The Obama Administration is asking people to report on "fishy" conversations about health care they encounter:
"Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, "facts are stubborn things."Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President's health insurance reform positions....There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care.
These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
I sent them an email just now:
Dear Comrade Big Brother,
It is fishy not only that Obama is trying to impose socialist health care on the citizens of this country, but also that you are engaged in an apparent witch-hunt to squash any opposing viewpoints. Yes, very fishy indeed. If your ideas are worthy they will stand on their own merit despite the loudest opponents.
Anyone else want to email the Truth Czar? I think it would be great if they got flooded by useless emails.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Atlas Still Shrugs. The pursuit of [one's] own rational self-interest and of [one's] own happiness is the highest moral purpose of [one's] life. -Rand
Who is John Galt?
If that doesn’t ring a bell—or even if it slightly jogs your memory—I have a summer reading recommendation for you during this lazy month of August.
I’m in the midst of re-reading Atlas Shrugged, the legendary novel first published in 1957 by Ayn Rand. It reads as if it were written this month—and that’s only the first shocking thing that will strike you if you’re brave enough to attempt this 1,100-page work of art.
I remembered its influence it had on me when I read it as a teenager, and it strikes with new force as I read it today in the context of Obamacare, wage and car “czars,” and multibillion-dollar “cash for clunkers” payouts, and amid headlines decrying profits, bonuses, speculation, and well, financial success.
If the comparisons don’t strike you within the first 100 pages, you can stop reading. But if every page leaves you wondering how this novel could have been written 50 years ago, when it so perfectly depicts our own times, then I won’t have to exhort you to finish.
I’m about one-third of the way through, and as I reread through more mature eyes and in today’s context, I find it even more compelling. I’m sure I will have more to say on this blog in coming weeks.
The book tells the story of Dagny Taggart and Hank Reardon, two unrepentant capitalists who are determined to make an unapologetic profit by using a new kind of steel to build a new railroad line to the West, where the last remaining entrepreneurs are creating an economy built on free market principles.
They are thwarted at every turn by the “establishment”—formerly wealthy businessmen who have co-opted government to save their uncompetitive businesses, while around them the infrastructure crumbles and society focuses on spreading the remaining wealth to the least efficient competitors. And there’s sex, too.
It is not your imagination that the public discourse has taken a turn that should make you uneasy. Strange things are happening in our politics, in our economy, and in the growing belief that the government can solve all our problems—either by taxing away our money or printing money.
Today’s Congressional rhetoric echoes the novel, where the “Equality of Opportunity Bill” was passed to “distribute” opportunity to unsuccessful people by forcing those who had built thriving businesses to sell portions of their companies to losers, financed by the government.
Ayn Rand’s entire philosophy, called “objectivism,” has been the subject of much debate over the years. In her own words: “Man must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.”
Rand believed that laissez-faire capitalism was “the ideal political-economic system.” She called for “a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church.” Rand, who died in 1982, must be rolling in her grave at today’s headlines.
At the website of the Ayn Rand Institute, www.aynrand.org, you can learn more about her philosophy. But don’t prejudge her philosophy before you read the novel. Don’t deny yourself the experience of translating her writings into today’s realities. Read the book first!
By the way, although rereading Atlas Shrugged has become my summer project (after completing work on a new edition of The Savage Number, which will be published this fall), I’m not alone in this quest for fresh air. The Economist reported that the 52-year-old novel ranked #33 among Amazon.com's top-selling books in January, 2009.
Have you read Atlas Shrugged lately? If so, what did you think? What lessons do you think is has for today? Please post a comment and join the conversation.
Written by Terry Savage. Reposted from: http://www.moneyshow.com/investing/blog.asp?aid=Blog-17412
If that doesn’t ring a bell—or even if it slightly jogs your memory—I have a summer reading recommendation for you during this lazy month of August.
I’m in the midst of re-reading Atlas Shrugged, the legendary novel first published in 1957 by Ayn Rand. It reads as if it were written this month—and that’s only the first shocking thing that will strike you if you’re brave enough to attempt this 1,100-page work of art.
I remembered its influence it had on me when I read it as a teenager, and it strikes with new force as I read it today in the context of Obamacare, wage and car “czars,” and multibillion-dollar “cash for clunkers” payouts, and amid headlines decrying profits, bonuses, speculation, and well, financial success.
If the comparisons don’t strike you within the first 100 pages, you can stop reading. But if every page leaves you wondering how this novel could have been written 50 years ago, when it so perfectly depicts our own times, then I won’t have to exhort you to finish.
I’m about one-third of the way through, and as I reread through more mature eyes and in today’s context, I find it even more compelling. I’m sure I will have more to say on this blog in coming weeks.
The book tells the story of Dagny Taggart and Hank Reardon, two unrepentant capitalists who are determined to make an unapologetic profit by using a new kind of steel to build a new railroad line to the West, where the last remaining entrepreneurs are creating an economy built on free market principles.
They are thwarted at every turn by the “establishment”—formerly wealthy businessmen who have co-opted government to save their uncompetitive businesses, while around them the infrastructure crumbles and society focuses on spreading the remaining wealth to the least efficient competitors. And there’s sex, too.
It is not your imagination that the public discourse has taken a turn that should make you uneasy. Strange things are happening in our politics, in our economy, and in the growing belief that the government can solve all our problems—either by taxing away our money or printing money.
Today’s Congressional rhetoric echoes the novel, where the “Equality of Opportunity Bill” was passed to “distribute” opportunity to unsuccessful people by forcing those who had built thriving businesses to sell portions of their companies to losers, financed by the government.
Ayn Rand’s entire philosophy, called “objectivism,” has been the subject of much debate over the years. In her own words: “Man must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.”
Rand believed that laissez-faire capitalism was “the ideal political-economic system.” She called for “a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church.” Rand, who died in 1982, must be rolling in her grave at today’s headlines.
At the website of the Ayn Rand Institute, www.aynrand.org, you can learn more about her philosophy. But don’t prejudge her philosophy before you read the novel. Don’t deny yourself the experience of translating her writings into today’s realities. Read the book first!
By the way, although rereading Atlas Shrugged has become my summer project (after completing work on a new edition of The Savage Number, which will be published this fall), I’m not alone in this quest for fresh air. The Economist reported that the 52-year-old novel ranked #33 among Amazon.com's top-selling books in January, 2009.
Have you read Atlas Shrugged lately? If so, what did you think? What lessons do you think is has for today? Please post a comment and join the conversation.
Written by Terry Savage. Reposted from: http://www.moneyshow.com/investing/blog.asp?aid=Blog-17412
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Zero Turn Radius Lawnmowers
You might be wondering how in the heck I have anything to say about any lawnmower, much less a zero turn radius one. Yes. Well. That makes two of us. I'm still wondering how it is possible to have a thirty minute conversation about zero turn radius lawnmowers. But it happened in Kansas. And I still have no idea what a zero turn radius lawnmower even IS!
Wait. Let me back up for a second to tell you that I love Cowstuff. I married a Cowboy. Yes, I know, mostly he dresses like a Fratboy, but deep in his heart he is a Cowboy. And when he wears his Wrangler jeans, my heart just melts. Y'all, he can WEAR those Wranglers. If he puts on a big belt buckle, boots and a pearl-snap shirt, game over, I'm through. Those Wrangler jeans saved our relationship at least once... but that's a different blog post. I also love country music, two-steppin' and Stampede and pickup trucks. But that is just about where my love of farminess stops. Anyone who knows me will understand that I am a Pretty-Pretty-Princess. A delicate flower who belongs in a castle, not down home on the farm scrubbing pearl-snap shirts on a washing board (my cuticles!). Besides that, A and I are both frighteningly allergic to pretty much everything IN Kansas -- or on a farm -- hay, grain dust, grass, horses, cats, dust, smells, and you could also add to the list dilapidated old farm houses, excessive heat, cigarette smoke, and zero turn radius lawnmowers sitting in the front yard.
