to market

We got some estimates to paint the interior of our house... Holy smokes! Let's just say we've decided to do it ourselves! The estimates came in between $2700 and $3700. Um, we're trying to put the house on the market. That's it. We're not looking to sink several grand in to it.

I'm taking a Human Resources class right now. It is the most laid back class I've ever taken. It's supposed to be an "intro" class so I think the professor wants to make sure all the HR majors are excited to start their degree. I'm taking it as an elective but appreciate the break!

I joined a new gym instead of bootcamp because I found one closer to home for a fraction of the cost. I really like it although I'm not sure I'll maintain the muscle I gained in bootcamp. For $40/mo I get access to all the classes and free childcare while I work out, you can't beat that!

I'll miss Offutt when we leave because there are so many things that I'm familiar with here and like. However, it's getting close to time to find new cheese as I learned in the HR class. I am experiencing both excitement and dread but focusing on the excitement.

I gotta head out for a spin class this morning. (Spinning is hard.)

big c

A friend of mine with pancreatic cancer just posted his status on fb saying that after careful thought and deliberation, he's not going to participate in a clinical trial. He wants to maintain the highest quality of life possible for the limited amount of time he has left.

Can I just say that sucks? This guy is so funny and taught me so much while I was deployed. I spent my first rotation scared to death of him and then came to see that he took his job very seriously but not himself. He always made me laugh and I wish there was hope of a happy ending.

p/f

Pass or fail... I passed my test today, yeehaw! Only two more and I'll have SOS done. I should have done it years ago but late is better than never, right? I just barely passed but that's all that matters.

keep on truckin'

I've scheduled a test tomorrow for which I'm woefully unprepared but hoping to pass anyway because I just need to be done with it. At this point even if I fail at least I took the darn thing and started!

Yago and I joined a new gym because the bootcamp was a bit expensive and too far away, especially in the winter. Anyway, I've taken a few group fitness class there and while I doubt I'll see bootcamp-like results I feel good about still doing something. Yago and I did a couple of spin classes together... That stuff is HARD! Who knew?

I'm doing another master's class in a couple of weeks, I must be crazy. That's be five classes in six months. (Kind of a lot.) I'll be almost half done.

P.S. Where does the mountain laundry keep coming from?

Christmas Passed

Christmas came and went in Tuttle. I think the boys did exceedingly well with Santa this year. The only hitch was the Playmobils that Jake had asked for, he even asked Santa himself for them. Unfortunately, three were promised delivery before Christmas but only one made it. Soon the other two will arrive in Tuttle and have find there way to Nebraska. Quite a complication.

Perhaps I'll go pick up paint swatches today, we must paint before putting our house on the market. It's coming quicker than I would like. Putting a house on the market right now is going to be painful...

a tad too salty

I made salty dogs last night just because. I hadn't had one in ages and I must say, they tasted pretty good. However, I probably should have stopped at two and definitely at three. Four? Not a good idea. I woke up at 4:45 this morning so now I'm tired with that groggy, disconnected feeling. bleh

I have cookies to bake, frost, and take to my parents today. Every year I forget how pathetic my selection of Christmas cookie cutters is. I had a bunch of metal ones but they rusted in the dishwasher several years ago leaving me with some plastic hand-me-downs that always result in torn and broken cookies. Stupid snowman hands and reindeer antlers.

I can't wait for a nap today...

wow

Dear Computer,

I've missed your time-sucking capability. I'm back and glued to you today.

-waldo

Time to take a shower and then pick up the kiddos from school, they have half a day. I'm done with everything for a while. I finished most of my annual requirements for work and I'm done with my classes. (Two more As, one of them was a sympathy A but I'll take it!)

I'm looking at getting a new (used) car because the Volvo is not cutting it these days. It's nine years old with 120k miles, our latest discussion has been of a Prius but it's all subject to change. I woke up this morning wanting an Infiniti FX35 but after some discussion I don't think that's our best choice right now. Maybe in a couple of years we can revisit an Infiniti. Or... maybe I'll change my mind again this afternoon! ;^)

already?

I believe someone's feet just hit the floor. That means my morning time is quite possible over and it's only 5:52.

because oscar meyer has a way...

There has been some awful news recently. There's a teacher at Schmitty's school whose husband fell off a ladder Friday night and died. They have two young children that also attend the school, a kindergartener and a second grader I believe.

It's so terrible but perhaps the worst part is realizing that it could happen to anyone. I can't help but continuing to imagine what would happen to us if Yago died in some ordinary accident. The man who died wasn't jumping out of airplanes or driving drunk, he was just doing normal stuff. Sometimes people die doing normal stuff. Thinking of what the boys would miss out on without Yago in their lives is depressing. He's such a good father. (and husband!)

Then while eating breakfast yesterday I watched a few minutes of an Oprah episode where a woman's van was hit by a semi-truck and all three of her young children died. I can't imagine. That got me to thinking of what our house would be like without the sound of constant bickering. As annoying as the bickering is, I think I would go insane if the house were quiet. And it's so big for just Yago and me, the act of walking to our bedroom would be unbearable.

So, in short, this past week has served to make me appreciate what I have and realize how fragile it all is. Even the baloney that makes me want to scream is precious...

argh

I am so buried in work right now! I cannot wait until these two classes are over!

Schmitty's 10th birthday is quickly approaching, I can't believe that either.

new fiscal year

That means work will be starting and we'll do our annual budget evaluation at home. I don't think much will change around the house though, no imminent promotions or anything to look forward to.

