the kid in the stroller, rebuckle all those buckles. Go in to the post office. Now come out and do it all again. That's just ONE kid. Again, I don't know how you guys do it. I salute you and I'm proud of you and I hope no asshat ever parks so close to you that you have to depend on the kindness of strangers to get back into your car. *sigh*
While I was writing this the pharmacy called, system back up. Guess what, "patient not covered" Ummm what? Husband is still in the Army, we're still married, nothing has changed. God. YAY I get to play with Tri Care tomorrow. Ugh.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Cost of War
I just, well, go read what Claire says. I'm tired. For me, for my family, this is the cost of war:
October 24, 2003, Baghdad, Sylvester and Zach on Zach's 21st birthday
October 24, 2003, Baghdad, Sylvester and Zach on Zach's 21st birthday
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Happy 2009
Maybe we can do better this year? That's a lot of maybe isn't it. One can hope.
I'm such a doofus, on our way to the frozen tundra we flew through Detroit and not Chicago. We got lucky. LT Dan and I sat on the back porch the morning of the day we were supposed to leave and actually tried to figure out ways NOT to go. LOL We really did. It was a gorgeous Sunny Place winter day, 80 and blue skies. We looked at the approaching blizzard and it's ice storm partner and just withered. We went anyway, oh the power of our Mothers, if they only knew.
It's highly annoying, this new thing the airlines are doing. I knew we would pay for checking our bags, what I didn't know was the thing I by-passed while poking buttons on the check in kiosk was my opportunity to PAY for the privilege of actually sitting WITH my husband. WTF. Just put it all in the ticket price and be done with it...good grief! So we did not sit together on the way to Detroit, it could have been worse, at least I was sitting right behind him, both of us in the "coveted middle seat."
I tried to sleep, but there was this little group behind me, very chatty lady with a big voice chatting away non-stop to another lady, while her husband is simultaneously reading her the Bible as though she is actually listening. Very strange. When I finally did fall asleep the lady decided to show her friend something about her camera, so every change she made the camera beeped...alarm clock effect. Never mind sleeping. The flight ended with her reading the Sky Mall catalog complete with opinion of each item, while husband is still reading the Bible. *blink*
We ended up boarding our next flight almost two hours late, we got to sit by each other! Then sat on the runway waiting for deicing for yet another hour. UGH. We arrived in the frozen tundra four hours late and drove to our hotel (35 miles) in an ice/snow storm. LT Dan rocks at driving thank goodness. Two planes that landed after we did slid off the runway...ummm we got lucky.
Our time with my family was wonderful and all I hoped it would be. This was LT Dan's first opportunity to actually spend time with my brothers and sister under normal circumstances, and they him. They met first the day of Zach's funeral. It was unfair to him and to them.
We left my family on Saturday and drove through yet another ice storm to LT Dan's family. LT Dan rocked once again at driving and our decision to head out at 0 dark 100 to beat the majority of the ice storm paid off. We had an hour of crap driving and then it was all clear. LT Dan even had to deal with people spinning out and ending up coming the wrong direction toward us on the interstate. He really does have his awesome moments.
Now I can make a list...
Northwest Airlines needs to stop with the weird ticketing stuff and just put it all up front.
My Mom made us two beautiful pieces of needlework, they are shells and her work is just amazing and perfect and I swear I will never get to her level. I'll post pictures once I get them taken.
Dan got to laugh and joke and see what really good people my brothers and sister are, and how cute his new nieces and nephews are too. An aside- my brothers are Hawkeyes (University of Iowa) graduates and Dan is a Husker (University of Nebraska) graduate...there was much jabbing and stabbing :D
Dan's parents got into wine this year. YAY
I got an awesome big girl corkscrew thingy from Dan's parents and I love it.
We had a family picture taken with Dan's family and individual ones of us and then I helped frame and hang them all in his parents house with my sister in law and I doing the work and Mom supervising. It was FUN. Wine followed our accomplishment!