Which brings me back to how I ended up involved in a thirty minute conversation about the damn things. A's family lives in farm-country outside of Wichita. They even have dirt roads out there still. But I think most everyone has electricity by now; except maybe Nelda. Anyway, his neighbors to the back are Nelda and Greg. I was told before I met Nelda, when you see her riding around on her lawnmower with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, you'll only think of Granny Clampett. Well Nelda came by one night last week and left a wedding present for A and me on the porch. So A's parents were insisting that we stop by there and say hello and thank them properly for the gift. In my mind this is a five minute project. In farm-land, it can take all afternoon.
When we pulled into the gravel driveway at Nelda's place, the first thing we saw was an old grain silo. The yard was neat enough, thanks to the zero turn radius lawnmower, which was sitting right in the front. The old farm house was surrounded by a number of other smaller house-like buildings, one of which I think was an outhouse. We parked in the shade because it was hotter than hell. Greg came out to meet us and invited us to sit on the porch (outside! in the heat!), where there were several old chairs with dirty old bathmats folded on them as cushions and a bunch of plants in coffee cans. I picked out the least-dirty looking chair and perched on it delicately, thinking we would only be there a few minutes. Then Nelda came down with her cigarettes and a can of Budweiser and the armpits of her tank top were all sweaty so I knew right then that it wasn't any cooler inside the house. We commenced to talking while Nelda smoked and I have no idea what we talked about but I know it involved zero turn radius lawnmowers because Nelda must have said "zero turn radius lawnmower" about fifty times. Nelda and Greg both seemed oblivious to the heat, the cigarette smoke, and the chickens pecking around our feet. The whole time, in my head, I was screaming Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. I kept trying to send piercing looks over to A, but he either missed the hint or was ignoring me.
Finally, finally A said we needed to get going and I thought THANK YOU JESUS. But no, it was not over yet. Nelda wanted us to see the inside of the house, where they were doing renovations. When we walked inside I realized the porch was the far better option for visiting. The inside of the 1860 farm house was... how can I put this tactfully?... trashed? The walls were torn up, the furniture was crowded around willynilly, the floors were dirty. There was stuff everywhere. Even ignoring the "renovations" (which I suspected were a very, very long term project) the place looked like a tornado had blown through. There was trash laying around. An old dog. Unmade beds in random places. I said nothing and tried to touch nothing while A made nice comments about how lovely it will be when they finish the place. Nelda kept saying, Whatever you do, DON'T but an old farmhouse! They are a ton of work! And in my head I'm like I really don't think you need to worry about that. Another twenty minutes of chatter and then, at long last, after what seemed like a whole day but was really only like an hour, I was back in the car with the a/c blasting, and the only thing I could think or say was What the......???
Wait. Let me back up for a second to tell you that I love Cowstuff. I married a Cowboy. Yes, I know, mostly he dresses like a Fratboy, but deep in his heart he is a Cowboy. And when he wears his Wrangler jeans, my heart just melts. Y'all, he can WEAR those Wranglers. If he puts on a big belt buckle, boots and a pearl-snap shirt, game over, I'm through. Those Wrangler jeans saved our relationship at least once... but that's a different blog post. I also love country music, two-steppin' and Stampede and pickup trucks. But that is just about where my love of farminess stops. Anyone who knows me will understand that I am a Pretty-Pretty-Princess. A delicate flower who belongs in a castle, not down home on the farm scrubbing pearl-snap shirts on a washing board (my cuticles!). Besides that, A and I are both frighteningly allergic to pretty much everything IN Kansas -- or on a farm -- hay, grain dust, grass, horses, cats, dust, smells, and you could also add to the list dilapidated old farm houses, excessive heat, cigarette smoke, and zero turn radius lawnmowers sitting in the front yard.
Which brings me back to how I ended up involved in a thirty minute conversation about the damn things. A's family lives in farm-country outside of Wichita. They even have dirt roads out there still. But I think most everyone has electricity by now; except maybe Nelda. Anyway, his neighbors to the back are Nelda and Greg. I was told before I met Nelda, when you see her riding around on her lawnmower with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, you'll only think of Granny Clampett. Well Nelda came by one night last week and left a wedding present for A and me on the porch. So A's parents were insisting that we stop by there and say hello and thank them properly for the gift. In my mind this is a five minute project. In farm-land, it can take all afternoon.
When we pulled into the gravel driveway at Nelda's place, the first thing we saw was an old grain silo. The yard was neat enough, thanks to the zero turn radius lawnmower, which was sitting right in the front. The old farm house was surrounded by a number of other smaller house-like buildings, one of which I think was an outhouse. We parked in the shade because it was hotter than hell. Greg came out to meet us and invited us to sit on the porch (outside! in the heat!), where there were several old chairs with dirty old bathmats folded on them as cushions and a bunch of plants in coffee cans. I picked out the least-dirty looking chair and perched on it delicately, thinking we would only be there a few minutes. Then Nelda came down with her cigarettes and a can of Budweiser and the armpits of her tank top were all sweaty so I knew right then that it wasn't any cooler inside the house. We commenced to talking while Nelda smoked and I have no idea what we talked about but I know it involved zero turn radius lawnmowers because Nelda must have said "zero turn radius lawnmower" about fifty times. Nelda and Greg both seemed oblivious to the heat, the cigarette smoke, and the chickens pecking around our feet. The whole time, in my head, I was screaming Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. I kept trying to send piercing looks over to A, but he either missed the hint or was ignoring me.
Finally, finally A said we needed to get going and I thought THANK YOU JESUS. But no, it was not over yet. Nelda wanted us to see the inside of the house, where they were doing renovations. When we walked inside I realized the porch was the far better option for visiting. The inside of the 1860 farm house was... how can I put this tactfully?... trashed? The walls were torn up, the furniture was crowded around willynilly, the floors were dirty. There was stuff everywhere. Even ignoring the "renovations" (which I suspected were a very, very long term project) the place looked like a tornado had blown through. There was trash laying around. An old dog. Unmade beds in random places. I said nothing and tried to touch nothing while A made nice comments about how lovely it will be when they finish the place. Nelda kept saying, Whatever you do, DON'T but an old farmhouse! They are a ton of work! And in my head I'm like I really don't think you need to worry about that. Another twenty minutes of chatter and then, at long last, after what seemed like a whole day but was really only like an hour, I was back in the car with the a/c blasting, and the only thing I could think or say was What the......???
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Kansas. And Omaha... and how we almost didn't make it there.
We're in Kansas again. Adam came home a couple weeks ago, right after I got back from a business trip, and then two weeks later I had to turn around and leave again for another trip to Omaha. We decided to take advantage of the free trip back to the mainland to go visit A's family, so here we are in Kansas. We drove up to Omaha on Tuesday for my conference and got into a car accident on the way. It was raining really hard and we hydroplaned. Did a 180 spin on the freeway just about a hundred yards short of an overpass. Slid into the ditch on the side of the road and careened up the other side before coming to rest in the middle of the ditch looking back down the highway from the direction we came. I guess the actual accident wasn't that bad, considering... I mean, we could have hit another car, the overpass, or the ditch could have been more menacing with rocks or a steeper drop off. We were lucky. For me, though, the accident seemed pretty violent. When we slid off the road we hit a mile marker on the passenger (my) side of the car which caused the side airbags to deploy. For some reason there is a small airbag that deploys from the side of the passenger seat and of course it exploded onto the back of my arm while the side curtain airbags deployed onto my face. As soon as that happened, it disoriented me. I thought we were rolling, and with the pain on my side, I thought the car was crumpling in on me. All I could think of was This is It. I was imagining the worst. A told me later what was going thru HIS mind while I was experiencing all this trauma: Shit, we just wrecked my parents' car; Baby's gonna be upset; How the heck are we going to get to Omaha?......... yes, those were his thoughts as we were careening out of control down the highway! After the car came to a stop and I calmed down and stopped my hysterical crying and figured out what happened and that we were ok, A got out in the rain and assessed the damage. Two flat tires and the rear bumper banged up, but otherwise no real damage to the car. Plus the internal damage caused by the airbags deploying. We got a tow to Topeka and got the tires replaced and then continued on our way with only a 5 hour delay.
