Random things I'm saying.....

What a week. I mean, really. Can things get more bizarre? Apparently there is no end to the amount of bizzare things that can happen to me. Anyways.....

Cadillac.....first off, let me say that Cadillac is not an ugly specimen of the male gender. But the more I hear about the man in regards to his personal life, the more I wonder what the hell the looks I get from him at work mean. Apparently, atleast according to several different sources, Cadillac is rather the ladies' man. As in any lady but his own wife. Who, judging by a picture he showed me, is also a lovely lady. From what I hear, now, bear in mind all of this is hearsay, I know nothing for truth myself, Cadillac makes the rounds of bars and bikini clubs on a daily basis, and has this habit of riding his bike( it's a motorcycle) while intoxicated. Also, it is reported(again, I know no facts in regards to this) that while he may appear fatigued at work, it is more likely a hang over, than true fatigue. So what do the looks mean? This remains a mystery. I don't know, and honestly, am not so sure that I really want to know. I have avoided the man like the plague, given that he cussed me out not too long ago, and I am attempting to avoid confrontation. Also, I get reports that Cadillac bad-mouths me on a regular basis, behind my back of course. I have long since held the belief that Cadillac is spineless. I have seen circumstances in the shop that have led me to this conclusion, this is not heresay. But, he's mostly on good behavior in a one-on-one session with me. This type of shit pisses me off. Cadillac is a go-between. He's not anything of significanse in relation to me, honestly. Not the way Kermit runs the shop. But he's got ego to spare, and personally, I think Kermit lets him run with it unchecked for the most part. They are buddies, after all, and there's no good to come out of complaining to Kermit. SHit rolls down hill, and it would come very quickly on me.

Kermit....speaking of the devil.....I can do no right for the man. He has been down right menstral this week. And crabby as all hell. One guy got bitched out for thinking. Yea....Kermit, I have come to the conclusion, is just a dick. And there's no pleasing him, not for me, atleast. Kermit believes a woman's place is at home with the kids, not working. Not saying that I am disagreeing with him, cause I'd love to be a stay home Mommy, but hey, the mortgage doesn't pay itself, right? It's just that he carries this mentality into work with him. Blatantly. I could be the best mechanic in the shop, and I still wouldn't be able to do anything right for Kermit. Simply because I am female. Ah yes, I work in Auschwitz.

I have now had the most bizarre thing to ever happen to me at work, happen. I go on a test drive with one of the SSgt's. We're chatting about family and such, as he's a friend of Ziggy's. Somehow we get on the topic of sex and all that. Suddenly I am a confessional. I get him admitting to infedility to me. Not that unusual, right? Now, I know this guy from work, and that's pretty much it. We don't hang out, he doesn't hang out with Ziggy outside of work, so to get confessions from him was a bit surprising. Oh, but it gets better......now, I'm not a prude by any means, any regular reader to this blog will tell you that. But I was caught a bit off guard when this guy whips out a hard dick and wants me to watch him jerk off. In the truck that he's driving. Like right then. Now let me give you a bit of an idea how much clothing dude had on at that juncture. Shop coveralls(like any mechanic you'd see in a dealership), BDU pants under that, then whatever he wore for undergarments(required by regulation in the Air Force). So it wasn't as simple as pulling down elasticized pants. Get my drift? Definitely not the run of the mill event in ANY place I've worked. I tried playing it off( I have a terrible poker face, so I can imagine I failed miserably), but I was floored. Then he starts rambling about how Ziggy's a friend of his, he probably offended me, etc, etc. And generously offers that if I am turned on by all of this, that I can masturbate as well. While he's jerking off in the same vehicle. My weird-shit-o-meter was officially pegged by that point. Finally we get back to the shop. And I go on with the rest of my day with a split mind about the whole thing. Do I tell Ziggy or do I tell the sexual harrassment people? Well, unable to keep a secret from the very significant man in my life, I spill it out to Ziggy. Who promptly goes ballistic, but in total Ziggy-style. Which means if you don't know Ziggy well, you wouldn't know he was wigging out. So Ziggy gives me a couple options. Either he handles it(which would be public and very messy for all parties involved, as NOTHING stays a secret in the military), or I handle it and tell him to leave it alone. I took the second option. My husband, though I love him dearly, can be a serious hot-head when he takes a mind to. And I'd rather err on the side of caution and contain the situation rather than have it go crazy with a quickness. So......long story short, Ziggy has been called off for now, but in the event something happens again, Ziggy gets full reign then, and it won't be pretty. Ziggy is a pretty easy going guy until someone offends his wife. Then he's full on asshole and vindictive to boot, along with a very bad temper. Not pretty, I've only seen it twice in the 3 years that we've been together.

Gramps......I so feel for everyone in the family that's over in Washington state now. Gramps, poor man, took a fall out of bed the other night, after getting disoriented and being too proud to ask for help out of his bed. Well, to make things even worse, he stopped breathing, got very sick, and had to be put back into ICU today. So the whole family is freaking out. Here is where I start feeling bad, as I am the calm one in the family. I have always held my cool when everyone else freaks out, it's just my nature. Which can sometimes make it look like I am unfeeling or unaffected by the events that are happening. So Ziggy and his brother and the whole family are all going ballistic. I hate to say this, but I knew he was going to be bad of at some point. He was doing WAY too well for a man in his health, directly after major surgery. My sixth sense was pinging off the walls, but I don't say much about it, as well, imagine the pandemonium that would have started.

Other....my dear friend Other. I sent Other and Beefcake a package of Christmas decorations, complete with stockings and candy canes. All Other has told me is that I will get pictures of what he decorates with the lights, and that he is confident that I will be pleased with it. I almost shudder to think what he has come up with. I sent him a box with 600 lights in it, so who knows what he has come up with. Other has his own personal drama going on, and while I hate it for him, he is getting sucked into a situation that wasn't anything he is responsible for. I know it's only going to get worse when he gets back to Alaska, too.

Alright, that's about all for right now.....I'm sure that there will be more...there always is!!!

I got tagged!!!!!

Ok, here we go....

What were you doing 10 years ago? At this point in 1995, I was 8 months pregnant, visiting my long distance boyfriend who was home from the Marines, and working.
What were you doing 1 year ago? Um...settling into our house, working, the usual.
5 snacks you enjoy :1. Dr. Pepper and a Hershey's bar.
2. French fries and Mayo
3. Cold Stone Ice Cream
4. Apple Chips
5. rice crispy treats
5 songs to which you know all the lyrics :1. Numb by Linkin Park.
2. Strangers in The Night by Frank Sinatra
3. Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
4. Courtesy of the Red, WHite and Blue by Toby Keith
5. Here Without You by Three Door Down
5 things you would do if you were a millionaire :1. Buy land in Alaska and build my dream home.2. Pay off debts. 3. Travel the world.4. Get out of the military!!!5. Give money to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
5 bad habits :1. Putting off doing laundry!!!
2. Cussing - I cuss like a sailor.
3. Being very critical of others.
4. Not picking up after myself.
5. Eating desserts!

5 things you like doing :1. Reading
2. Riding my four wheeler
3. Sleeping late!
4. Shopping on Ebay.
5. Touring historical places.

5 things you would never wear again :1. My prom dress.
2. Certain outifts of my maternity clothes - what was I thinking?!
3. My desert uniforms!!!
4. Any of my clothes purchased by my ex husband.
5. The strappy black sandals with bows. Major fashion faux pas.

favorite toys :1. Internet!!!
2. Digital camera
3. X-box, though I don't play much.
4. MP3 player
5. 4 wheeler


Thanks CrazyGirl, I love these type of things!!!!

Deck my house

I have the Christmas tree up, lit and decorated nicely in the big bay window of my house. The lights have been set aside for the outside of the house, to be put up this weekend. I have 1,000 lights on my Christmas tree alone. I have to get my wreath put up, locate the tree skirt and hang the stockings in order to round out the decorations.

My parents aren't coming up for Christmas, they have elected to come in January, closer to Scout's birthday. But, Gamaw may come up, and that will be nice to see her.....

So the fun begins for me of deciding what the hell to buy Ziggy for Christmas. When I ask, all I get is 'Baby, home with you and the kids is enough for me.' While this is endearing, alas, it doesn't tell me a thing, and that gets rather frustrating for me. He may get a singing fish, just for the hell of it......lol.

Update and musing

Come to find out, my father-in-law didn't show up. Weather was too bad. Part of me is happy about it, part of me isn't, as it would have made for hilarious blogging.......


My musings........back when I was 21 or so, I worked in a sporting goods store. I had a customer show me an Alaska driver's license for a check he was writing, and we got to talking about Alaska. He told me that if you ever spend any time in Alaska, and by time I mean none of the cruise vacations, that Alaska will always be a part of you. He said that it would call to you until you returned to it. I never believed it until I left. I have been away from the one place that I truly call home for a little over a year. And being here in Washington State for a little over a week brings me as close to home as I am going to get for now. I have 'heard' Alaska call to me for a while, but the longing to go back is even stronger now that I am on the same side of the country. My plan is to one day go back, have myself a fishing cabin on the peninsula, maybe in Seward or Homer, and never leave if I don't have to.....

Update on the inlaws

Well, dear readers, yet another example of how truth is absolutely stranger than fiction......

I'm at Ziggy's grandparents house, right? And we all know that Ziggy's parents have been seperated for more than 10 years, but are still married, atleast on paper. So, straight out of a Springer episode, my father-in-law is coming to visit on Saturday.......and is bringing his girlfriend.....WHILE MY MOTHER IN LAW IS PRESENT. Anyone else mildly creeped out by this? My mother in law has REQUIRED my presence while this is happening. I prefer to be at the casino with my mother in law, playing penny slots. Soo........providing that he shows(which I SERIOUSLY doubt, as the weather on the road between his side of Washington and this side is treacherous)...this will be interesting......more to come, of course.

On a morbid side note.........you'll all recall how my sixth sense was pinging about Gramps?? Well, infallible as always, I was right. Gramps is having a kidney removed on December 1st. Also, sixth sense in full force, Gramps has leukemia.....and they can't do anything about it, or so the docs have reported. The treatment for his particular brand of leukemia is very very harsh for a man of his years, and Gramps is rather frail in the first place.

Hehehe.........

Ok, anyone from Spokane or Cheney, WA, if you go out I-90 towards Cheney and Four Lakes, and you run into Betz road........lol......lots of places to break in the ol rental car, if ya know what I mean.....Ziggy and I went shooting today with Ziggy's brother, and well, shooting has an effect on me, and well, I made Ziggy pull the car over, and well, let's just say that I'm kinda disappointed that there weren't any cops around to look in the windows.....hehehehe..