Our handyman was supposed to start replacing a window last week but never showed. I hate to be a nag but I had hoped it would be done before I had to worry about work. I should give him a call today and check base with him though because we definitely need to get it done before it's too cold out.

This year seems to be flying by, why does that happen the older you get?

a rose by any other name

I am buried in homework yet here I am. It's only a quickie though.

I'm experimenting with new names for my blog so if you have a suggestion, let's hear it. I am not very creative with such things...

you can take the boy out of...

...Scouts but it's almost impossible to put him back in. This is a project I've been working, on and off, for a couple of years. (Every since we moved here.) It's incredibly frustrating. I'm looking for a troop near our home, it's been nothing but phone calls and unreturned messages. I got so fed up last year I quit. I decided to try again, hoping this time it would be different... but no.

I emailed the woman that runs my book club because I remember her mentioning last May that her son was joining some troop that met within walking distance of our house. I emailed her a couple of weeks ago for more information. She emailed back that she didn't know anything but sent a link to the troop's homepage. Okay, even though minuscule it was still progress. I searched and searched the website for a phone number but there wasn't one to be found, I was forced to go with the email address for the scout master. No reply, shocking. (all due sarcasm here)

So yet again, out of desperation I called the council headquarters in the area yesterday. "Oh, you'll want to talk to Steve, he handles your area. Unfortunately, he's not in today. He'll be back tomorrow." Again, shocking. "You can leave a voice mail for him or call back tomorrow..." I hate leaving voice mails because people (scouts) never return voice mails. I opted to call back today and they sent me straight to his voice mail. (shock-ing) So I left a message and am standing by at the ready to answer the phone because I just KNOW he'll call me back as soon as possible. I mean that's what his message says he'll do and a scout never lies, right?

nordic conquerors

Yago just left to go to a Vikings game and I already feel a little blah. Like, what on earth am I going to do with myself and the kids until Monday? Like there's nothing to look forward to for a few days. I think I just need to find some ambition and take a shower to get things started. Oh, and the rainy morning isn't helping.

I turned in some bullets for my OPR yesterday but I was short a couple of lines and it's unimpressive to say the least. (It always is.) I wish I could cross-train and do something else but that ship has sailed so whatever.

My online classes almost kicked my butt yesterday. It's a lot of work and very time consuming to go through everyone else's post on a weekly basis. ...Much less do all the reading and write my own posts. I kind of want to go back to bed just thinking about the 15 page paper I need to write about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

So I'll go out today and buy some fish sticks, tater tots, and ice cream, cuz that's what we do when Yago's out of town.

the fan

Man, when the stuff hits the fan it hits all at once. Yesterday I was notified that my supervisor didn't do my OPR before he left and now everyone and their brother is emailing me asking for bullets. This is my own fault but it couldn't be at a worse time. I guess it could be a worse time but I'm pretty busy right now, I have a bunch of work due for my classes today. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and defeated already and it's only 9:00 am.

Remember last week when I was all relieved because I was ahead in my classes? I should have kept working. I'll start working ahead this weekend because trying to juggle everything during the week doesn't work out very well!

hypocrisy

I had to hold my tongue (or fingers really) today while reading someone's update on FB. They were griping about civil servants and the government tit. These are all retired military people who are contractors (and probably trying to get a GS position). It makes me shake my head when I see all the comments agreeing, I want to call them all buffoons. They all want to cut the government, except their jobs and programs they use. Then they'll fight like hell.

To be clear, I don't have a problem with griping about government but when you are currently suckling from the gov't tit you lose credibility.

high gear

I feel like I've been going nonstop lately, I'm gearing up for the beginning of the fiscal year and doing Reservist stuff. Which reminds me, I received an email today "inviting" us to meet the new senior level IMAs... tomorrow. Seriously? You send out the invitation that says if you're in the local area you're expected to be there, although it's not mandatory. How do they expect us to do that with a day's notice?

Tonight is Parent Information Night at Brownell-Talbot. I'm interested in meeting Schmitty's teachers, he really likes them and is enjoying Middle School.

I've got some toilets to scrub, they're a little gross.

fb chicken

I used to use fb a lot but now every time I think about posting something I change my mind. I like seeing what my friends are up to but don't really care to put too much out there anymore.

I just realized I was a week ahead in my classes and was going to post something silly on fb but changed my mind, putting it here instead. I think it's because I have too many acquaintances that aren't friends on fb. I'm pretty sure they only friended me hoping to get to a higher level in Mafia Wars or something.

Joke's on them.

dormis interruptis

I had an awful night's sleep last night between sirens and bed-wetting midgets. It's always when I have a bunch to do too, why is that?

I don't really have much else... I have to post something for my classes today and read about 50 pages. Hard to do when you're sleepy.

I also have a handyman coming over today to look at some projects. I like him but I kind of hate having him come over because he was apparently friends with the previous owners and I think she probably took better care of things than I do.

I need to get started on my day. The sooner I get started maybe the sooner I can get a nap.

it's leaving quickly

my motivation. Ugh. I've been busy busy busy doing dumb stuff all day. I just put Ralph down and want to surprise Yago by getting a start on mowing the lawn but my motivation is quickly dissipating. ...Eyelids droopy...

And? I haven't even showered today. I've been out and about all day long with my bootcamp clothes and hair. Makeup? No thanks. I'm not the kind of girl that can rock a no makeup, no hair day but there I am -- rocking it.

I've been stressing (seriously, interrupting sleep and all) putting our house on the market in the spring. To counter my panic I've been calling all over today to get people out here to quote different projects. Let's get it done already.

Okay, I'm heading out to the lawn mower.