That was pretty much the scariest thing that's ever happened to me.
Omaha was fine, we had a nice time. We were staying right down in the old Market district, so we could walk around to the shops and restaurants. We were scoping it out for potential future place to live. A would like to live in the midwest since he's from here. I'm pretty much opposed on philosophical grounds, but I opened my mind since I had to go there anyway to scope it out. I think we are still set on trying to go to Colorado after we leave Hawaii. Which is still 3.5 years away anyway!
I think we are off to some local sightseeing in some salt mines so I gotta run!
That was pretty much the scariest thing that's ever happened to me.
Omaha was fine, we had a nice time. We were staying right down in the old Market district, so we could walk around to the shops and restaurants. We were scoping it out for potential future place to live. A would like to live in the midwest since he's from here. I'm pretty much opposed on philosophical grounds, but I opened my mind since I had to go there anyway to scope it out. I think we are still set on trying to go to Colorado after we leave Hawaii. Which is still 3.5 years away anyway!
I think we are off to some local sightseeing in some salt mines so I gotta run!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
What the world eats
I've posted this before, but Mark's Daily Apple reminded me of it again. These pictures from Time magazine show what people around the world eat in a week. Fascinating!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Oh Arlington... I kind of miss you in a twisted way
HahahaHAAAA! If you have ever lived in Arlington, you will appreciate this...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Updates
I just realized it's been over a week since I posted. Shame! Truth is that I didn't want to slay you all with boredom. I have nothing much to tell. My partner in crime is deployed, my motivation for pretty much everything is in the shitter and I'd rather stay silent than spew such negativity out into the universe. My scan went ok - I'm still cancer free - yay. It's been really hot here - last week the trade winds died off and the heat was stifling. As a result I've been driving A's car around everywhere and ignoring my own since the a/c doesn't work in it. And nothing screws up your day like sweating your balls off in the car on the way home to your house, which is also like an armpit. Workouts? What are those? I can't believe I'm even saying this, but I've struggled to get even three good workouts in a week. It is really unlike me. I have no idea what is wrong with me? I am just chalking it up to a phase and rolling with it. I figure the motivation will come back when it does. Same goes for my diet... I was going along just fine, things were going well and then bam a couple of weeks ago I was back to the horrendous habits that have taken over since ... well, basically since I moved here but have sort of gotten worse since the wedding. See? Nothing great to tell you! What are all of YOU up to??
Friday, May 29, 2009
Low Iodine Drudgery (LID)
Well y'all, I'm on the LID again for my whole-body scan next week and this time it feels harrrrd. I really want some eggs and bacon or a bit of yogurt or some butter on my broccoli or a nice piece of salmon. I don't remember it being this hard last year or the first time. Of course, the first time I was out of my mind hypo and didn't know what the heck was going on much less what foods I was missing. I had the metabolism of a small dead snail... getting off the couch was a monumental task - I could hardly even poop, hypothetically speaking. I am thankful at least that I don't have to "go hypo" again ... as long as my scans are clean. Today I go get bloodwork done to confirm I'm not pregnant (even though it would be the immaculate conception since A's been deployed a whole month now). Then on Monday I get a Thyrogen shot, Tuesday another Thyrogen shot, Wednesday I get the radioactive iodine, Thursday I marinate and Friday is the scan.
In other news, I was up at 3:45 this morning to get to work by 4:30 for a VTC. There is definitely a nap in my future. Right after I go get this blood drawn. Good thing is I get to leave here at 12:30. And I got a stellar parking spot. Parking at Camp Smith where I work is a nightmare. Camp Smith is basically the top of a big hill, so all the parking is on the street along the hillside ... and it's STEEP! You have to hike up that every day in the sweltering afternoon humidity to get to your car. Not today though! I got to park in the tiny lot right next to the building. I was shocked that all of the spots across the street from the front door (the Rock Star parking) were already taken when I got here at 4:30. Egads.
In other news, I was up at 3:45 this morning to get to work by 4:30 for a VTC. There is definitely a nap in my future. Right after I go get this blood drawn. Good thing is I get to leave here at 12:30. And I got a stellar parking spot. Parking at Camp Smith where I work is a nightmare. Camp Smith is basically the top of a big hill, so all the parking is on the street along the hillside ... and it's STEEP! You have to hike up that every day in the sweltering afternoon humidity to get to your car. Not today though! I got to park in the tiny lot right next to the building. I was shocked that all of the spots across the street from the front door (the Rock Star parking) were already taken when I got here at 4:30. Egads.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
And the best part is you can wear your bikini to the grocery store and nobody bats an eye.
Sometimes I really love living in Hawaii. I mean, ok, the roads are shit and full of potholes, spam is considered a delicacy and on the weekends I often have to go sit in the car just to feel cool air on my skin because WE DON'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING. But! I live less than a five minute drive from this:
Kailua Beach
Yes it really is that pretty...
And yes the water really is that blue.
I know it looks fake, but this is me and Adam standing there at Kailua beach,
Kailua Beach
Yes it really is that pretty...
And yes the water really is that blue.
I know it looks fake, but this is me and Adam standing there at Kailua beach, for reals, look at the water!
I've been going there pretty frequently the last couple of weeks. Last week we were in our big military exercise and I was working on the mid-shift from noon to 8:30. I was actually really enjoying the schedule. I got to wake up naturally, no alarm, usually around 6:30 and head straight over to the beach where I walked for about an hour along the shore. Then come home, have a nice breakfast, get ready for work, take care of the plants, run a couple of errands and whatever else before going to work at noon.
Man, it was a long week though... a long couple of weeks. I was basically working from the previous Sunday all the way through to last Friday cause I traveled to Miami that Sunday... I hate traveling for work! And the evil bastards are going to make me go on a trip right when A gets back from his deployment it looks like. If only I could quit this job and open a gym or a spa.
I spent the holiday weekend at the beach and watching marathon sessions of the Tudors second season. So good! And now it's back to the grind.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
I want to poke my eyes out with a spork.
Ugh. I'm at wooorrrrkkk. On SUNDAY. It's depressing. And wrong. I hate this job! I want to quit so bad, but what would I do? I still have 4.5 more hours here. I'm in a terrible mood today on top of it. Just ugh.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
I could be dreaming this too...
Still in Miami. Still jetlagged. Ugh! When my alarm went off this morning I thought I'll just lay here for 5 more minutes. Of course I fell asleep again, but I was having a very vivid dream that I got up and was getting ready! So I kept on sleeping. Cause my brain thought I was up. We're on a short break right now and I'm debating whether I should go get something real for breakfast instead of the pastries the conference is serving. I'm not super hungry but lunch is not till 1... Ok, food it is.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Life Path 11
My mom sent me this today. My life path number is 11 (add up all the digits in your birthday). I think a lot of this sounds true! I highlighted some of the parts that resonated most. I thought the part at the end about career path was very interesting - counseling, acupuncture, physical therapy. In college I thought I was going to become a counselor but I changed my mind because I think I would internalize too many of the emotions of the people I counseled. Even just interviewing to work with mentally challenged people I felt a sense of extreme guilt and despair and fear. Now lately I've been talking a lot about going into physical therapy or acupuncture. Hmm...... (ps i have no idea why the font is like this).