Gotta love roadside quickies......

Small epiphany

For the record, Other no longer reminds me of Elvis. I went to see Walk The Line tonight - -Other is Johnny Cash, without the drugs and singing career.....

I'm still here guys

I apologize profusely for my not updating recently. CrazyGirl has brought it to my attention that I need to, and so, here I am.

I am currently in Washington State, with Ziggy's side of the family. We flew in yesterday, and we were soooo tired. My MIL and SIL and I all went to the casino last night, where I won 45 bucks on the 3 cent slot machines. Ziggy and I are planning to go back and play a little poker. MiniZiggy and Scout are both being properly spoiled, though Scout forgot much of his homework for this week. Brilliant.

I had a whole plethera of things to talk about, all in my head, and now that I am sitting here typing, I can't remember what any of them were. So I will have to update better later.

I sent Other and Beefcake a box of goodies for the upcoming Christmas holidays, to brighten the time away from home. Christmas lights to decorate with, candy canes, a couple stockings, magazines. I love Christmas, and I know that Other does too, and I know he'd hate to miss hanging a butt-load of lights wherever in the world he happens to be at the time of the holidays.

Alright, well, I think I will go for now.......

Return of the dogs and an update on Gramps

BTW, I haven't heard from Other in a few days, and I am starting to wonder why. So if he's reading this, EMAIL ME, BONEHEAD!!!!!! Alright, on to blog business.

So Ziggy troops down to the animal control to see if the dogs are there. Thankfully, yes, they were. Come to find out, someone drove up to the gate of the animal control, and throws my dogs out of the car and drives away. This was on Saturday. This information promptly pisses off Ziggy. I, on the other hand, am just glad that someone turned in my dogs, and now they are at home with us.

Gramps is still in the hospital, and they believe that he has kidney cancer. This is bad. He has a tumor on one kidney that is believed to be malignant, and they want to remove it after Thanksgiving. They are also doing some bloodwork, and checking things to see if Gramps has Leukemia. Remember what I said about my 'sixth sense' going off about Gramps, an it not being good? Yea, well, I guess I was right. Poor Gramps. And poor Ziggy. I could see him trying to hide the concern and fear when I told him about Gramps today. The man will never realize that I know him so well, and notice these things, I guess. Men, I tell ya, could be hit by a Mack truck, and miss the fact it was coming.....

My weekend, developments in the family, and OMG the dogs are gone

So Ziggy, the kids and I all pack up on Friday(since we were off) and head down to Carolina Beach for the weekend, to visit my grandmother, known as Gamaw. We stayed at a resort that Gamaw works at(for free, no less, gotta love that!!!) right on the beach. We loafered around, did the touristy bit inWilmington, hung out with Gamaw and my uncle, WyattEarp. Great time, wish it had been longer. So that was my weekend. Then we get home.

My dogs are missing. Both of them. I'm not happy. I'm worried about my dogs. My Pudgey and Dumb-dumb are missing. Ziggy and Scout went riding around the neighborhood looking for them, but didn't see them. and the animal control place is closed on Sunday, of course. My puppies are gone and I want my puppies back!!!! Who knows how long they've been gone, and if they are ok, hungry, hurt, cold(Pudge, I doubt it, she's a Husky, and has a double coat), etc....

So Ziggy is aggreavating me this evening. I know he's not doing this on purpose(what it was that aggravated me) but it bothered me. He's been the one that comforts MiniZiggy when he falls and gets owies, since I was gone for 4 months. So when he jumps the baby gate and picks MiniZiggy up before I can get to him (and I am 15 feet from the child, and on the same side of the baby gate), I got upset. Then he keeps chanting a single phrase, while standing next to me, 'Daddy's got you, it's ok, Daddy's got you.' Yes, well, Daddy's going to have a nice place to sleep in the bed of the truck outside if he doesn't watch his mouth. Anywho, I get aggravated with my husband, and decide to call Gram to vent. Gram is Ziggy's grandmother. I love this woman to death. Gram has been married for 57 years, and fully understands when men irritate their wives. And I just love talking to Gram, so I go to call Gram and vent about her grandson. Well, much to my surprise, Gramps doesn't answer the phone. Gramps ALWAYS answers the phone. Well, my MIL answers. Not that I'm not pleased to talk to her, I love my MIL to death, but it's just not normal for Gramps not to answer the phone. Come to find out, Gramps is in the hospital. See, Gramps is on dialysis, and was retaining fluid, and they took him to the doctor, and then he was put in the hospital. I maintain that Gramps wants attention since everyone knows that MiniZiggy is coming for Thanksgiving, and all attention will be on him(Goddess help, my kids are going to be rotten after this trip!). Atleast that's the story I am maintaining for Ziggy. Gramps and Gram practically raised Ziggy and his brother and sister, since my MIL had to work when they were kids. So Ziggy is really close to Gramps. Gramps has been on dialysis for a year or so now, and while I know that dialysis patients are often on it for a long time, something doesn't bode well about this to me. My 'sixth sense' is starting to ping, and I don't like the idea.

On a completely different subject, I am having an issue here lately. How the HELL am I supposed to be on a birth control patch, if the damned thing won't stay attached to my skin?!?!?! I think I'm going to have to duct tape it to me or something.

'Man up' and some thoughts on sex, oh, and a weird illness

I had a humorous experience at work today. I know, I know, not a normal occurence in good 'ol Auschwitz, but it happened nevertheless. I was helping one of the civilians do an oil change, and the air filter was sitting on the hood. I was getting ready to crawl under the front end of the truck to grease the front end, when someone jacked up the rear end of the truck, sending the air filter flying. Into my back. I screamed, startled. Nevermind the fact that the squadron commander was in the shop, and no doubt heard me scream. I get the chorus of, 'are you ok?' from almost everyone, when Kermit walks up and demands to know why I screamed like a girl. My answer? The air filter hit me in the back, and because I AM a girl. His response? 'You need to man up next time.' And he walked away. I resisted the urge to say something about growing bigger balls next time, which is probably a good thing. Anyways, I thought the whole thing was a bit funny, and I thought I'd share.

Sex. You know, there are times when it strikes me as hilarious, some of the things that folks find erotic. Take for instance Pelly, named changed of course, a guy I went to high school with. Pelly had a foot fetish. Pelly would follow girls around school because he thought they had cute feet. God forbid a girl wear sandals!!!!! Pelly was in hog heaven then. The really amusing part is that Pelly wasn't your normal looking, run of the mill weirdo. Nope, downright all-American looking guy. Blonde hair, blue eyes, ended up in the Marines(ok, can't help the choice of branch, I am baised, I'm Air Force, ok?).
I was reading a story about a girl that gets turned on by getting a tattoo. And I got to thinking about it, since I have gone under the tattoo gun 6 times. Ok, once the sting of the gun is gone, and that rush of adrenaline kicks in(those who have been tattooed will know what I mean), I can see where the turn on comes in to play. But not while I'm being inked. Now, on a bit of a side note, I will have to tell you that Blonde and I went and got tats one night, and the guy that did hers was carressing her foot, and grinning at her, as he is tattooing her leg. She was grossed out, and I was almost rolling in the floor from laughter. I thought it was hysterical. Anyhow, I digress. My exhusband, Psycho, absolutely LOVED it when I did this impression of Allison Hanagan(spelling is probably shot, sorry) from American Pie, "WHat's my name, bitch?!!?!" "Louder!".....looking back, I have no clue how I did it without cracking up. Hell, I probably did laugh like a loon about it. But it did it for him. While these things crack me up as funny or a bit outlandish, I look at myself, and think I must be a freak. My weird erotic bit? Pain. Yes, I am a masochist. Or so the term is defined, I think. Maybe I spelled it wrong. I dig pain, at any rate. I'm weird, I know. One of the guys I worked with in Iraq pulled my hair, trying to get my attention, and well, I guess I growled at him.....he was a bit surprised. Well, after 4 months of sex with your hand, you're bound to react when stimulus comes from somewhere else, right?!?!!? Yea......well, that narrowed it down for the guys I worked with, about my um, tendencies.....I like to be bitten. Hard. Like Dracula-style. yea..........ok, I need to change subjects.....

My weird illness. This has been happening to me here lately, and I can't come up with a reasonable answer for why it's happening. I have been getting car-sick, while riding shotgun in my new car, with Ziggy driving. Now, it's not Ziggy's driving, cause Ziggy doesn't drive like a maniac. Am I pregnant? Highly unlikely, I am on birth control. Could I have eaten something to make me sick? Possibly, but not likely, as I am car sick without having eaten before I got in the car. Am I mysteriously allergic to riding shotgun in my car? This is my best guess, although a very far-fetched one. I can't sit up straight, can't watch anything go by, can't turn around to talk to MinZiggy in his car seat, nothing. Except hunch over on the door, hold on, close my eyes and try not to hurl through the 30 mile drive either to or from work. I ahev got to figure out what is doing this to me.....

R.I.P Sylvester the kitty

This was Sylvester the Kitty. Ziggy found him in the back yard last Sunday, a little stray that we took in and tried to help out. He got sick and I took him to the pet ER, and they kept him all night in an incubator, and tried to get him to eat, but poor little guy just wasn't meant for this world, I suppose. He passed away this morning around 6. Scout and Ziggy are upset, MiniZiggy hasn't noticed, and I am sad, but I tried to help him, and did the best I could. So Ziggy and Scout are out in the back yard, burying Sylvester.

My first week back to work, and a mind dump

Oh my God. Or Goddess. Oh whichever diety happens to be on duty right now. My week has been absolutely full on hectic. I have not updated this for a bit, and I feel guilty for leaving my readers with nothing to read. Oh I have so much to tell you guys!!!!!!