My sister in law who is the most artistic creative person ever (she's an art teacher) made me silver sea turtle earrings and they are just perfect. I am a sea turtle person. She always makes me the most wonderful things. The Christmas Zach was in Iraq she made me a stained glass blue star flag to hang in my window. I bawled like a baby when I opened that one.
We saw Dan's best friend from college and had a really great night talking and drinking, well, ok, they drank, I just sipped a Kahlua and milk. They asked me if I was punishing myself *eyeroll* no...you silly men are going to hurt in the morning and I'll be FINE. I left them to their own devices at 1am, I think LT Dan fell on the bed and bounced me in the air at around 03:30. LOL They were hurtin units the next morning. Still, it was good to see each other again.
New years day we took our long walk on the beach and this year it was sunny and perfect. We went to the Greek place and stuffed ourselves with giros and then walked a long way on the beach, had coffee and came home. 2009 began right...now lets just carry on with that trend, shall we?
Happy New Year my friends, thank you for your warm welcome back.
I'm such a doofus, on our way to the frozen tundra we flew through Detroit and not Chicago. We got lucky. LT Dan and I sat on the back porch the morning of the day we were supposed to leave and actually tried to figure out ways NOT to go. LOL We really did. It was a gorgeous Sunny Place winter day, 80 and blue skies. We looked at the approaching blizzard and it's ice storm partner and just withered. We went anyway, oh the power of our Mothers, if they only knew.
It's highly annoying, this new thing the airlines are doing. I knew we would pay for checking our bags, what I didn't know was the thing I by-passed while poking buttons on the check in kiosk was my opportunity to PAY for the privilege of actually sitting WITH my husband. WTF. Just put it all in the ticket price and be done with it...good grief! So we did not sit together on the way to Detroit, it could have been worse, at least I was sitting right behind him, both of us in the "coveted middle seat."
I tried to sleep, but there was this little group behind me, very chatty lady with a big voice chatting away non-stop to another lady, while her husband is simultaneously reading her the Bible as though she is actually listening. Very strange. When I finally did fall asleep the lady decided to show her friend something about her camera, so every change she made the camera beeped...alarm clock effect. Never mind sleeping. The flight ended with her reading the Sky Mall catalog complete with opinion of each item, while husband is still reading the Bible. *blink*
We ended up boarding our next flight almost two hours late, we got to sit by each other! Then sat on the runway waiting for deicing for yet another hour. UGH. We arrived in the frozen tundra four hours late and drove to our hotel (35 miles) in an ice/snow storm. LT Dan rocks at driving thank goodness. Two planes that landed after we did slid off the runway...ummm we got lucky.
Our time with my family was wonderful and all I hoped it would be. This was LT Dan's first opportunity to actually spend time with my brothers and sister under normal circumstances, and they him. They met first the day of Zach's funeral. It was unfair to him and to them.
We left my family on Saturday and drove through yet another ice storm to LT Dan's family. LT Dan rocked once again at driving and our decision to head out at 0 dark 100 to beat the majority of the ice storm paid off. We had an hour of crap driving and then it was all clear. LT Dan even had to deal with people spinning out and ending up coming the wrong direction toward us on the interstate. He really does have his awesome moments.
Now I can make a list...
Northwest Airlines needs to stop with the weird ticketing stuff and just put it all up front.
My Mom made us two beautiful pieces of needlework, they are shells and her work is just amazing and perfect and I swear I will never get to her level. I'll post pictures once I get them taken.
Dan got to laugh and joke and see what really good people my brothers and sister are, and how cute his new nieces and nephews are too. An aside- my brothers are Hawkeyes (University of Iowa) graduates and Dan is a Husker (University of Nebraska) graduate...there was much jabbing and stabbing :D
Dan's parents got into wine this year. YAY
I got an awesome big girl corkscrew thingy from Dan's parents and I love it.
We had a family picture taken with Dan's family and individual ones of us and then I helped frame and hang them all in his parents house with my sister in law and I doing the work and Mom supervising. It was FUN. Wine followed our accomplishment!