Your Life Path is 11
Your Life Path (sometimes called Destiny) is derived from your birth date. Your Life path is the road you are traveling. It reveals the opportunities and challenges you will face in life. Your Life Path number is the single most important information available in your Personality Chart!You have the potential to be a source of inspiration and illumination for people. You possess an inordinate amount of energy and intuition. There is so much going on in your psyche that you are often misunderstood early in life, making you shy and withdrawn. You have far more potential than you know. You galvanize every situation you enter. You inspire people, but without your conscious effort. Energy seems to flow through you without your controlling it. This gives you both power and sometimes emotional turmoil. You are a channel for information between the higher and the lower, between the realm of the archetype and the relative world. Ideas, thoughts, understanding, and insight - all of these can come to you without your having to go through a rational thought process. There seems to be a bridge, or connection, between your conscious and unconscious realms, attuning you to a high level of intuition through which even psychic information can flow. All of this amounts to a great capacity for invention. Many inventors, artists, religious leaders, prophets, and leading figures in history have had the 11 prominent in their chart.
Because you are so highly charged, you experience the consequences of a two-edged sword. You possess great abilities, but indulge in much self-reflection and self- criticism. You often feel highly self-conscious. You are aware on some level that you stand out. Even when you try to blend with your environment, you often feel conspicuous, alien, and out-of-place. You are blessed with a message, or a specific role to play in life.** But you must develop yourself sufficiently to take full advantage of that opportunity. Until that time, your inner development takes precedence over your ability to materialize the great undertaking you were chosen to perform. Consequently, 11s seem to develop slowly, but they simply have more to accomplish in their evolution than the average person. Thus, your real success does not usually begin until maturity, between the ages of 35 and 45, when you have progressed further along your path.
You may often be frustrated, largely because you have extremely high expectations of yourself. But these expectations can be unrealistic, and can prevent you from accomplishing anything. You can be very impractical, envisioning a skyscraper when all that was necessary was a two-story house. You may also suffer from bouts of confusion and lack of direction. This gives rise to loss of confidence and the onset of deep depression. The cause of these emotional problems is your lack of understanding of your own sensitivity and potential. Your desire to achieve some great ambition is enormous. However, a lack of confidence in your own ability to realize this dream may cause you much frustration. You sense the enormous potential you possess, which requires equally enormous confidence in your ability to materialize your dream. Confidence is the key that unlocks your potential. On a strictly physical level, you must protect your nervous system, which is inordinately vulnerable to stress because of your acute sensitivity. Depression is often the result of long periods of stress that have gone unrelieved. Seek out peaceful and harmonious environments, relaxing music, and follow a healthful diet in order to restore balance and peace. As an 11 Life Path, you are a highly charged version of the 2 and possess many of the characteristics and talents of that number.
You can be extremely diplomatic and tactful. You are also patient and cooperative. You work well with groups and somehow find a way of creating harmony among diverse opinions. You enjoy music and poetry and require a harmonious environment. You have an eye for beauty and a fine sense of balance and rhythm. You have healing capabilities, especially in such fields as massage, acupuncture, physical therapy, and counseling. You are a sensitive and passionate lover; your perceptiveness makes you aware of your partner's needs and desires, which you are able to fulfill with almost magical delicacy. However, when you feel you have been mistreated or jilted, you can react with devastating power, sometimes using personal criticisms vindictively.
You are a fine companion and possess a good sense of humor. When you have found your niche in life and begun to realize your true potential, your rewards will more than compensate for your trials earlier in life.
I sure hope that last sentence is right!
** Maybe this will sound funny but I've always felt I was supposed to do something important in this life. In my mid-twenties, when I got out of college and realized I was just a little fish in a big pond, I sort of changed my mind about that, thinking that EVERYONE probably feels that way, and decided not to take it (or myself) TOO seriously. Even now though, one of the threads that keeps me tied in my current line of work even though it's not what I really want to be doing is that I need to feel like I'm making an impact on the world beyond my little bubble. And you affect history when you work on international politics. My name might not be in history books, but when people look at nuclear/WMD/proliferation in this time, I will have played a role in it.
Of course the other thing that keeps me tied to my job is that I don't know what else I would do?! I know that soon I'm going to be a full time mommy. But I also know that's not a forever thing. I will have to find something else to do with myself. Both physical therapy and acupuncture would require a LOT more schooling! More for the PT, as it is a doctorate. I would have to go back to UNDERGRAD! And take hard classes too like chemistry, biology, and labwork.
Anyway. Thought that was interesting to share!
At least the hotel is nice....
Y'all should see this hotel I'm staying in. I feel like it's the Ritz, but it's just the Marriott. Still, there is a huge wall-mounted flat screen tv in here AND a computer, AND wifi. And the bathroom is really nice. Marble. And I have a view out my window of the pool & jacuzzi. It's a beautiful day here. I was so relieved they let me check in to my room when I got here at 7 am. I thought I might have to wait around all day even though I called and requested an early check-in. But I got up here right away and it is lovely and comfortable and quiet and air conditioned and my first act was to flop down on the fluffy bed and take a snooze. I had to FORCE myself with sheer willpower to get out of bed again at 10:30. I could have slept all freaking day. That would be dumb though because then I would be awake all night and still I have to go to my conference tomorrow. Actually I have one meeting this afternoon. It's 5:27 am in Hawaii right now. No wonder I want to sleep more. Maybe I'll catch another snoozer later this afternoon. I did only get a few hours sleep last night. I can't sleep on planes. I tried to sleep on my flight from LA to Miami, but of course I had to sit next to the only guy on the plane who wanted to read and his bright light was glaring off his magazine right into my eyes! The flight was only 4.5 hours anyway. On the 6 hour flight to LA from Honolulu I had the misfortune of sitting next to this punk-ish guy and his girlfriend. He was a sprawler. You know, like hunching down in his seat with his legs splayed as far apart as possible, taking up like half my leg room and the entire arm rest. He kept flopping around and putting his feet up on the arm rests in front of us or wedging his knee into the seat in front of him. He seemed really childish and annoying to me. When I'm on a plane I try not to disturb the people around me... doesn't everyone?! He had all this designer clothing on, and a pair of Nike sweatpants. His watch was ridiculous too. I'm only telling you because it was inlaid all over the face with little blue, pink and silver crystals. Ridiculous. I have to say, the airline industry must really be hurting. This is the second cross-ocean flight I've been on recently on a 737. In the past I always remember flying over the ocean in a big 747 - the kind with four seats in the middle and two on either side. The past two times it's been the smaller plane with three seats on each side. And packed flights - every seat taken. My plan is to put on workout clothes and go outside and get some vit D and take a walk around the neighborhood. The waterfront is one block over. I'm not sure if it's the beach or just the waterfront. I considered ordering room service but then I noticed there is a 19% room service charge, plus a 3.00 delivery fee and then they tack on 15% gratuity plus tax, that nearly doubles whatever your meal costs! Instead I rallied and went to the restaurant for a seafood omlette. Yum. Yawn. I could go back into that bed, it's beckoning.... zzzzzzzzz
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Letter from Adam
I got up early this morning to go to the gym when it opened so I could get my workout done before leaving today. I need to shower and pack and then head to the airport for my 1 pm flight to Miami. I got a long email from A today describing some of the things he's experienced and I thought I'd share it. Enjoy!
*********
Fam,
*********
Fam,
Well, I'm over a week into this deployment ... and it has definitely been different than anything else I've done. I've taken a few unclassified notes to share.
Living Quarters:
No living in tents and walking 200 yards in the cold to the shower trailer on this deployment. I live in an old, but nice 3-bedroom apartment on the third floor terrace of a building leased to the U. S. Embassy. It is very safe: 10-foot perimeter fence, 2 checkpoints gates, and 24/7 roving guards. Despite the fortress precautions, it's feels very residential here. Lots of tropical trees, bushes, flowers ... there are even creeks and small ponds in the large courtyard. I share the apartment with another guy from work.