Yes, this is my first week back at work, and let me tell you, every day, there are more and more reasons why I should really be a stay home mom. Not saying that a stay home mom has life any easier than the employed counterpart, just that she has a better handle on her household than I do on my own!! So much to get done at home, and not nearly enough time to do it all in. For instance, my all time nemesis - laundry. It's not that I don't like to do laundry. It's that I hate folding and putting away. Ziggy shares my loathing of this particular chore. So we have lots of baskets of clean, unfolded laundry in our house. Also, this past weekend, I started the task of painting Scout's room. I got one coat one the walls. And we are talking royal blue, not something pale. Scout is well known for his color choices.....and this one is nothing to sniff at - Lowe's Star Gazer blue..........yeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh. Think smurfs. And then see that smeared all over 4 walls. Got it? Yes, my child is a nut for having picked this color. But hey, I let him have it, cause my parents wouldn't let me paint my room my favorite color - black. Karma is a funny thing. Oh, and don't get me started on the backyard fence. Ok, get me started....anyways, Ziggy came up with this wonderful idea(and it really is a good idea, well, once it's done) to put up a privacy fence along our back yard. This is a good idea, since there is a portion of the back fence that is low enough for Pudge and Sagres(the dogs) to jump. Rather easily. Well, it's being done in stages. And I am really thinking that the whole 'stages' part needs to speed up. But, being as no one who has promised to help with the project has bothered to show their faces, it's going rather slowly. To the point that Ziggy is going to take Friday off and finish the fence portion that he is currently working on. That, and upon my arrival home from work today, BOTH dogs were in front of the house, rather than in the back yard where they were hooked up to tie-outs this morning. I have GOT to clean my house. I mean a good, deep down cleaning. Spring cleaning but in the fall/winter. I have been wanting to hire one of those maid services, to atleast vaccuum and dust, and maybe clean my kitchen for me, but want to clean it all out really well myself first. No need in scaring people off the instant they step in the house, you know? While Ziggy is deployed, I may get a maid service to do those little things for me. It would help tremendously.......

Now to the drama that is Auschwitz. Auschwitz has changed a bit, but nothing dramatically, since I was in Iraq. Put it like this, small things here and there have changed, but it's fundamentally the same as it was before I left. Meaning that it's still a concentration camp. To the point that everyone that is up for re-enlistment is trying to cross train out of the career field, not because they don't like the job itself, per se, but because of the circumstances we all work in. You'd think that this would wake someone up and hand them a clue, but no such luck. Anyways, I got cussed at by Cadillac. Not for anything I was/wasn't doing, either. Because he can't take it when someone else starts picking on him. Apparently he got picked on by another coworker, then someone else got picked on too, and it all nearly came to blows, apparently. I guess Kermit got wind of it, somehow, and he sent me outside to work so Cadillac wouldn't take it out on me again. Awfully considerate, I thought. I just didn't appreciate getting cussed at because he wasn't in a good mood. Hell, in women that's called being menstral. And we can take meds for that. But anyways........Come to find out, Cadillac is deploying with Ziggy. And Lord help, cause Cadillac found out that they can drink wherever it is that they are going. I have heard some stories about Cadillac when he is drunk (a big hole in a Korean's roof was part of it, along with a bottle rocket), so I can only imagine what mayhem we may hear about while that bunch is deployed.

Would you believe that TheGreek has offered to take Kat and I out again? He sent me and email today about it. I was surprised, since TheGreek doesn't like big crowds, clubs, etc. We'll see what happens. Might be fun, but there is NO way I am getting that drunk again......

Oh, pregnancy is catching, I guess. NO, I DON'T MEAN ME, YOU CRAZY PEOPLE!!!!!! I have so many people around me that are either heavily pregnant, or just finding out that they are pregnant. Good thing I have a patch. I think I'd shoot Ziggy for knocking me up at this point in time.

Halloween......hehehehehe.....MiniZiggy walked a whole block for trick-or-treating. After having been up early, etc. I was impressed. He wore a skeleton shirt that glowed in the dark. Hey, I'm a mom, not a miracle worker......that and I didn't really think he'd put up with a whole lot of a costume. He hates hats, so anything on his head was out of the question. But he was cute, he even carried his little pumpkin bucket and went to the doors with Scout. But on a side note, let me say that if your house light is on, that generally means that you have candy. So don't get pissed whn my kids come to your door for candy!! And my neighborhood is massively cheap on the whole candy gig. I was so unimpressed.

Alright, well, I guess that about covers it for now. More to come, I am positive.....

Yeeaahhh

You know how you try to be nice to folks, despite how you really feel about them? Trying to be the bigger person and all, putting aside personal differences and move on? So what happens when all that goes to hell in a handbag? When being the bigger person goes to shit, almost by default, as though the other party involved has decided to stop being civil? And then turns everything back on you, trying to make you look and/or feel bad.

Why do I ask? Well, let's just say that personal experiences bring this question to mind. Things that happened while I was deployed, things at home, and I am just trying to make sense of it all. Why is it all of a sudden fair for the other party to drop all civility and act like a child? And I mean full-grown people, not adolescents. I will never understand people, I guess. Or I will never know the rules that everyone else seems to operate under, and I have been somehow left out in the dark as to how to conduct myself and proceed. I have always been this way, one step behind the power curve, always trying to keep up. Eleanor Roosevelt once said that 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." and I believe that I am going to have to disagree with her. In this day and age, that's what it's all about, make the other guy look worse than you do, so you get ahead. So much for an advanced society, huh?

Have a good day, readers....

Shout out

Here's a shout out to Lady Gonzalez......I know she reads my blog, and I wanted to talk to her about Bella's birthday present. Drop me an email at afeskimo@yahoo.com......

I'll update in a bit

I must apologize, dear readers

I don't have any pictures of Saturday night for you. I apologize. But I do have stories.......

Kat got to the house, and TheGreek showed up a few minutes later, and we were off. TheGreek was our DD. TheGreek ended up taking us to the oceanfront at Virginia Beach, since everywhere else we tried to go to was either packed to the gills or the cover was $10 a person. I'm sorry, I'm NOT paying $10 to get in and then paying more to drink. I'm crazy, not stupid.

The first place we went to had free cover for women, and the guys paid $5. The place hadn't livened up yet, it was only 11:30 or so. Kat and I get drinks and we head to the dance floor. We dance (to music that we have never heard of, I might add) a couple, and then this kid (and I mean KID......this guy might have been 18 to get in, but no way was he old enough to drink) decides he's going to dance with me.....ok, so I dance with him. And I couldn't help but laugh over how young this kid was.....it was just so funny. Well, I have to go to the bathroom, and when I come back, Kat is telling me that she had this Mexican looking guy all over her, and she finally got rid of him. We get more drinks and start dancing again. Well, the Mexican guy came back, and decides to dance with yours truly. Yeeeaaaahhhh. I don't think I got a clear look at this guys' face. Anyways, we are dancing, and more guys keep showing up to dance with us. And we were having a hard time shaking all of them. So, Kat goes into lesbian mode, and most of them disappear. And so do Kat and I. We find TheGreek, and we leave and go to a place called Peabody's. I have to give props to TheGreek, he hates this place, but was nice enough to take us there anyways. Now, at this point, TheGreek has a system of when to come get Kat and I. If he sees us laughing, he kinda backs off watching us for a bit. But the minute we start looking bored, he comes onto the dancefloor to get us. Well, Kat and I down a couple drinks, and off to the dancefloor we go. We start dancing, and very shortly we get male partners(cause we'd been dancing with each other mostly), and poor Kat, the guy dancing with her had absolutely no rhythm. I mean NONE....he couldn't even get a beat to sway to. Well, knowing that TheGreek is watching from somewhere, my left hand goes up in the air, to give him reference to where we are, anticipating him coming to get us. Right as he comes to get us, Kat grabs me and drags me off the dancefloor for a potty break. After the potty break, Kat and I get drinks and are talking to TheGreek. When Kat gets a dancing partner. Well, TheGreek grabs me, and we kinda bob back and forth there, looking like we are dancing with each other. Guy dancing with Kat asks Kat to give him her number. Kat responds that I'm her girlfriend, and that TheGreek is my husband, and she's going home with us. Guy looks at TheGreek, who decides to play along, and tells the guy that he doesn't mind his wife having a girlfriend, but gets mad about boyfriends. The look that crossed this guys' face was priceless. Last call was called, and we start to leave. Kat and I on either side of TheGreek. We manage to get to the car, which is a MINI Cooper S. TheGreek puts Kat in the car (as in lifts her into it, it was so funny), and then puts me in the car. We start home. We stop at a restaurant and go to the bathroom. We head home again, and this time, I am about asleep with my head on TheGreek's right knee. Here's the funny - his car is a stick, and I have my head in his lap while he's trying to drive. It was funny. I think I dozed off a bit actually.
We get to the house, and I crawled up my stairs, into the bedroom, and flopped on the bed next to Ziggy. Ziggy pops out of the bed, wondering what's going on. Well, I crawl to the bathroom, cause I feel like I'm gonna be sick. Apparently I was drunk enough that I didn't feel myself hurl, which is a good thing for me. I tell Ziggy that I'm going to sleep there on the bathroom floor, and he says no. So I got back to the bed, and pass out on his side. This is somewhere around 3:30 in the morning. I wake up at 9, still feeling drunk, and throw up some more. I go back to bed and wake up around 12:45, and tell Ziggy that I'm going to try a shower. Yea, vertical was NOT my friend, and I start throwing up again. I get into the bathtub, and take a bath, and go back to bed at about 2:00PM. I got up, ate a bit, started feeling better, etc.

I had fun with Kat, but honestly, I think my drunken an blitzed days are over. I am too old for all that....

New car pic

Here's a picture of my new car......I'll update tomorrow(or when I am reasonably sober) with pictures from tonight with Kat.

The only reason I love condoms (cause otherwise, I hate them)

I don't have gravity leakage later.

Gotta love quickies.

Travel time again

Ziggy found out yesterday that he is deploying, with a report date of 6 January. To a place with the ending of -stan, and it's not Afganistan. I can't spell it correctly, it's something like Kyrgystan....

A proper update, with pics

Ok.....now that I don't have Scout, MiniZiggy and Ziggy tugging at me, I can actually properly update my blog, complete with pictures!!

To the right is my dear husband, Ziggy. For those who pay attention, see, I told you there's night and day difference between Ziggy and Other. Anyways....so this is Ziggy, ain't he a cutie?? I don't think I have ever told the story of how I met Ziggy, ended up dating him(involves the word 'smitten' - yes, I think I'll have to tell this story) and how I married him. This is actually a decent picture of him, it was taken last week. He's so funny, too. It's part of why I call him SSgt Sillyman.

Ok, this is MiniZiggy and myself. Yes, for once there's a decent picture of me, so now you know what I look like. Not bad for 28, I think.

Ziggy and MiniZiggy. And then you'll see why MiniZiggy is called by that name.

See what I mean?

Alright, now that the pictures are done, I can type at leisure. I have been playing up the role of stay home Mommy. And I am really enjoying it. Ziggy laments that he doesn't make enough money that I could stay home all the time, but I don't really think that it's an entirely bad thing. I am one of those people who can't be idle. It kills me to have nothing to do. So eBay was invented, right? Well, that's my theory, but hey.....I've been wrong before. Anyways, I have been Mommy, taking Scout to school, running errands, loafing around the house, all that fun stuff.