My sister in law who is the most artistic creative person ever (she's an art teacher) made me silver sea turtle earrings and they are just perfect. I am a sea turtle person. She always makes me the most wonderful things. The Christmas Zach was in Iraq she made me a stained glass blue star flag to hang in my window. I bawled like a baby when I opened that one.
We saw Dan's best friend from college and had a really great night talking and drinking, well, ok, they drank, I just sipped a Kahlua and milk. They asked me if I was punishing myself *eyeroll* no...you silly men are going to hurt in the morning and I'll be FINE. I left them to their own devices at 1am, I think LT Dan fell on the bed and bounced me in the air at around 03:30. LOL They were hurtin units the next morning. Still, it was good to see each other again.
New years day we took our long walk on the beach and this year it was sunny and perfect. We went to the Greek place and stuffed ourselves with giros and then walked a long way on the beach, had coffee and came home. 2009 began right...now lets just carry on with that trend, shall we?
Happy New Year my friends, thank you for your warm welcome back.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Bloggy things (warning-- random thoughts)
I've been playing with my blog this morning. Bad Bon. I'm supposed to be *doing* things. Opening that ginormous pile of mail over there, doing laundry, buying groceries, paying bills, walking the dog, oh yeah, getting dressed would be good too. The President is having a press conference and I'm not really totally listening to that either. I'm avoiding responsibility and playing with my blog *grin*
About Lt Dan. That is his call sign because Forrest Gump is one of my all time favorite movies and I loved Lt Dan almost as much as I loved Forrest. Stubborn, willful, sometimes dumb, as kind as he was hard...I'll stop now because I could list my Lt Dan traits all day long probably. Now of course my Lt Dan says "but Lt Dan had no legs and I have at least one good one." LOL Yeah. My Lt Dan has a leg that got some major trauma in a training catastrophe. He's working on it, it's getting better, that's another post entirely. So, now you know why Lt Dan is Lt Dan. Actual rank isn't a part of that, rather it's about who he is and who I am and how things go.
We had a Hail and Farewell while I was up at The Cave. I'm a newb military wife so this was my first ever. I came away thinking "wow, I really AM a newb (newb: A term used to describe an inexperienced gamer/person/etc. A newb is someone who actually wants to get better.) military wife." I met a whole bunch of people, can remember like three names, got a rose and a battalion pin because we were one of the two couples being welcomed (I did notice the other wives had those on,) and felt totally like a newb. So many people there who have spent many years living this life and we are just at the beginning and I know so little. This too shall pass and still it was nice and interesting. By the way, the Urban Dictionary is sometimes a fun place to go--you can look up words like newb!
I think I'm going to have to get one of those little old lady pill holder things. Right now an ash tray is my tool of choice (nothing else to do with it). While I was up at The Cave I had my annual physical. It wasn't good, I have osteoporosis. So lots of pills, daily and once weekly. Weee so much for any sense of invincibility I may have had. I could go on a long rant about this since I already DO all the things you are supposed to do to avoid having this. Damn heredity is all I'm gonna say because you don't need a rant in addition to a zillion random thoughts.
Also while I was at The Cave I made a military wife friend who happens to live in our same Cave complex. Cool. We had lots of fun spending time together and going places and I enjoyed being around her two little girls immensely. So yay, a friend is a good thing and I'm kinda sorry I can't be there for her all the time. Her husband is in a school so she doesn't see him much right now and won't for another couple of months.
All right it's almost noon and I have done nothing I'm supposed to, I better get moving. Hope everyone has a great day.
About Lt Dan. That is his call sign because Forrest Gump is one of my all time favorite movies and I loved Lt Dan almost as much as I loved Forrest. Stubborn, willful, sometimes dumb, as kind as he was hard...I'll stop now because I could list my Lt Dan traits all day long probably. Now of course my Lt Dan says "but Lt Dan had no legs and I have at least one good one." LOL Yeah. My Lt Dan has a leg that got some major trauma in a training catastrophe. He's working on it, it's getting better, that's another post entirely. So, now you know why Lt Dan is Lt Dan. Actual rank isn't a part of that, rather it's about who he is and who I am and how things go.