No living in tents and walking 200 yards in the cold to the shower trailer on this deployment. I live in an old, but nice 3-bedroom apartment on the third floor terrace of a building leased to the U. S. Embassy. It is very safe: 10-foot perimeter fence, 2 checkpoints gates, and 24/7 roving guards. Despite the fortress precautions, it's feels very residential here. Lots of tropical trees, bushes, flowers ... there are even creeks and small ponds in the large courtyard. I share the apartment with another guy from work.
Work:
I do all my work in a windowless room at the U. S. Embassy, a building that looks like a prison and has more security than most buildings in Washington, D. C. I work every day, but the hours vary. It's a good job, and I've gotten to meet some very interesting people.
I do all my work in a windowless room at the U. S. Embassy, a building that looks like a prison and has more security than most buildings in Washington, D. C. I work every day, but the hours vary. It's a good job, and I've gotten to meet some very interesting people.
The City:
I live and work in a large, over-crowded city in a third-world country. There is obvious poverty in the streets; however, there are also many well-to-do neighborhoods. I have two local drivers (Robert & Junior) who take me wherever I want to go. They are on call 24/7. It's a good thing I have them ... because driving around in this city can be a nightmare. The roads are very rough; traffic laws are not enforced; there are no road markings; there's bad traffic; and it's very easy to get lost and find yourself in a bad neighborhood. Robert & Junior know all the best driving routes and places to stop along the way. Even though this is a third-world country, the city is very international and you can eat at whatever kind of restaurant you want, although I usually go to the grocery store to save money. Robert & Junior are native to the city, so they make sure no one is trying to take advantage of me, the "white guy with a lot of money" (this is what most locals think of Americans).
I live and work in a large, over-crowded city in a third-world country. There is obvious poverty in the streets; however, there are also many well-to-do neighborhoods. I have two local drivers (Robert & Junior) who take me wherever I want to go. They are on call 24/7. It's a good thing I have them ... because driving around in this city can be a nightmare. The roads are very rough; traffic laws are not enforced; there are no road markings; there's bad traffic; and it's very easy to get lost and find yourself in a bad neighborhood. Robert & Junior know all the best driving routes and places to stop along the way. Even though this is a third-world country, the city is very international and you can eat at whatever kind of restaurant you want, although I usually go to the grocery store to save money. Robert & Junior are native to the city, so they make sure no one is trying to take advantage of me, the "white guy with a lot of money" (this is what most locals think of Americans).
Taxi Service:
If I didn't have my own transportation, I'd be forced to use the local taxi system. It's more like a fleet of 18-seat minibuses. Even though there are only 18 seats, the minibuses are usually transporting no less than 25 people at a time. People sit on top of each other or hang out the sliding door. Every minibus is different. You know you've got a good one if it's painted multiple colors, has huge tires on the back and small ones on the front, and is blaring heavy bass music over the stereo. Here's how the service works: You stand at a designated stop (or close by) – the money collector will stick his hand out as the minibus quickly approaches, and you stick your hand out to let him know you want to get on. The minibus slows down JUST ENOUGH so you can get a running start and hop on. There is an aisle, but its only wide enough to fit a small child, so you sit in the money collector's seat while he hangs outside the minibus, and then once you’ve settled, you have to find an empty seat, and squeeze your way through ... if you have a bag with you, you will be a nuisance. When you’re ready to get off the minibus, if the money collector likes you, you can get off anywhere, but if he’s not so crazy about you, you have to wait till the next stop. When its time to stop, money collector hits the roof with a coin, signaling the driver to pull over. The minibus slows down JUST ENOUGH so you can jump off.
If I didn't have my own transportation, I'd be forced to use the local taxi system. It's more like a fleet of 18-seat minibuses. Even though there are only 18 seats, the minibuses are usually transporting no less than 25 people at a time. People sit on top of each other or hang out the sliding door. Every minibus is different. You know you've got a good one if it's painted multiple colors, has huge tires on the back and small ones on the front, and is blaring heavy bass music over the stereo. Here's how the service works: You stand at a designated stop (or close by) – the money collector will stick his hand out as the minibus quickly approaches, and you stick your hand out to let him know you want to get on. The minibus slows down JUST ENOUGH so you can get a running start and hop on. There is an aisle, but its only wide enough to fit a small child, so you sit in the money collector's seat while he hangs outside the minibus, and then once you’ve settled, you have to find an empty seat, and squeeze your way through ... if you have a bag with you, you will be a nuisance. When you’re ready to get off the minibus, if the money collector likes you, you can get off anywhere, but if he’s not so crazy about you, you have to wait till the next stop. When its time to stop, money collector hits the roof with a coin, signaling the driver to pull over. The minibus slows down JUST ENOUGH so you can jump off.
Weather:
It is very pleasant here. The city is over 5000 feet above sea level, so it stays relatively cool, despite the constant sun. Temperatures never go outside the 60-90 range. The locals put on heavy overcoats when the temp hits 65 ... then they'll complain it's much too hot when the temp goes above 85. Needless to say, there is no heating or air-conditioning anywhere outside the U. S. Embassy.
It is very pleasant here. The city is over 5000 feet above sea level, so it stays relatively cool, despite the constant sun. Temperatures never go outside the 60-90 range. The locals put on heavy overcoats when the temp hits 65 ... then they'll complain it's much too hot when the temp goes above 85. Needless to say, there is no heating or air-conditioning anywhere outside the U. S. Embassy.
Wildlife:
Let's just say a zebra ran in front of the car as we were driving home from the airport on my very first day in this country. Junior was driving at the time. He was disappointed we didn't hit it, as zebra meat is apparently very good ... and it's illegal to deliberately kill them. On the same car ride, I saw huge flying objects which resembled pterodactyls, but Junior told me they were giant birds. Another day, Robert was driving me outside the city and we saw a local beating a donkey with a stick because it stubbornly refused to keep walking. One of the passengers in the car said, "I know that donkey couldn't have done anything bad enough to deserve that kind of a beating!" Robert stoically replied, "If you don't beat the donkey, it will die." We had to ask him what that meant. Apparently, if you don't beat the donkey and give it a reason to move, it stops working and eventually loses the will to live. Similarly, Robert said, "If you put a donkey in the back of a truck, it will die." Apparently, when the locals buy a donkey, they have to pick it up and bring it home ... so they drive to the donkey's location to pay for it, but one person has to stay behind and walk the donkey all the way to its new home. You see, if you put the donkey in the back of the truck, it will realize it doesn't have to walk everywhere and, again, will stop working and lose the will to live. My co-workers and I laughed for hours.
Let's just say a zebra ran in front of the car as we were driving home from the airport on my very first day in this country. Junior was driving at the time. He was disappointed we didn't hit it, as zebra meat is apparently very good ... and it's illegal to deliberately kill them. On the same car ride, I saw huge flying objects which resembled pterodactyls, but Junior told me they were giant birds. Another day, Robert was driving me outside the city and we saw a local beating a donkey with a stick because it stubbornly refused to keep walking. One of the passengers in the car said, "I know that donkey couldn't have done anything bad enough to deserve that kind of a beating!" Robert stoically replied, "If you don't beat the donkey, it will die." We had to ask him what that meant. Apparently, if you don't beat the donkey and give it a reason to move, it stops working and eventually loses the will to live. Similarly, Robert said, "If you put a donkey in the back of a truck, it will die." Apparently, when the locals buy a donkey, they have to pick it up and bring it home ... so they drive to the donkey's location to pay for it, but one person has to stay behind and walk the donkey all the way to its new home. You see, if you put the donkey in the back of the truck, it will realize it doesn't have to walk everywhere and, again, will stop working and lose the will to live. My co-workers and I laughed for hours.