I got an email from Scout's godfather the other day, another friend that I have known since I was about 14. See, to keep friends for that long is NOT something that happens alot to me, so I hang on to the few I have like that. Ok, I need a name for him.......JayJay. It's what I call him anyways. Anyways, JayJay and his wife are having issues, I guess. He emails me to vent. Which is fine, I have done the same with him for years. It's always like talking to JayJay face to face, which is something I have always loved about him. That and he's a musician at the core. He tries to fight the fact he writes and plays music, because he tends to destroy what he creates with his own criticism, but he is a musician, and I have always loved his music.

Alright, I think that's enough for now. I'll post new pics of my new car a bit later, I have to get Scout up and out of the house for school.

Bye Bye Beamer

Well, I did it. I parted with my BMW. I traded it for a 2006 VW Jetta 2.5. I'll have to post pics....

Plans and pics

That's plans, not planes.....

Kat and I are planning a night out, God help us. Or should I say God help anyone who crosses our paths? Kat and I are hilarious when we are drunk. And we are planning to get good and stupid...Paul is on his way home to the real world, and I am going to go and purchase our bottle of Tarantula (sorry if I buggered the spelling) Tequila today and put it on ice, so it is nice and cold when he is ready for it. Hehehehe.....ought to be a good time.

Well, as is obvious by this point, I am back in the States. And I have a few pics from my last night in Balad to share, courtesy of Other and Beefcake. Atleast that's what I have named him, Beefcake. He's a bit crazy, lots of bark it seems, but a good guy in general...

To the left is myself and Beefcake. Ain't he a cutie........Beefcake is a gaming nut. I mean bordering on obsessive. The man has something like 4 computers, from what Other tells me, and has one for gaming, one for downloading, one for watching porn, and I think the last one is for tunes. And he keeps them running AT THE SAME TIME. See what I mean by obsessive?!?!?!!?

Since blogger hasn't taught me how to put pics in a certain order yet(I know, I am behind the power curve on the pics-in-blog thing, give me a break, I am trying) the top two pictures are of myself and Other. Beefcake took the one on the right without our knowledge. We were just standing there chatting, and he took the picture. Other says it's one of his favorites.

So I was supposed to be at Customs at 0330 to process and get on the ol bird out of Balad, right? Hehehe, how come 7 hours later, I was still there??? Ah, the *joys* of military flights! We flew out of Balad, and that had to be the absolutely WORST flight I have ever, ever, ever been on. And I am not saying that because I don't like flying. Ever heard of combat landings? Well, I swear we had a combat takeoff. Oh, forgot to mention the controlled detonations that were going off as we were pulling up to the plane to board.....good stuff, I am so glad to be out of Iraq.

So we hit Al Udied and try to get on the next rotator out of there headed towards the States. Soonest thing they had was leaving that night and we had to hope like hell that there was space available. So, as the time to sign up for space A approaches, there's this gang of about 20 Air Force personnell slowing ganging up on the sign up desk. Poor little one-striper was getting nervous, you could tell. He starts rattling off all these Navy names, and no one is answering......so we just handed him the whole stack of ID cards and orders and told him to start hooking us up in their places. It was kinda funny. So, we got out of there, and went to Ramstein, sat there for a couple hours, and then it was off to Baltimore. We hit Baltimore, and E, Gonzo, M and I are all sitting at a pub(B terminal, for those who know the area), and our money was no good. Everyone bought us rounds at the bar, so of course, we can't refuse good drinks, we drank til we were happy drunk and headed to the plane....It was so funny....

Speaking of pictures, I have to put one of Ziggy on here........good pic, have to get it off the laptop.

Alright guys, well, I think that's enough for a bit.......talk to you guys soon!!!!!

I'm back

Yep, I made it back to civilization a couple days ago. You know, I had always heard about the whole 'culture shock' thing from being deployed, but hadn't really believed it......until now. I have never felt more like a fish out of water in my entire life. Almost like I am a visitor in my own house. When you inprocess back into your home station after a deployment, they tell you to ease yourself back into the home routine. Yea...not sure that's working. But granted, it's only been 2 days. You know, Other told me that I wouldn't miss being at Balad, or being deployed, and I am going to have to differ with him on that one. Atleast when I was deployed, I knew what the routine was, what my function was. And now I don't. SO yes, I miss being deployed a bit, cause I'm feeling a bit of an identity crisis happening here.

More to come

Hurry up and wait

Well, they had us outprocess and pack up and draw our weapons to leave......

And then the flight got bumped until 24 hours later. Yippeee. So I have to sleep in a tent and live out of a suitcase that I didn't pack very well in the first place. Joy.

I love fall

I do, I love the season of Fall. I love the cool breezes, the pretty leaves, and most of all, I love college football season. Good stuff......making pies, canning fruits and veggies, making hearty soups......yup, I love Fall....

Getting closer

So I leave in 4 days. How I wish I could make that sooner. Machine, sorry dear, but not coming through Germany as of this time. I spend a week in 'Club Med', Al Udied, and then I fly to Baltimore. And I don't find out when I hit Virginia until I get to Al Udied.

MiniZiggy's birthday is tomorrow, and I hate that I'm missing it. But I will be home soon.....I hope the time flies! My oldest brother is getting married today, for the third time.

I'm so ready to go home. To cook in my own kitchen, all that fun stuff......hehehe, I said Stuff...you'll love that one, Ziggy!!!!

Almost out of here

Well, It is less than a week before I leave, or atleast before I am supposed to leave. It seems rather surreal, honestly. My mind still is sitting on Sunday, while it is almost Thursday. I'm not sure that I will believe it until I am on the plane and flying away from this place.

I can't wait to watch real commercials. To feed the baby, weed my roses, do laundry, take a shower in a single bathroom, sleep with Ziggy in our bed....go shopping, hang out with friends, eat real food!!!!!!

We have been given tomorrow night off, and I will be beginning packing. I can't wait.....oh can I get out of here already!?!?!?!

And I am hoping that I go through Ramstein Germany, and that way I can meet Machine and have a few drinks with him.....

'Airflow problem' and old home week

The title is the supposed reason why we can't get out of here in a reasonable about of time. We were told that we could be delayed at Al Udied for a week or 2 after we arrive. Isn't that just ducky? I am waiting to go to my medical outprocessing appointment as I type this. So, it's an 'airflow problem'......am I sure that they aren't blowing hot air up my ass? No.....

The only positive side I can see out of getting back later in October is that it will just be that much longer that I have off before I go back to working in Auschwitz. Hey, they've done without me for this long, they can do without me for a bit longer.

Ziggy is making so many plans for when I get home. We are going to spend some time in Williamsburg, and I get to go shopping for clothes for MiniZiggy(one of my favorite things to do, shop for the kids). Ziggy has decided that he wants to take me out atleast once a month, to somewhere that I have to dress up for. So this ought to be fun, as I like that type of thing ocassionally. Break my heart and give me a reason to wear my pretty jewellry.

Along with the replacements that have been trickling in came a couple guys I was stationed at Elmendorf with, and I spent the majority of my shift catching up on everyone in Alaska. It was great.....so it's old home week.

We are functioning in a 'technical advisory' status now, rather than being the full time team. We train/advise/watch while our replacements do the work. Which makes for a rather long shift.....so we all sat around rather bored last night.

Alright, I think that's all for now......

Ego boost

Sunday morning I ran my first 5K run. Well, it was actually 5.4K, or 3.8 miles.....

Anyways, I finished it, which was my goal. I came in pretty much dead last, and I'm not upset by that. My time was 43:10. I didn't get lapped, I didn't puke, didn't walk. Paul ran with me, and kept my mind off the fact I was running. With the exception of the first mile or so, I felt really good. That first mile really hurt. I had a cramp in my right calf(even after stretching!), and it didn't want to extend back out. But I made it, it went away, and I have a feeling that it will come back to haunt me tomorrow, after I've had some sleep and all that. I told Paul that it was funny, I had to come all the way to Iraq to do a 5K run, and he told me to find a place back in the States next time. It was funny. We kept each other laughing through the whole thing. Gave my ego a boost to know that I could finish a 5K run...

Radar is back, by the way. He got back about a week ago. It's good to see him again, he was missed.

We have replacements arriving, which means we get to train them on the job. Yea....I hate training people. Teaching has never been something I was good at. I'm just not very patient.

So my day was a fairly decent one, I even went to a luncheon with a 4 star General and a few other higher ups. For that, I was given the night off, being as we were only working half a shift anyways. But hey, I'll take the time off and not complain a bit. I didn't think I was going to get another day off, so I am grateful for what I was given.

No more time off

We got some replacements in, and in the infinite wisdom of those with more stripes than our shift boss, all but 6 hours of our days off have now been taken from us. In the name of 'training the next rotation'.....'They need hands on training'. Yea, they are going to get it, too......all 4 months of their rotation is going to be hands on, as in the job is ALL hands on!!!! Yea...talk about a real morale booster....

Can't seem to do much right today

I fell asleep at midnightish last night, and missed the breakfast I was supposed to have with Other and those guys. And I missed getting to see Ziggy on webcam. So I call him. And I get this massive guilt trip over not contacting him all day yesterday, and Kay's mom dying and him dealing with her over that. So I go to get on the webcam, and can only be on there for like 20 minutes, since they were switching generators. So I catch a ride back over to the AF side with some guys I work with, and Ziggy's already logged off the computer, after I told him I'd be here. Yea, so I'm feeling like it's fucking useless at this point to try to talk to him. All I'm getting is a guilt trip, and I quite honestly, I have enough to deal with at this point. So fuck it, I'll talk to him later......maybe days later, as I don't feel like getting guilt tripped and all that. As though I don't have enough on my plate with rumors about me and Other over here. For crying out loud, I can't seem to get away from the image of cheating spouses, I guess. It's not my day, I am tired, the power is off in my dorm, so I have no A/C, and I am crabby. I think this is all catching up with me, and I am just too tired to deal with it.

K's mom and I'm still here

K's mom died, after a battle with cancer. May she rest in peace, and her faily heal from the loss.....


I'm still here, no A/C in the dorm, or power, and I have 10 days left.

I'm going to try an put a picture in here

Alright, if this picture has actually loaded, there is an image of 3 guys on my blog. The one on the left is Other, for those interested. I will try to post more on here, like me, Ziggy, the kids........if this one worked.....

12 Days left and Groundhog Day

Alright, you know the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day? Ok, well, I am pretty much living it. I get up every day, put on the same(looks the same, atleast) clothes, eat at the same place, and do the same thing at work.......and I have done this for the past three and a half months. And now that I am roughly 2 weeks away from going back to civilization, I am living Groundhog Day. It seems as though time will not pass for me, I am getting no closer to going home than I was 2 months ago. I mark the days off on a calendar, my days off come and go, the week passes, but I feel nothing that makes it real to me. Almost like a haze. A foggy daydream.......