We had a Hail and Farewell while I was up at The Cave. I'm a newb military wife so this was my first ever. I came away thinking "wow, I really AM a newb (newb: A term used to describe an inexperienced gamer/person/etc. A newb is someone who actually wants to get better.) military wife." I met a whole bunch of people, can remember like three names, got a rose and a battalion pin because we were one of the two couples being welcomed (I did notice the other wives had those on,) and felt totally like a newb. So many people there who have spent many years living this life and we are just at the beginning and I know so little. This too shall pass and still it was nice and interesting. By the way, the Urban Dictionary is sometimes a fun place to go--you can look up words like newb!
I think I'm going to have to get one of those little old lady pill holder things. Right now an ash tray is my tool of choice (nothing else to do with it). While I was up at The Cave I had my annual physical. It wasn't good, I have osteoporosis. So lots of pills, daily and once weekly. Weee so much for any sense of invincibility I may have had. I could go on a long rant about this since I already DO all the things you are supposed to do to avoid having this. Damn heredity is all I'm gonna say because you don't need a rant in addition to a zillion random thoughts.
Also while I was at The Cave I made a military wife friend who happens to live in our same Cave complex. Cool. We had lots of fun spending time together and going places and I enjoyed being around her two little girls immensely. So yay, a friend is a good thing and I'm kinda sorry I can't be there for her all the time. Her husband is in a school so she doesn't see him much right now and won't for another couple of months.
All right it's almost noon and I have done nothing I'm supposed to, I better get moving. Hope everyone has a great day.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today...
Always look at the bright side of life.I love and miss you Zach.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Christmas Assimilation
We traveled for the Christmas holiday. The Midwest is cold. I knew this. I moved for a reason. It was really fun to be there and have woobe my shearling coat. It goes to my ankles and when I put the hood up I look like a little tiny monk or something. Travel actually went well. We shipped the presents ahead and they arrived all in one piece. We were delayed three hours in Houston (not bad at all compared to other places) and got to sit and watch the perfect family and the not so perfect family with bronchitis boy. The perfect family had three children, two girls and a boy, all young grade schoolers. The parents traded off, each child was rotating through a parent lap, playing on his or her own, and chatting along with the full attention of the parent--amazing. Suddenly Dad gets up and says "I need ice cream, who is going with me?!" Nice. Of course when they returned with ice cream Lt Dan wanted to steal the little boy's ice cream, saying "well, he's not EATING HIS!" Oh my.
The not so perfect family had a maybe six year old and bronchitis boy who was 16-18 months. Six year old is running all over the airport being obnoxious, more especially to this other six year old who had a toy he wanted to play with. Dad is standing waaay over there by the window doing nothing about anything. Mom is trying to contain screaming bronchitis boy in her lap and control the six year old all the while giving Dad dirty looks. It wasn't pretty. Of course not so perfect family is on our plane. Better yet, Dad and obnoxious child are in the seats in front of us, Mom and bronchitis boy are in the seat behind me. Perfect. The flight was three hours, bronchitis boy screamed, kicked my seat, beat his head on my seat nearly the entire time. Poor thing probably couldn't clear his ears and I imagine it hurt. Lt Dan slept through the whole thing while I practiced my compassion and understanding skills HARD.
I was assimilated. Yep. I am now part of the family I guess. Or at least as much as could be. We really had a very good time at my in-laws, I enjoyed it far more than I expected to. Really it was just a wonderful pleasant trip. I did my best to find my "place" and do what I could do to help with all the dinners and work generated by our visit and the holiday. I hope I did well, this was my first experience with the family since we were married. Lt Dan was awesome and full of surprises. The little things mean so much. Bringing me coffee in the morning so I could wake up in a somewhat normal way for me, coming to find me and give me a hug if I disappeared too long, just lots of little things that were unexpected and very special.