Church:
There is a large Catholic church next to my apartment. The church bells ring about 8 times every day (which makes it hard to sleep when I'm on a night schedule ... but it's still nice to hear a Christian sound on deployment when, during most of my previous deployments, I was listening to the Muslim call-to-prayer five times a day). The Church itself is very nice--stone walls and stained glass. It is run by Italian missionaries and is co-located with an orphanage and school for disadvantaged children. Going to Mass there is much like going to Mass in the U. S. ... although the locals really get into the service and they sing *very* local songs. Everyone is extremely polite and nice. Even if they don't have much of anything in the way of possessions, they still wear their "Sunday best," sing loudly, and shake hands with the priest after Mass.
There is a large Catholic church next to my apartment. The church bells ring about 8 times every day (which makes it hard to sleep when I'm on a night schedule ... but it's still nice to hear a Christian sound on deployment when, during most of my previous deployments, I was listening to the Muslim call-to-prayer five times a day). The Church itself is very nice--stone walls and stained glass. It is run by Italian missionaries and is co-located with an orphanage and school for disadvantaged children. Going to Mass there is much like going to Mass in the U. S. ... although the locals really get into the service and they sing *very* local songs. Everyone is extremely polite and nice. Even if they don't have much of anything in the way of possessions, they still wear their "Sunday best," sing loudly, and shake hands with the priest after Mass.
That's all I've got for now. Hope everyone is doing well back home.
Adam
Saturday, May 09, 2009
I guess it seemed like the thing to do at the time.
Man. Man oh man. I seriously did not sleep for one everloving minute last night. Tossed and turned the whole damn time. Even after getting up at 4:30, and staying up till almost midnight. Could. Not. Sleep. I just laid there and worry-worry-worried. About what, you ask? Well I don't even want to say because it's stupid and you will all think it's shallow and irrational and obsessed. Fine. I'll tell you. I was worrying about my weight. What if I can't lose weight. What if I screw up my diet on this stupid trip to Miami. And then of course, why can't I sleep. Why am I not falling asleep?! Morning will come soon and I will not have slept at all. And I have so much to do tomorrow, and then I'm leaving on Sunday, and what do I need to bring, and what am I going to eat, and what if I can't find good food to eat. And I want to quit my job. And on and on... etc, ETC, ETCETERA. So on and so forth, with the whys and wherefores, around and around. Yes, I know, it's stupid and shallow. DON'T JUDGE ME. Sigh. Surprisingly I do not feel too badly right now. I don't really feel like I tossed and turned all night. Still I am motivated to do precisely nothing. Regardless I am going to get up right now and go get some exercise. That will definitely give me a mood boost. And then I am going to go get my haircut, and run an errand or two. And then I will come home and do whatever cleaning I can bear to do, and pack. And try to stop worrying.
Friday, May 08, 2009
UGH
Ugh. It's only 11 and I've been here nearly 6 hours already! And I have to stay probably till 4! UGH! One of the shitty things about being out here is that if there are big meetings happening in Washington we either have to travel two days to get there, or often come in super early to beam in for a video teleconference. On account of the time difference, what is a perfectly reasonable hour on the east coast of the U.S. happens to be IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT here in Hawaii. Grumble. As soon as my boss gets back from his PT, I'm going to the gym to get my workout done.
Tomorrow will be busy preparing for my trip on Sunday to Miami. Dread. Oh and also the suckage continues through the next two weeks because we start our big war game on Saturday next week! Which means I will step off the airplane Thursday night and have to come in and work 12 hour shifts starting Saturday through the rest of the following week! I'll be working 8 am to 8 pm. UGH!!! At least it won't be 6-6... that would suck cause then I'd have to be waking up at 4:30 to get here.
Tomorrow will be busy preparing for my trip on Sunday to Miami. Dread. Oh and also the suckage continues through the next two weeks because we start our big war game on Saturday next week! Which means I will step off the airplane Thursday night and have to come in and work 12 hour shifts starting Saturday through the rest of the following week! I'll be working 8 am to 8 pm. UGH!!! At least it won't be 6-6... that would suck cause then I'd have to be waking up at 4:30 to get here.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Everyone else is doing it! It would be totally trendy.
Yesterday at work my colleague told me I better be careful going to Miami next week or I might get the swine flu, and that I better get a mask to wear on the airplane because that's where I would most likely get infected. At first I was like, I'm not wearing a mask, that is stupid. But then I started thinking about being trapped in the airplane with all those... people. Coughing and sneezing and breathing. And then I thought about being trapped in the conference room with more people for 10 hours a day two days in a row - people from all over the world carrying their various infections, including possibly the swine flu, and I remembered the last time I got the flu - the only time in my adult life - was when I went to a similar conference and 75% of the people there got sick and I started to get worried. So I casually confronted my boss to tell him I was getting to be a little bitter about the fact that he is SENDING ME OFF TO MY DEATH IN MIAMI WHERE I WILL PROBABLY CONTRACT THE SWINE FLU AND DOES HE REALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT?? Well, ok, maybe it didn't quite come out like that. So he agreed to speak to the Command Surgeon and ask him about it. Apparently the Command Surgeon - off the record - recomended that everyone go ahead and get infected!! With the swine flu!!! You know, like chicken pox! To inoculate ourselves! Because if this thing mutates and becomes more virulent or deadly, all the people who have the swine flue NOW will have some level of immunity built up to it! Personally I think he's out of his mind but I didn't get the chance to tell him so. All the same he gave my boss a surgical mask to give to me to wear around if I feel the need. So now I'm thinking well I don't really want to wear this thing like one of those strange Asian people and have everyone thinking that I'm infected but I think I'm going to bring it with me just in case I get stuck sitting next to someone who's coughing and sneezing. What would YOU do? Would you wear this thing?
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Mostly more whining about my knee.
Went to the gym this morning, more to wear my new workout gear than because I actually wanted to work out. I had to work around my knee which meant not doing some of the exercises since I can't do anything that involves bending my right knee, so no squats, Bulgarian split squats or stability ball leg curls. (Note: I still have no idea if that is really how Bulgarians do their split squats, but those things really work your butt - you put one foot up on a bench behind you and basically do a lunge, but with your back foot elevated on the bench. Yeowch.) Anyway, I subbed out Romanian deadlifts (the Eastern Europeans are noted for their cruel twists on normal exercises) and calf presses. Also did not do any burpees, but I did do some jumping jacks. I love getting my workout done first thing in the morning! I only wish it was not so hard to wake up. Plus at the gym there are less shenanigans since everyone has to focus and get to work. I still saw this guy pull into the parking lot, get out of his car in his gym clothes and light up a cigarette. Ahh, nothing like black smoke in your lungs right before you exercise!
The trade winds are dead right now, which explains why it's been hotter than the hell and also very voggy. Vog is volcanic ash and fog mixed together and when there are no trade winds, it drifts over to Oahu from the big island and just sort of hangs around, insulating everything like a greenhouse.
I have not read Midnight Sun yet - the author of the Twilight series wrote another version of Twilight from the vampire Edward's perspective, but the manuscript got leaked so there is an unfinished version of it on the webz. I am reading World Without End now. I sometimes wish I had lived in Medeival times so I could live in a castle and wear pretty dresses and ride horses around everywhere and have my own Elf or at least a knight in shining armor, but A likes to remind me that the odds are I would be poor and probably die of the plague or bloodletting. Did you all know that George Washington died as a result of bloodletting?
Knee status: still hurting. I iced all day yesterday. Runner's knee must not be solely an overuse injury because it happened to me and I definitely was NOT overusing. I've had ITB syndrome before, THAT sucked. But that was overuse and also under-stretching. Luckily it was while I was at A&M so I got physical therapy for 6 weeks at only $10 per week! They used this sonogram machine that relaxes the tendon and breaks up any calcification. That took forever to heal - like months! God I hope it doesn't take that long for my knee to stop hurting.
A says we are going to do the webcams tonight! Yay!
The trade winds are dead right now, which explains why it's been hotter than the hell and also very voggy. Vog is volcanic ash and fog mixed together and when there are no trade winds, it drifts over to Oahu from the big island and just sort of hangs around, insulating everything like a greenhouse.