I have 12 days left.

Some things never die......

I must say that Other and I have been getting along wonderfully, and it is such a relief. we have talked over the past and sorted it all out, and things are so much better between us.

Some things never die, I guess. No matter how much you try to kill it, make it gone, some things just don't go away. Other and I tried to kill everything that we felt for each other, make it so that the other one no longer existed to us. And it hasn't worked. So I guess some things never die, and I am thinking that my connection with Other is one of them.

Mustang visions

So Ziggy found me a Mustang on Ebay. A 66 Mustang that I want. In a bad way, as a project car. I see this car being black. Deep dark glossy black........chromed, with black interior......fast as hell, and even louder. I mean panty dropping loud....yea.....

Mind dump - whatever I'm thinking

I am so tired. Fucking newbies........kept me up all damned day yesterday, so I got very little sleep...

I am thinking of buying a project car. Torn between a Dodge Dart and a Ford Mustang........

I hate the fact that people automatically assume that I am cheating on Ziggy because I hang out with Other. Fucking pisses me off. Get a hobby for crying out loud, busybodies. First off, I'm not cheating my Ziggy, and second off, it's not any of your damned business if I was......find something else to do rather than watch everything I do. Fuckers.

I have 18 months left on my enlistment and I can't wait to get out. Then I won't have to put up with the above-mentioned bullshit.

Why would I keep a journal about my time over here. This was asked of me tonight. Why? Because, if the person who asked had bothered to read my blog, he would have seen that my blog is where I let most everything out. My therapy, if you will. And not just over here. That pisses me off, too. People who don't bother finding out on their own what is going on, then start assuming or attacking(or both) someone for whatever they are doing. Yea.....I held my tongue. I am getting better at this, and it's a good thing, as I could get in serious trouble for some of the things I would start saying.

Apparently I am eclectic. Atleast according to my boss. Now, how much of my blog he has read is a mystery, but eclectic was the term he used to describe me. So I asked him if he was basically saying that I'm weird, and he said no. Then he explained the whole thing to me, and it made plenty of sense then, but unfortunately I am too tired to recall exactly how he said it(I'd butcher it if I tried) to repeat it.

For anyone who's interested, Other was the catalyst for my getting a blog in the first place. He had been telling me repeatedly that I needed to have a mind dump occassionally, since my mind runs so fast and has a tendency to keep me from sleeping because it hasn't shut down. So I got my blog.

Yea, that's all for now..

Post removed

Many apologies for the offense caused by the post of a couple days ago, regarding a coworker. My intentions were not malicious, nor was I trying to poke fun at anyone.

Leaving on a jet plane, Other, MiniZiggy and 22 days left

Well, my last 2 roomies left today, headed back to the States. I cried. I am so emotional since I've been here. Anyways, they woke me up and told me that their flight got bumped up a day, and were packing to leave. I got hugs, and I cried(I already mentioned that), and they promised to email when they get to Al Udied and home, since I am Mom(that's what they all called me) and I worry. I am really going to miss those girls, they were great. And now it is so lonely and quiet in my room.....

Other finally made it here, and it has been pleasant hanging out and not fighting. He would agree with me on this. And as happy as he is to see me, he is dreading my having to leave here. We are getting along so well that leaving is going to just suck. But, on the other hand, we're military, and leaving is apart of our lives...it's what we do. Doesn't make it easier, it's just the lifestyle we live. Just to add a bit on the whole topic of Other, I must say that it is nice to finally get along. We spent so long fighting with each other, enough for a couple of lifetimes(his words, not mine, but I agree) and it is so nice not to do that.....I am very pleased that we have gotten past all that.

MiniZiggy........my sweet little baby boy started WALKING the other day. Ziggy was telling me that Scout was sitting on the floor with MiniZiggy and had told MiniZiggy to go to Daddy, and he turned around and took 5 steps right to Daddy. I figure he'll be running by the time I get home. It was so funny, Scout told Ziggy that he wasn't 'telling Mama that he walked, she loves me, I'm her baby!!!' They were talking about who was going to get into more trouble by letting MiniZiggy walk before I got home. It was so funny!

So, 22 days left. Yea.....Other, you can stop reading at this point. Other reads my blog(just found that one out recently) and since I know he doesn't like to hear anything about my leaving Balad, he needs to stop reading now! 22 days. It seems so short, and at the same time, so far away. The weather has cooled a bit, of which I am grateful. There don't seem to be clear seasons here, and I am not willing to stay here any longer than I have to in order to find out about them. The song ' Leaving On a Jet Plane" is going through my head......and in short order, it will be me leaving.

Alright, I think that's enough update for right now......more to follow, of course...

I SOOOOOO need to get laid

I wanna be bitten, in the one spot on my neck that instantly turns me on. I want to get railed, hard and fast for hours.....I want to ride until he begs. Break the headboard, wear out the mattress, throw all the pillows on the floor, I want it all.......it's like a hunger, and only the real deal will fix the hunger. No hands, no toys, gotta have striaght up sex......hours, days of it........till the craving is gone.....which will be a while..........so I dare you to bite me.......go ahead and try......all hell may break loose if you do........I have been too long without sex..........

I so need to get laid........

It's my birthday and I got a boo boo

I am officially 28 years old today.......and it's payday........'nuff said on that subject.

29 DAYS LEFT, OH HELLS YES!!!!!!!!!!

Other is stuck at Misawa AB, Japan, the plane broke down.

I was working tonight and was using a cutting wheel, attached to an air tool. Runs at a high rate of speed. And I cut my left index finger at the knuckle. Nicked the capsule that contains the joint, and had to have 3 stitches....I am a walking accident here lately.

Oh, and I lost my Leatherman. And I feel lost without my Leatherman. The really bad part about this is that Ziggy gave me that Leatherman for my 26th birthday.....

Ugh........lots to say today

Ok, I have a new roomie. And Lord help us all, she's a cop. And she sleeps on the top bunk( until the girl on bottom leaves, another week, I think), right in front of the A/C. Oh, wait for it, it gets better....she runs the thermostat up to 30(that's like 80 degrees to us fahrenheit users) because she gets cold. Ok.......seeing my problems with this individual already??? There are 6 people in one room, it's over 100 degrees outside, and you want to keep the temp in the room at 80!?!?!?! Might as well open a freaking window!!!! So either she needs to flip around in the bed, or change beds. Something will have to give in that situation.

CrazyGirl brought up some things that I feel I must add my 2 cents worth on. The marriage/last name bit........and how it relates to the kids. Ok, first of, honey, if you don't want to get remarried, then don't. And nowhere does it state that a woman MUST take her husband's last name in marriage. Unless someone can show you that in writing, then it's pretty much bullshit. I know plenty of people who are married and didn't take the last name.....Oh, and a word on the last name of potential children......my oldest, Scout, has his father's last name, and I was never married to him. So yes, it is possible to do that, just a matter of the father signing the birth certificate and some other piece of paper saying that he accepts paternity of the child, blah blah blah........so yes, it can be done and it doesn't have to violate your sensibilities at all........by the way, love the hair color!!!! You look so cute in those pics!

Radar left on R&R yesterday. So I have 2 weeks without him to chat with. But he has promised to email, if his wife lets him up for air.....

Other gets here Thursday/Friday-ish........


My birthday is Thursday.....I will be 28 years old. I had someone tell me that I look great for my age(am I really that old???) and great for the fact I have 2 kids.......

Alright guys, well, I have to go.......have a good one

33 days left!!!!!!!

That's how many, thereabouts, days I have left before I get out of Iraq. Now let me explain something. I will be probably going back to Al Udied AB, and while the time frame isn't what I'd like, the place certainly has it's charms. The biggest of which being NOT GETTING MORTARED!!!!!! I'm telling you right now, I am going to be jumpy like crazy for a while after I leave this hole, from being through so many mortar attacks. Any ways, back to going to Al Udied........in the Air Force, it's called 'doing the Deid', being there, that is. If Prince Sultan AB was Club Med in the desert(it's closed now, for those who don't know), Al Udied is it's replacement. As in Dairy Queen is exactly 11 steps from the edge of the pool to the counter. There's a TGIFriday's downtown. They have Baskin Robins. You can plug your MP3 player in at the computer and download music from the database on the PC.......yea, Al Udied is paradise compared to Balad. And other than the getting shot at, Balad's nice. I can hardly wait.

The kids are being spoiled rotten, as my MIL and SIL are at the house. From what I understand, the SIL has hardly put MiniZiggy down(which may not be a bad thing in terms of not having the child walk before I get home). Oh, and while I'm on the subject of MiniZiggy, apparently he no longer likes baby food. He wants table food, and has a love for cheese and tomatoes. He also loves to feed the dogs his cheerios when he's done with them. I am sure this is just cute to watch, and I am sure that my dogs are getting fat off of the baby feeding them.

Speaking of the dogs.........Pudge's latest escapade. I don't know how she did it, and neither does Ziggy, but somehow she cut the pad on one of her paws. Enough that she was bleeding on my kitchen floor. So what does Ziggy do? This will crack you up.........he puts diaper cream(have baby, have diaper cream) on my dog's foot, and then put a sock over it. Now the sock I understand, but the diaper cream really had me rolling in laughter. I never would have thought of using diaper cream for that.

One of the civilians I work with has decided to treat me to a free movie for my birthday(which is Thursday, the first, for those that care). Oh, by the way, all the movies here are free anyways....so I'm going to the movies tonight with Tackle Box. I believe I've mentioned him before. Anyways, no clue what's playing, but who cares, it's for my birthday, and since I can't have booze, I'll take a free movie.....

Alright guys, that's enough for now. I'll update more later.......have a good one

My vent....I guess...and an epiphany

You know, I really hate it when people try to mess with your mind about serious shit. Has a tendency to make me mad.....boiling, fighting mad, actually. I will, of course, explain.

I have this acquaintance over here, we'll call Radar. Now, Radar and I were chatting tonight, and we were talking about our past relationships, hurt from them, etc, and we ran into the topic of Ziggy and Other. I explained the whole schpeel about Other, and upon the end of the explanation, I start getting this barrage of questions about why I'm not with Other, and why do my answers all sound rehearsed or that I'm trying to convince myself that I'm happy without Other as my mate.....the whole 9 yards. Almost as though Radar is trying to undermine my happiness with Ziggy. This angers me. Greatly. It has always bothered me when people question why or why not I do things in my life. As though they are trying to make me change my mind by creating doubt. And let me tell you something, the Air Force is really good at the mind games, so I really ought to be uised to it, right? Ok, well maybe not because it's a bit different. Anywho......