We made the trip to our trusted jewelry store the very next morning after we arrived, first thing when they opened. There is a whole wedding ring saga story but I'll skip that for now, suffice it to say the first one didn't work out, it kept trying to lose bits of itself until we finally asked for our money back. Lt Dan promised me it wasn't an omen! We had designed my wedding ring already on line but I was sure we were not going to be able to get it what with the holidays and such. The salesman brought the rings we had chosen and then we needed to pick the diamond for the engagement ring. Lt Dan was not happy with the size of the diamond we initially chose so while I was in the ladies room he told the salesman his budget and a much bigger diamond appeared. Wow. My rings are just so lovely and I am dazzled by them. Lt Dan strikes again when you least expect it. Gotta love him.
We did get to spend a few days before and a few days after here at home in the Sunny Place. That was the most wonderful thing for both of us I think. This is the first extended period of time we have gotten to spend in the Sunny Place house and it just felt so good. We did our New Year's Day walk on the beach, I took him to the Greek place for gyros and mimosas and we walked around a bay side neighborhood looking at houses and dream shopping. I was amazed he could do that walk and worried so much about his leg while we were doing it but we had a wonderful time. Happy New Year.
We travelled back to The Cave (that would be the apartment we have where Lt Dan is currently stationed) on the 2nd and signed in from leave. Spent the weekend together and now here I am, back at the Sunny Place getting ready to go to the dentist. Weeee. Such is our lives and its all as good as it can be. It is what it is.
The not so perfect family had a maybe six year old and bronchitis boy who was 16-18 months. Six year old is running all over the airport being obnoxious, more especially to this other six year old who had a toy he wanted to play with. Dad is standing waaay over there by the window doing nothing about anything. Mom is trying to contain screaming bronchitis boy in her lap and control the six year old all the while giving Dad dirty looks. It wasn't pretty. Of course not so perfect family is on our plane. Better yet, Dad and obnoxious child are in the seats in front of us, Mom and bronchitis boy are in the seat behind me. Perfect. The flight was three hours, bronchitis boy screamed, kicked my seat, beat his head on my seat nearly the entire time. Poor thing probably couldn't clear his ears and I imagine it hurt. Lt Dan slept through the whole thing while I practiced my compassion and understanding skills HARD.
I was assimilated. Yep. I am now part of the family I guess. Or at least as much as could be. We really had a very good time at my in-laws, I enjoyed it far more than I expected to. Really it was just a wonderful pleasant trip. I did my best to find my "place" and do what I could do to help with all the dinners and work generated by our visit and the holiday. I hope I did well, this was my first experience with the family since we were married. Lt Dan was awesome and full of surprises. The little things mean so much. Bringing me coffee in the morning so I could wake up in a somewhat normal way for me, coming to find me and give me a hug if I disappeared too long, just lots of little things that were unexpected and very special.
We made the trip to our trusted jewelry store the very next morning after we arrived, first thing when they opened. There is a whole wedding ring saga story but I'll skip that for now, suffice it to say the first one didn't work out, it kept trying to lose bits of itself until we finally asked for our money back. Lt Dan promised me it wasn't an omen! We had designed my wedding ring already on line but I was sure we were not going to be able to get it what with the holidays and such. The salesman brought the rings we had chosen and then we needed to pick the diamond for the engagement ring. Lt Dan was not happy with the size of the diamond we initially chose so while I was in the ladies room he told the salesman his budget and a much bigger diamond appeared. Wow. My rings are just so lovely and I am dazzled by them. Lt Dan strikes again when you least expect it. Gotta love him.
We did get to spend a few days before and a few days after here at home in the Sunny Place. That was the most wonderful thing for both of us I think. This is the first extended period of time we have gotten to spend in the Sunny Place house and it just felt so good. We did our New Year's Day walk on the beach, I took him to the Greek place for gyros and mimosas and we walked around a bay side neighborhood looking at houses and dream shopping. I was amazed he could do that walk and worried so much about his leg while we were doing it but we had a wonderful time. Happy New Year.
We travelled back to The Cave (that would be the apartment we have where Lt Dan is currently stationed) on the 2nd and signed in from leave. Spent the weekend together and now here I am, back at the Sunny Place getting ready to go to the dentist. Weeee. Such is our lives and its all as good as it can be. It is what it is.
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