I have not read Midnight Sun yet - the author of the Twilight series wrote another version of Twilight from the vampire Edward's perspective, but the manuscript got leaked so there is an unfinished version of it on the webz. I am reading World Without End now. I sometimes wish I had lived in Medeival times so I could live in a castle and wear pretty dresses and ride horses around everywhere and have my own Elf or at least a knight in shining armor, but A likes to remind me that the odds are I would be poor and probably die of the plague or bloodletting. Did you all know that George Washington died as a result of bloodletting?
Knee status: still hurting. I iced all day yesterday. Runner's knee must not be solely an overuse injury because it happened to me and I definitely was NOT overusing. I've had ITB syndrome before, THAT sucked. But that was overuse and also under-stretching. Luckily it was while I was at A&M so I got physical therapy for 6 weeks at only $10 per week! They used this sonogram machine that relaxes the tendon and breaks up any calcification. That took forever to heal - like months! God I hope it doesn't take that long for my knee to stop hurting.
A says we are going to do the webcams tonight! Yay!
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
This is probably why I got fat... but I still don't know why my knee hurts, and other cruel universe-jokes.
So I just spent the last few hours scouring the internets for information about knee pain and according to the webz, I have Chondromalacia Patellae, which sounds scary but is apparently only runner's knee. I have no idea how I could have gotten runner's knee, seeing as how I have done no running in weeks, literally, in fact I hardly even do WALKING these days anymore, what with sitting still so long at this job and driving to work and the fact that A gets the mail, takes out the trash, does the laundry, gasses up the cars, and really I don't do much of anything except sit there and try to look cute and say, "don't you want to rub my feet?" to which he always says of course. But runner's knee is the only thing that fits my symptoms and this one guy on the webz says the cure is to strengthen my thigh muscles, but I already HAVE strong thigh muscles, probably stronger than like 75% of the girls out there so now I'm wondering if I go home and lay in bed and turn my foot out and do leg lifts for 10 minutes each day like he says will it help????
Knee problems
I am seriously pissed about my knee - mainly because I have absolutely ZERO idea what I did to myself. Did I fall and not remember? Did I sleep on it funny? I DON'T KNOW. It would be one thing if I was running 30 miles a week or if I had a heavy leg workout or if I was doing bike sprints or SOMETHING other than sitting on my butt when I noticed it started hurting. It's driving me crazy - it hurts to bend my leg, so sitting, walking up and down stairs, etc - pain. Walking doesn't really hurt too bad, but I think I'm going to stay off it today and try to speed the healing process. Hopefully it feels better tomorrow.
I finished Breaking Dawn last night. I couldn't stop reading! So good. I mean, it's total fantasy stuff not like this book will change your life or anything, but it's good a good escape. Now I'm sad that it's over! I already started reading World Without End, the sequal to Pillars of the Earth. I loved Pillars so I'm pretty sure World is going to be another page-turner. I started reading that last week after A and I had a Lord of the Rings marathon. It took us all week to get through all 3 movies. I forgot how long those are! And I forgot how HOT Orlando Bloom is as Legolas! Sigh. Orlando! If you're reading, I love you! * Anyway, after that I got in the mood for some more adventure stories involving castles and princesses and knights in shining armor so I pulled out World.
A called me today and he sounded like a zombie. I wonder what time it is wherever he is. He said he was finishing his workday. Yesterday he called me at the end of a 20 hr workday -yikes. He said they went out for Indian food and it was pretty good. No he's not in India. I know where he is but I can't say and I don't even think I can say after he gets back! Counting down the days. Less than 60 now.
Day 2 of 84 of whittling my butt back down to it's normal size. That seems like a long time but it's not so I need to just put my head down and get it done. And I can't even work out. But it's more about what you put in your piehole than what you burn anyway. Ain't that the truth.
* Just kidding, honey, you know I only have eyes for you! MUAH!
I finished Breaking Dawn last night. I couldn't stop reading! So good. I mean, it's total fantasy stuff not like this book will change your life or anything, but it's good a good escape. Now I'm sad that it's over! I already started reading World Without End, the sequal to Pillars of the Earth. I loved Pillars so I'm pretty sure World is going to be another page-turner. I started reading that last week after A and I had a Lord of the Rings marathon. It took us all week to get through all 3 movies. I forgot how long those are! And I forgot how HOT Orlando Bloom is as Legolas! Sigh. Orlando! If you're reading, I love you! * Anyway, after that I got in the mood for some more adventure stories involving castles and princesses and knights in shining armor so I pulled out World.
A called me today and he sounded like a zombie. I wonder what time it is wherever he is. He said he was finishing his workday. Yesterday he called me at the end of a 20 hr workday -yikes. He said they went out for Indian food and it was pretty good. No he's not in India. I know where he is but I can't say and I don't even think I can say after he gets back! Counting down the days. Less than 60 now.
Day 2 of 84 of whittling my butt back down to it's normal size. That seems like a long time but it's not so I need to just put my head down and get it done. And I can't even work out. But it's more about what you put in your piehole than what you burn anyway. Ain't that the truth.
* Just kidding, honey, you know I only have eyes for you! MUAH!
Monday, May 04, 2009
Curses
Dammit if I didn't somehow tweak my knee yesterday. Not at the gym either. It just started hurting not long after I woke up. Feels like tendinitis or something? Weird because I haven't been doing a lot of cardio?
Last night it was SO HOT. I had to turn the window a/c on in our bedroom just to get comfortable, I was laying there sweating. But that thing is so loud I can't sleep with it on. Couldn't sleep with it, couldn't sleep without it. Finally the temperature dropped and the room got cool enough that I was able to turn it off and then eventually fall asleep. Needless to say I didn't bound out of bed this morning. Alarm went off at 5 and I laid there for almost 40 minutes dozing. Finally got up and went for a 30 minute walk with the 10# weight vest. That thing feels so heavy! It feels like way more than 10#. It really gets my heart rate up.
I spent the whole afternoon and evening yesterday reading that damn book! I'm getting close to done with it. About 1/4 of it left. Seriously I can't put these books down once I get to reading them they are addicting! Wish I was home reading it right now....
Last night it was SO HOT. I had to turn the window a/c on in our bedroom just to get comfortable, I was laying there sweating. But that thing is so loud I can't sleep with it on. Couldn't sleep with it, couldn't sleep without it. Finally the temperature dropped and the room got cool enough that I was able to turn it off and then eventually fall asleep. Needless to say I didn't bound out of bed this morning. Alarm went off at 5 and I laid there for almost 40 minutes dozing. Finally got up and went for a 30 minute walk with the 10# weight vest. That thing feels so heavy! It feels like way more than 10#. It really gets my heart rate up.
I spent the whole afternoon and evening yesterday reading that damn book! I'm getting close to done with it. About 1/4 of it left. Seriously I can't put these books down once I get to reading them they are addicting! Wish I was home reading it right now....
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Chores
Adam hasn't even been gone for a whole week yet but I miss him so much! It is weird sleeping without him. I have to admit I sleep much better when he doesn't wake me in the middle of the night with his snuffling or the flopping of his ginormous limbs. Also, I already had to take the trash out AND the recycling and water all the plants and do my own laundry and fill up the water pitcher -- these are all things he normally does. I do most of the cleaning - and complain bitterly about it. Someday I will be rich and hire people to do everything for me.
I went to Costco and barely had to buy any food - it was weird. Instead I bought some clothes and the last book in the Twilight series - Breaking Dawn. I have it on my computer but it's just not the same as getting absorbed in a book. I am about 25% through it right now. I thought it was going to be boring from the beginning but there was already a major plot twist that I totally didn't see coming. I won't spoil it for you - go get the books!! Seriously they are really good and you will not be able to put them down.