I was talking to Ziggy about this, and I told him what I think is the whole reason that Radar's line of questioning. See, I have been trying to distance myself from the image of having been a cheating wife. I was one when I was married to Psycho, I admit. But I have a theory about it. I firmly believe, based on my own experience, that people who cheat aren't happy with what they have already. Because if they were, if they were fulfilled in their current relationship, whether it's marriage or not, they wouldn't be out on the prowl for the next conquest. Just my opinion and belief. Anyways, I digress. And there are plenty of folks over here that are suffering from a serious lack of sex. And so you have people who will try just about anything to get laid. Instant gratification, it's a powerful temptation. And plenty of people fall into the trap, and it can cause lots of problems later. So Ziggy and I have come to the conclusion that Radar is more or less trying to get into my pants. Which is not going to happen. I love my husband, we have a great relationship, and I am not screwing this up for something that is entirely about getting off.

In all of this conversation with Radar, I came to an epiphany, if you will. We were talking about what we've wanted out of life, what we want for our kids(he has a daughter), all of that, and were chewing over our own childhoods and the manners in which we were raised as opposed to the way we raise our own children. I have always known what it was I always wanted out of life, from when I was a child. As a child, I wanted the knowledge that I was loved, no matter what. Having been given up for adoption at the age of 17 months, and the adoption taking place at the age of 4, I always had the feeling that in some way I hadn't been good enough for my mother, thus I was given up. I wasn't loved. There's WAY more to this, but you get the idea. Anyways, I spent my childhood trying to please my parents, with the misconception that if I pleased them, then they loved me....twisted, I know, but this is me. I just wanted to be loved......it hit me when I was talking to Radar about this, I got what I wanted, I am loved, unconditionally. Granted, the love of your children is a special thing, but that doesn't always fill what holes may be in you from the past. It hit me square in the middle of the forehead that Ziggy loves me unconditionally. He always has, too. My self confidence, all of my self esteem of the past 3 years, can all be run right back to Ziggy......It never hit me before, for some reason. I have had no desire to seek anything from anyone of the opposite sex for the simple fact, I am content and happy with what I have. Ziggy and I have a great relationship, which we work at, and I am fulfilled in that. My husband loves me whether or not I fit into a size 8 jeans or if I wear a size 12. He loves me despite my terrible temper and the mean things I may say to him in that anger. It's a beautiful thing.......and I got what I always wanted.....

My day at *work* -chuckle chuckle

Yea, so I didn't have to be at work until 8. Cool beans. What'd I do today to earn my paycheck?? LOL, I drove 3 different commander's vehicles over to have them washed, where I sat in the A/C, drank Turkish tea(pretty good, actually) and read Cosmo while the Hajis washed the trucks.......then I shredded papers and took them to the burn pit. Took a 3 hour break, 'running errands' as the guy I was working for called it. Came back for a half hour, then got off work. And I don't have to go in until 10 in the morning.......good stuff.....

Ebay, Ziggy, Machine and next week

Ebay...oh how I love Ebay.....it's addicting. I can't help it, there are things on Ebay that call out to me to be bought and sent home where I won't see them for another month or so.......I firmly believe that the reason I have an Ebay addiction right now is because I am deployed and bored. But I am buying useful items....I promise. For instance, how many of us recall the little Tupperware molds for homemade popsicles?? My mother used to put KoolAid in them and freeze them.....well, I bought them off Ebay so I can do the same thing for my kids!!! And what's funny is that I couldn't get a single Tupperware consultant to find them for me! How ridiculous is that?!?! Oh, and I bought MiniZiggy some clothes for the fall off Ebay......kids clothes are great to get second-hand, honestly, simply because they haven't been used that long since kids grow fast....C. Adam, keep this in mind!!! Consignment shops are great for kids clothes, especially little girl stuff!!!!

Ziggy.......my husband is so funny. And he SOOO needs to get laid......poor man. I really need to go home...he's got some ideas that I am just dying to try!!!!

Machine....I have finally seen a picture of Machine......and yes, he looks a bit like Weird Al, without the funky-fro......lol....

Next week I get to work days, in a different area, cause of my foot......fun fun fun.....I'm sure I'll have plenty to post about......

Have fun, guys!!!

Thanks CrazyGirl!!!!!!!

I got the box you sent me today!! Thanks a bunch, girl! I appreciate it!!!

Well, a while back, Machine and I were chatting about deployed personnell having to register their blogs. Apparently this is true, but so far seems limited to the Army personell, or atleast that's the idea that I got from the article I read in the Stars & Stripes. I guess there are troops over here that are writing some up close and personal stuff about their experiences over here, and as per normal, Big Brother doesn't like all their secrets to be given away. It is inevitable that this would happen, what with laptops being pretty well common among the deployed folks......people are going to talk about their experiences over here, just like they've done during any other war, with the exception that it's more electronic now than it ever was in the past. In the past it was letters home, now it's blogs and no doubt, emails.....so the government is worried about the security factor in all this.

Here's my question........what about the locals and the third country nationals that live and work on the bases over here? You can't expect me to believe that they aren't telling their friends and family back home about what they see and hear on the bases. And you can't expect me to believe that some of the insurgents haven't infiltrated these folks and are getting info about the bases. I am not that naive. They get mail, too, I am sure. I have no dount in my mind that they have internet access like the rest of us here (I've seen some of them using it at the rec center here)......so I am pretty sure the opportunity is there......just a point to ponder.

Update on Daddy and MiniZiggy

Well, apparently Daddy is fine. Which is good. I can stop panicking now.......

MiniZiggy, however, has pink-eye. Poor baby....Scout had pink-eye when he was about the same age. Ziggy thinks it won't be very difficult putting eye medicine in a 10 month old's eye......he has another think coming....oh, and MiniZiggy has finally cut his top two teeth.....and I've missed all of it.....

Hobble-along me and Daddy and a weird dream

Ok, let's go with me and the Hobble-along bit first.........About a month ago, I got a pedicure over here. This was a bad idea. My big toe on my right foot got infected, as the people who work in the beauty shop don't sterilize their equipment, despite being trained and told to. But I digress.....So a couple weeks ago, I go to the doc with my toe all icky and they put me on antibiotics, tell me to soak my foot in salt water, etc. Well, it got a bit better, but not completely, so I went back a couple days ago, and they decided to take off part of my toenail. So I am now on a profile, no running or jumping, no combat boot on my right foot. Joy is mine, let me tell you. I wonder what I'm going to end up doing at work, since I can't stand for prolonged periods, and can't wear a boot. More to update on that later. They gave me Tylenol with codeine, and the only good part about that is that it's the closest to being drunk that you can get over here without alcohol. And it did help me to sleep. So I am stylin' in my DCU's with one tan boot and one black sneaker....oh I am a fashion statement, let me tell you....

Now for Daddy. My Daddy to be specific. Daddy is 78 years old, and had a massive heart attack about 8 and a half years ago (Scout was a little over a year old at the time). Well, I get an email from Ziggy saying that I need to call Mama and find out about Daddy. Come to find out, Daddy went in for his yearly check up and they did a stress test on him, as usual. Well they decided to put Daddy in the hospital this morning and do surgery. So, this make me nervous and worried and scared......so think good thoughts for my Daddy, ok?

Weird dream, and I blame the codeine. I dreamed that I was going shopping with my neice for her wedding dress(her wedding is next May), and my husband went along with me. But it wasn't Ziggy. I still had Ziggy's last name, but I wasn't married to Ziggy anymore. Apparently I was widowed, and a friend of ours decided to marry me to take care of the boys. I'll call him The Greek. Ziggy, if he reads this, will know who I'm talking about. What's odd about this is The Greek has had no interest in women and kids for a while now. He's a single guy, that lives with Bear and Blonde. Nice guy, but got burned in the past and doesn't care for relationships. So anyways, this dream was so odd....he went everywhere with me...I guess we'd been married for a while but it was in name only, because he asked if he could kiss me......I'm telling you, the codeine does weird things......

Ok, now I'm curious

Who the hell is Bg??!?!?!?! And what does this individual know about me and Alaska???? Yes, I am most curious now.......

Well, the eye feels a bit better. Still a little scratchy, but not nearly as bad as it was. My laundry bag is definitely gone, I went to the laundromat and no such luck....

Have fun guys

Time off and bad news

Well, let's go with the bad news first. We get into the shop tonight and have a little pow-wow with the Senior Master Sergeant that is over all of us. He springs on us the *good* news.......we are all slated to leave 30 September. As in leaving Balad, not Al Udied. So far the track record for time spent in Al Udied is 2-3 days before going back to the real world. Which puts me back in the States somewhere around the 3rd of October, or thereabouts. This is bad news because MiniZiggy's 1st birthday is the 2nd of October. I may cry for missing it.........
The guys that I work with like this idea of leaving that late, as we'll get an extra month of that tax-free pay. This is of little consequence to me, I will get paid regardless.......I just want to be home with my baby for his birthday.

Alright, the time off. Being the good former healthcare worker that I am, I went back to the doc about an infected toe, as a result of a pedicure I had done over here about a month ago. Well, as it turns out, they have decided to take off part of my toenail on Wednesday morning. Which means that I'll probably be out of work for a day, atleast. This occurs after my second day off. Oh, and I am off tonight as well. I dropped something in my eye at work, did the whole eyewash station thing, and ended up going to the ER. They got it out (and offered to let me keep whatever it was in my eye) and sent me home for the rest of the night. So, I am having a bit of time off....fun fun fun.

Alright, I think that's about all for now........stay safe guys......

6 weeks left

So I have right around 6 weeks left in this hole before I return to the real world. And I can hardly wait to get out of here.

Lost my laundry bag....and I really don't feel like carrying my laundry to the laundromat all by myself without the bag, so laundry may have to wait until Tuesday night to get done. I am so lazy tonight.

May need an eBay fix...very tempting to buy things that just catch my attention and I don't really need. THus the reason for eBay, I think...or atleast eBay anonymous....

Oh, just as an afterthought, I SOOOO need to get laid. I'm suffering over here.

Ok guys I'm tired....going to bed.....

Just for clarification.....

Machine, my dear........I'M NOT ADOPTING YOU!!!!! I'll drink with you, show you my tats, but no adopting you!!!!!!

LOL...

Adoptions and arguments

So Ziggy and I are thinking of adopting a baby. Yes, yes, I know, we can have children, but I'd like to do something for those kids that don't have happy homes, or hell, homes at all. See, I was adopted when I was little, at the age of 4. My way of giving back to those who took me into their homes(I was a foster child prior to my adoption), would be to do the same for someone else. Ziggy and I have so much love for our kids, and we'd love to have another one to love and spoil, too.......so we are researching the in's and out's of adopting.

I have the little daydreams of a little girl to play dolls with and put bows in her hair, and to teach all the things that my mother taught me......

Now for the arguments...well, just one, actually. Ziggy and I had the worst argument of our entire relationship tonight. I mean bad......I have never been that angry with him......

Rascal Flatts

Well, tonight was the Rascal Flatts concert at the movie theater here on Balad. Decent show, they sang the one song that I wanted to hear. Oh, for those who don't know who Rascal Flatts is, they are a country group. I got my pic taken with them, I feel special....got a hug from 2 of them, best action I've had since I got to this sandbox.

But, the highlight of the evening had to be before they ever set foot on the stage. We're all sitting in the audience, and they had a CD playing, right? Well, they played Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue by Toby Keith, and most of the people sitting in that theater were singing along....LOUDLY!!! It was awesome.

Night Off and a bunch of news I haven't posted

So, do we like the new template, or should I go back to the black?? I thought something a bit brighter would be nice.....

Well, I am off tonight, and the only thing I have to do is laundry. That's a welcome change. No homework for a bit is nice. I got email from my professor, and my exam answers still haven't made it to him. This annoys me, honestly.....but he says that until he gets the answers, I have a C........which means I passed, don't have to retake the class, and I don't have to pay back the tuition assistance.......this is such good news!!!!

I really do need to update my list of readable blogs, and add pics. I have plenty of pics I'd love to put on here....

Oh, eBay.....You know, I think I have bought more off of eBay since I've been over here than I have the entire time I have been registered on the site?! It's certainly a nice diversion from the mundane over here. I bought two lovely quilts for Ziggy and I. One will be for our bed, and I think the other will go on the couch.

Pudge....dear Lord, what am I going to do with this dog of mine? She took off again, but came back this time, according to what Ziggy has told me. Ziggy is planning on finishing the new fence he has been working on, and I honestly think that will help keep her from taking off.

Speaking of dogs, my grandmother, Gamaw, as we all call her, had to have her faithful dog, MaxEBear put to sleep. He had had it rough for the past year or so, he'd gotten hit by a car and had to have a hip replaced and had a prosthetic(who knew they did that for dogs?!?!). Then he got sick with pancreatitis, and she had to put him down. Now, I am an animal lover, just like my Gamaw, so the loss of a pet is saddening......but she tells me that she has a new dog coming on Friday, and I am sure that she will be cheered up soon.

Other is coming to Balad. I think I may have already posted this, I am not sure. To his credit, I might add, he has put my absolutely FAVORITE brand of candy in the mail to me. Now, it may arrive all melted and gooey, but I really appreciate the thought.......gotta love See's candy from California!!!

MiniZiggy has two teeth now, and is about to cut his top teeth. He also turned 10 months old yesterday. I am hoping that I will make it home just prior to his 1st birthday. That is something that I really do not want to miss. I really need to post new pics of him in the photo album. He has gotten so big, it is hard to believe it is the same child!!!

Now, for a bit of serious.......there is talk, and it's been in the news, of a pullout of American and coalition forces out of Iraq as soon as next Spring. While I am not holding my breath on this, it certainly gives me pause to consider the course of my enlistment in the Air Force if such a thing were to take place. If, and I say IF in capitals, as nothing is set in stone, obviously....IF this was to come about, and deployments over here were seriously stepped down, I could see myself reenlisting......but like I said, I am not holding my breath.

Machine and I have emailed back and forth a little, and have come to the conclusion that if I am in Germany on the return trip from Iraq, I will let him know and we will meet up and party like rock stars....

Ok, I think that about covers it......be safe guys!!!

Damn blogger

I updated a couple days ago, and it never made it to the update. Pudge was a block away from the house when Ziggy and the kids went looking for her. She was happy to see them, and was very thirsty.

It is hot..........as in the high 90's AT NIGHT, and to make life even MORE interesting..........THERE'S NO GATORADE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF IRAQ!!!!! Um, 2 words come immediately to mind.....that SUCKS!

Here's a news flash.....would you believe that Cadillac, Kermit and the rest of the guys I work with at Langley made me a care package and are going to mail it over here???? I shudder to think what they came up with to send me....this ought to be a good laugh.

Here's a juicy little tidbit.....guess who's coming over here........Other will be in country, here at the same base I'm at, the beginning of September.


Shout out time - - C.Adam-- Thanks for the support man! I hit chair-force the other day, and I don't think anyone noticed I hadn't been there in a while. But hey, I miss the place, so I'll be back.

Machine - Man, gotta say that just from what I've read on your blog, I'd hang out with you in person. You seem like a guy I could have a drink with and not worry about getting hit on.....

Brookie - Hey woman, long time no chat, and the bold type won't turn off......drop me an email!

Well guys, I am halfway through this place, and I am hoping the second half goes as quick as the first. Stay safe, and I'll update again soon, and hope it takes!!!

Return of the Pudge

Well, Ziggy and the kids went looking through the neighborhood for Pudge after they got home, and apparently they found her. She was about a block or so away from the house, and was VERY happy to see them, and was rather thirsty as well.......so she's home safe now. Okay, and for those wondering why you'd name a Malamute 'Pudge', I will dish as to why....when I got her she was 6 weeks old, and just as round as a basketball....fat little puppy, so she got dubbed Pudge. And the fat didn't last long, she's all muscle and very little fat now.


Well, another shift down, and I am now officially halfway through my deployment, and all I can say is that I hope the second half goes as relatively quick as the first half. Some guys I know from Elmendorf will be heading over here in September, and it will be nice to see some old buddies.

We got attacked last night, and apparently it hit somewhere in the housing area I live in, just hope no one got hurt.....possessions can be replaced, people are a little more difficult.

Have a good one, guys, stay safe....

Pudge

Pudge is my Malamute (Husky from Alaska) dog. And apparently, she has run away from home. Ziggy let the dogs out this morning, as he always does before work, and when he went back out to hook them up to their chains, she was gone. He went home at lunchtime and she was still missing. What worries me the most is that it is excessively hot and she has a double coat, so I am concerned if she gets dehydrated or worse, like hit by a car, or beaten by some idiot...

So I am worried about my dog. And I am worried about finals. But on the other hand, things aren't all that bad right now with the kids and Ziggy, so I can't complain....

Hi guys

Ok, let me explain something about the heat over here....Just because it gets hotter outside, DOES NOT mean that your A/C will work any better if you keep turning it down.....this knocks out all the power, and then NO ONE has A/C and we all get really pissy without our A/C, cause then we can't sleep........Sabe?

Gotta love eBay, baby.......bought myself a 3.5 carat manmade diamond(not a CZ, this is a lab created diamond) cause I wanted to see what they looked like in person. Well, it hasn't made it over here yet, but Ziggy says that it's huge and looks just like the real thing!!!

So I am car shopping. Emphasis on SHOPPING. See, I have this whole theory about shopping and buying. Shopping is when you look at something you might want. You check out the color selection, size, price, etc. Buying is is when you take it home with you! So I have been SHOPPING for a new car. Well, not brand-new, per say, but newer than what I have. And I am soooo spoiled on owning a BMW, that that's about all I have been looking at. That or something along the same lines.....

Psychology is almost over!!!! Finals are next week, and I can't wait to be done with this class! I just want to pass so I don't have to pay back the financial aide. Fortunately, the final is only over 3 chapters, so I have a prayer of passing!!!

Speaking of school, I am taking next semster off as there are no classes I can take online from way over here. So, a break will be nice....

My girl CrazyGirl, is going to hook my up with some haircolor, as I am not paying $38 to have it done over here. THanks girl!!! I really appreciate it!!

Alright, well, I am going to go for now, take care guys!!!

New beds and Anthrax, and whatever else I write about

Hi guys....

My dorm is getting new beds......and I have to stay up all day in order to help out. So I will get very little sleep today...we already got our new mattresses, which is all I really wanted as my old one was getting painful.

Anthrax.......well, I guess we are now under an 'emergency' allocation of the anthrax vaccine, and we all have to attend the mandatory briefing to educate us about it. And then we get to choose if we want it or not, and if we refuse, there's no disciplinary action.......

Well, I am about halfways(at the end of July) through this deployment, and it has gone quicker than I had anticipated. I hope the second half does the same. Oh, by the way, I have lost 9 pounds since I have been over here....I am totally loving that!!!!

Ok, well, I think I am going to head out for a little shut eye.....

Being ladylike and working slow

So I'm outside in the smoke area chatting with a few of the guys I work with. The conversation inevitably turns to sex. After a while, one of the guys asks another one if he'd have a problem with his wife sitting in on the same conversation. The second guy says no, and then asks him why. So the first guy proceeds to say that HIS wife would be more ladylike, and not in the conversation. Ok, I get pissed and get up and leave.

Alright, here's the deal, if dude had a problem with my sitting there, one of two things should have taken place. 1, he could have asked me to leave and 2, he could have left the whole conversation. Instead, he talked around me, aside from attacking me as a wife with what he said. Oh yes, I will have words to say to this person, and they won't be kind.

Working slow.........as it happens, we have few trucks to put armor on as of the current day. we have, in a sense, worked ourselves out of a job for the time being. So we spend our evenings trying to slow our work.......and honestly, that was more tiring than the actual work that we do.

On a happy note, my smallpox has healed finally, and I spent this morning in the pool.....Yippee........

Here I am

We all went to see Batman Begins tonight. It was ok, I guess.

I have reached the point in my TDY where the cliques have formed, and the people who are participating in them are really pissing me off on a regular basis. And most of them, I work directly with. So while I get bitched at for taking a break, they can sit around a piss off all they want, and no one says anything to them. Yea, nothing seems to change, whether in the desert or back at the base in the States.

The kids are back home with Ziggy, and they all seem to be doing well.

I'm tired, I have a headache, I think I'll go to bed....

I tried to post yesterday

But for some reason the computer wouldn't let me post.

My Psychology professor wants to send my final over here and have the education office proctor it for me. I think he's going to change his mind and let me take it over the internet, since it takes so long for mail to get here. I really hope that happens.......

I got pictured of the kids from my Grandmother, and I can't get over how big the baby has gotten. He looks more and more like Ziggy every day......

Well guys, I had better go. I am still here in one piece, 11 weeks to go......

Stay safe....

I'm still here

My Psych teacher, good grief. My Psych teacher wanted me to call him about some of the assignments for the class. What happens when I call? He wants to know where I am, what the weather's like (um, it's Iraq and it's summer.........hot is an understatement), etc......

So I am still here, which is ok, I guess. My teacher was asking me why I am so eager to get all of my classwork done early, and to be quite honest, it keeps my mind off the fact I'm in Iraq. Movies, books, all of it, tend to make you forget, even for a small amount of time, that you are in a combat zone and that the people outside the base wish you would die or leave. So, anything to distract me, I consider a good thing.

It seems like people back in the States are oblivious to the fact that the armed forces are actually getting shot at over here. It's not as though it's not all over the news every day, insurgent attacks and convoys getting attacked. So why do people think we're over here on summer vacation or something? Believe me, Iraq is NOT where I'd be spending my summer vacation if it was my choice.........somewhere a good bit less hostile, me and Vin Diesel........you get the idea......NOT IRAQ.

So I am still missing Ziggy and the kids........I am so ready to go home.

Monday Monday

Well, my body finally shut down and went to sleep for a good bit, and now it seems like I am back on the routine of sleeplessness. What joy is mine.

Ziggy is back in Virginia, at home, so it's not so hard calling him now. Being able to talk to him every day really makes this better.

I talked to my mom this morning and MiniZiggy has started walking while holding onto the furniture. I hate that I'm missing it, but atleast I'm getting told about it.

Scout's baseball team won the championship and he was so thrilled to hear about it! He'll get his trophy after he gets home, and I know he is excited about that.

Well, I am going to go for now........be safe guys!

I just can't get any sleep

Life in a war zone sucks. I haven't been able to get a good days' sleep in a few days. Even the energy supplements that I bought are starting not to work. One day it's a fire alarm that wakes me up, and then I can't go back to sleep. Then, yesterday, mortars landed behind my dorm, and of course I heard that and was awake for a while and couldn't go back to sleep. Damn the insurgents............they're cutting into my sleep!!!!

MiniZiggy said Mama finally......IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! Also, my mother reports that he is also getting brave with the walking bit and has started to let go of the couch and try to take a step or two.....it's so neat, but sucks that I am so far away and missing it.

Called Ziggy the other night and he was out with his class for dinner, and was trying to talk to them, me and drive all at the same time. And we all know that men are not the best multitaskers, and Ziggy is no exception. So when his phone lost the signal, I didn't bother calling back. It kinda bugs me that he was sort of blowing me off to try to talk to people in the car. Yea, I'm a bit peeved about that. To the point I really don't feel like calling him today.

Baby fever is getting a bit worse. One of my coworkers and I were talking about our kids tonight, and he mentioned that he wanted another child, and would like a girl, since he has 2 boys already. Well, that just added fuel to my little fire of wanting another baby......or atleast to be home and be able to play with my babies!!!

Ok, that's about all I have for now. I am tired, hungry, and I need a shower.
Have a good one guys....

Baby fever and I am a bit depressed, 2 weeks down

Ok, let's do the bit depressed bit first. Get it out of the way. As I have mentioned before, AFN TV runs alot of shows that just depress me to no end. To the point that I can't even think about my kids without fearing that something terrible is going to happen to them while I am over here. As if that's not enough, Ziggy calls my mom and she asks him if we all go to church - now let me give you a little background. My parents are Southern Baptists. They are at church every time the doors open. Now, right before Ziggy and I got married, my mother gets this crazy(from Ziggy, yes, it's crazy) promise from Ziggy that he will get me and Scout to church every Sunday. Yeah. Anyone who knows Ziggy knows that Ziggy doesn't go to church. Ziggy doesn't believe in God, he believes in reincarnation. Or atleast that's the way he explained it to me. ANYWHO....Ziggy calls my mom the other day, and is telling Ziggy about Scout going to Bible school and how impressed the teachers were with how well Scout knows his bible verses. She asks Ziggy if we've all been going to church........and the conversation went downhill from there. My mother starts giving Ziggy one of her famous guilt trips about his promise to her (he never should have made it, I could have told him that she's never going to let him live it down). Well, then I get to hear about it when I talk to Ziggy this morning. Religion has never been an easy topic in my house, because Ziggy and I differ so much in our beliefs. So Ziggy wanted to know why I hadn't been taking Scout to church, and so I had to explain........see, the way I was raised, women keep the peace in their houses with their husbands, and I explained to him that in order to keep peace in my house, I don't mention church, and we don't go because I was raised that church is a family thing, and it's not the whole family without him. Now, to try and dart himself out of this whole little schpeel, Ziggy says that he has always considered both of us to be the heads of the house. I told him that he wasn't going to be able to talk himself out of that one. He trys, I'll give him that much. So the whole conversation just depressed me.

Baby fever.......I have a friend who just had her second child, a pretty little girl. 3 months after her older child turned 1. Now, I can't say that I'd want my kids to be that close in age, but it makes me want another child in a bad way. Trying to keep focus on finishing my degree is really hard when there are little babies to play with and cuddle and love on. And I just love babies. I mentioned adopting a baby to Ziggy and I got this weird reaction from him, and that upset me, too. Talking to Ziggy hasn't been the happiest experience here of late, I end up getting sad and crying.

Well, 2 weeks down, 14 more to go, and I think I'm going to go absolutely nuts in this place. Work bores me to death, and you can only check the email and surf Ebay so much.

Talk to you guys later.....

Tackle Box and AFN radio

First, Tackle Box......Tackle Box is an Army contractor over here that does the same job that I do, only is here for a LOT longer, and gets paid WAY more. He has facial piercings, thus the name Tackle Box....

AFN radio.....Ah yes.....ever wonder what happens to all those requests that people call in to radio stations and they never get played? They get played on AFN radio. AFN radio is the Armed Forces Network, and no matter what station it is(there are only 2 here), they play the same 3 or 4 country songs......over and over and over.....and they are the saddest songs they can find, I swear. No wonder there's so many suicides.......and AFN television isn't much better. All the cop/murder investigation shows that are so good to watch back home are REALLY depressing over here. All murder and gore and such.....and the odd Will & Grace episode.

Oh, here's something to tickle the funny bone.......I went to bed at 10AM, right? Since I work nights, I have to go to bed in the morning. So, I crash into the bed, and 15 minutes(no shit, I looked at the clock), someone knocks on the door and says we have to evacuate because EOD(the ammo/explosives guys) has brought the bomb sniffing dog to check out a suspicious package. Joy.......so we all troop outside into the 100 degree heat, half asleep(cause we all work nights) and gather up. We aren't out there a full 2 mintues when we are told that we can go back inside, the dog didn't get anything boom-worthy. Yea.........it took longer for us to get outside than it did for the dog to clear us to go back in. Military intelligence, folks.......

Tough classes and a story

School while deployed is NOT going well. I try to email my teachers from my school email addy, and I get virus reports in response, so I am pretty sure that my teachers aren't getting any of my emails. SO I tried form my work email addy. We'll see if I have any better luck.

So I get to call Ziggy, via morale calls on DSN numbers(government phone numbers for those who don't know) pretty much every day. Which really helps with my morale, as being away from my best friend(aka Ziggy) just sucks. So getting to talk to him for a half hour or so helps alot. Plus we email regularly. I call my Mom twice a week so I can talk to Scout and get regular updates on MiniZiggy. She's sending me some of her WONDERFUL turtle cookies, and I can hardly wait for the box to get here.

Work absolutley bit last night. I set up the new armored battery boxes for the trucks, and I also put the foldaway mirrors on the cabs, and once my job is done, I am pretty much bored out of my mind, as I have nothing to do. So last night it seemed like nothing I could do was right. Even the simplest thing was a major hassle. And this one guy kept bringing it all right back to me. I wanted to slap him silly. I mean hard enough to make his ancestors hurt.

I really appreciate the responses I have gotten from folks about my being over here. Thanks for stopping by!!

I have an idiot story for you all, and you're going to love it.........on my night off, the fire alarm goes off in my dorm. I leave shortly after it starts, and not in too much of a hurry, since there was a sandstorm happening at the time. Anyways, I get back from work the next night, and there are a couple of girls talking about the alarm going off, fire department coming, etc. I asked them if they'd found out what had set it off, and here's the story that's bound to crack anyone up that's been in the Air Force...........come to find out, as everyone is standing outside while the fire department does their thing, one of the Army chicks(that JUST moved into the dorm a day or 2 before) pipes up and says that they were treating their uniforms with some bug repellant, and it smelled so badly that they opened their windows......IN THE MIDDLE OF A SANDSTORM!!! Thus, setting the fire alarm off...........I tell ya, there's idiots everywhere, even in a war zone!!!

1 week down, 15 to go

Well, I have lived through my first week in Iraq. I've lived through a few mortar attacks, and managed to sleep through them more than anything. Not bad for the first week.

Work is already becoming monotonous and boring. We do the same thing over and over again. We add armor onto the 5 ton trucks that roll through here on convoy. We work 6 days a week, 12 hour shifts, and we work in teams. Every team member has a job that is done on every vehicle, and mine is to prep the armored cab and the battery box. Yippee. Takes all of 6 hours, if I take my time. We are working nights right now, and halfway through our deployment, we are supposed to shift to days. I don't really care, except it's hotter on days than it is on nights.

The setup over here isn't so bad. Good food in the chow hall, movies and TV's and a free laundry, a gym, phone center and library all in the area of the housing, so that's nice. There are shuttle buses that take us around to the Post Office, BX, Pool, things like that. Honestly, if this is supposed to be awful, it's not that bad. Not that I'd want to stay here any longer than I absolutely have to, but for the time I'm here, it's ok.

School is proving to be more of a challenge, since the time difference is 8 hours ahead of the East Coast in the States. But it's getting worked out, so I will probably be on a schedule sometime soon.

My parents currently have the kids, since Ziggy is in training out in California and I'm in Iraq. My mom was telling me that Scout is being a really big help to her with MiniZiggy. She also says that MiniZiggy has started pulling himself up on furniture to a stand. I hate that I'm not there to see it, but my mom is a decent substitute. She promises to send me pictures and plenty of cookies. She told Ziggy that MiniZiggy is the easiest baby that she's ever taken care of. And my mother has taken care of a LOT of children, seeing as she was a foster mother for a good long time. She says that MiniZiggy is a happy little boy, and that he will let her know when he needs something. She also said that he got passed around the nursery at church, and they put a sticker on his back saying that he'd had lots of hugs. I miss my kids so much.

Speaking of missing the family, it's not as bad as I had anticpated. Yes, it sucks being away, but I get regular emails from Ziggy and I can call my mom pretty regularly and talk to Scout and get updates on the kids, so that helps.

Well, I think that's all I have for now. Take care........