I went to the MCX to get some new gym clothes since some of my t-shirts are falling apart and man was THAT depressing. I am definitely putting myself on a diet. Nothing like the sight of your pasty cellulite in a three way mirror to spark a fire under your butt. I hate battling my weight, it is so tiresome. But I am not going to give up and just get fat. Believe me that is what happens when I get lazy and let my good habits slide. I just have too strong an affinity for, well, food. Good thing this TT contest starts tomorrow. It is very motivating, it keeps me focused. Speaking of which, I am headed to the gym.
xoxo
I went to Costco and barely had to buy any food - it was weird. Instead I bought some clothes and the last book in the Twilight series - Breaking Dawn. I have it on my computer but it's just not the same as getting absorbed in a book. I am about 25% through it right now. I thought it was going to be boring from the beginning but there was already a major plot twist that I totally didn't see coming. I won't spoil it for you - go get the books!! Seriously they are really good and you will not be able to put them down.
I went to the MCX to get some new gym clothes since some of my t-shirts are falling apart and man was THAT depressing. I am definitely putting myself on a diet. Nothing like the sight of your pasty cellulite in a three way mirror to spark a fire under your butt. I hate battling my weight, it is so tiresome. But I am not going to give up and just get fat. Believe me that is what happens when I get lazy and let my good habits slide. I just have too strong an affinity for, well, food. Good thing this TT contest starts tomorrow. It is very motivating, it keeps me focused. Speaking of which, I am headed to the gym.
xoxo
Friday, May 01, 2009
A.M. workouts
I actually got up and went to the gym this morning before work. It felt great! Getting up? Not so much. Why is it so much harder to wake up at 5 than at 6? Maybe it's because the sun is not up yet. I've been waking up naturally without an alarm clock for weeks now at 6 on the nose. This morning was painful. And I was a little late for work because I had to spend some time looking up my workout since the print out was in my gym bag at work. I've streamlined my morning routine so much that I don't even dry my hair anymore or wear any makeup other than under-eye concealer and mascara, so I don't know how I could save any more time. Half the time I don't even shower anymore. I'm down to a quick rinse with a regular shower every three days or so. I don't need to wash my hair every day here for some reason it seems to stay cleaner and even looks better a day or two after washing. I used to wash and blow dry every day!
My boss is driving me bananas. Did I mention I want to quit my job? Not today?
I'm gonna keep getting up for am workouts from now on.
My boss is driving me bananas. Did I mention I want to quit my job? Not today?
I'm gonna keep getting up for am workouts from now on.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Stream of consciousness between 12:38 and 12:52 on Thursday the last day of April 2009
Sadness. It's only 12:30 and I've already read all my emails, the news, the blogs, eaten lunch, and walked to the far away water fountain to fill my water bottle. Twice. I'm booorrred. I'm going to Miami week after next and I don't want to. I hate traveling for work. I hate this joooob! I feel bad for saying that because at least I have a job - so many people are getting laid off right now.
I keep thinking I need to start getting up early to work out before work again. That used to be my routine, but since I've been here we stay up later and I sleep later and then work out during my work day (usually). But it's way less consistent. Something about waiting till later in the day, my motivation for it starts to evaporate around 10. I don't like having to change out of work clothes, get sweaty and then try to rinse off/clean up as best I can and put work clothes back on and go back to work. And the end of the day? Yeah it sounds like a good idea, but who really wants to go do ANOTHER thing you don't really want to after you just got done doing NINE HOURS of things you don't really want to? It seems silly to spend an hour of my morning working out when I can take the time out of my work day and have that extra hour of free time. But at least in the morning I actually want to work out, even if it is really hard to get out of bed to do it. And then I have the nice shot of endorphins to get me through till lunch.
This is my biggest problem right now. Go ahead and punch me in the face if you want (hypothetically). That and how I need to find another activity outside of eating to entertain myself with. I am going to enter another Turbulence Training contest, which starts on Monday, since that seemed to give me a lot of motivation for weight loss last year. Yes, I hate that I'm doing this AGAIN when I spent May-August losing the same weight last year. Apparently I have even more to lose this time though... I got on the scale at the doctor's last week and practically had a hernia - evidently I've gained 26 lbs since I moved here, not even shitting. And I was still about 7 lbs over where I really wanted to be when I moved here back in November last year. I doubt I'll be able to lose 26 lbs in 12 weeks. I lost 12 last year and then a few more after that. I still find it hard to believe that I've gained that much weight. I mean, I don't think I LOOK like I've gained that much. But I haven't gotten the gumption to get on my own scale at home yet. I will do that on Monday. I'm going to go ahead and start the contest on Monday even though I'm going to Miami the following week. It will help me stay on track. So if I *really* have 30 # to lose to get to my ideal weight (i.e., where I feel most comfortable and ALL my clothes fit and I can walk into any store in the mall and try on clothes and not feel like omg nothing fits), then I expect it to take 30 weeks which would be the end of November. No I do not actually believe I have that much to lose (wishful thinking?). ANYWAY. Yes I am bored enough to have just spent 20 minutes of my life blogging about this.
I keep thinking I need to start getting up early to work out before work again. That used to be my routine, but since I've been here we stay up later and I sleep later and then work out during my work day (usually). But it's way less consistent. Something about waiting till later in the day, my motivation for it starts to evaporate around 10. I don't like having to change out of work clothes, get sweaty and then try to rinse off/clean up as best I can and put work clothes back on and go back to work. And the end of the day? Yeah it sounds like a good idea, but who really wants to go do ANOTHER thing you don't really want to after you just got done doing NINE HOURS of things you don't really want to? It seems silly to spend an hour of my morning working out when I can take the time out of my work day and have that extra hour of free time. But at least in the morning I actually want to work out, even if it is really hard to get out of bed to do it. And then I have the nice shot of endorphins to get me through till lunch.
This is my biggest problem right now. Go ahead and punch me in the face if you want (hypothetically). That and how I need to find another activity outside of eating to entertain myself with. I am going to enter another Turbulence Training contest, which starts on Monday, since that seemed to give me a lot of motivation for weight loss last year. Yes, I hate that I'm doing this AGAIN when I spent May-August losing the same weight last year. Apparently I have even more to lose this time though... I got on the scale at the doctor's last week and practically had a hernia - evidently I've gained 26 lbs since I moved here, not even shitting. And I was still about 7 lbs over where I really wanted to be when I moved here back in November last year. I doubt I'll be able to lose 26 lbs in 12 weeks. I lost 12 last year and then a few more after that. I still find it hard to believe that I've gained that much weight. I mean, I don't think I LOOK like I've gained that much. But I haven't gotten the gumption to get on my own scale at home yet. I will do that on Monday. I'm going to go ahead and start the contest on Monday even though I'm going to Miami the following week. It will help me stay on track. So if I *really* have 30 # to lose to get to my ideal weight (i.e., where I feel most comfortable and ALL my clothes fit and I can walk into any store in the mall and try on clothes and not feel like omg nothing fits), then I expect it to take 30 weeks which would be the end of November. No I do not actually believe I have that much to lose (wishful thinking?). ANYWAY. Yes I am bored enough to have just spent 20 minutes of my life blogging about this.
Finally.
Honeymoon pics. I think this link will work but let me know if you can't view the pics... also let me know if you have to get a google account because if so I will switch them to flickr.
I got an email from my blog that said it was lonely. I know, bad blogger. I wish I could say it's because we've been so busy having fun and running around, but the truth is that our schedules have been blessedly boring. We've been settling in and shaking off the residual stress of the wedding and honeymoon.
Adam left for his two month deployment yesterday.
I'm due another thyroid scan in a few weeks.
I'm becoming more grumbly about my job as the weeks wear on. My main complaint is hating being chained to a desk. Being chained to a desk with nothing to do or things that you don't want to do is by far worse.
That's the news! I'll try not to be so scarce!
xoxoxox
I got an email from my blog that said it was lonely. I know, bad blogger. I wish I could say it's because we've been so busy having fun and running around, but the truth is that our schedules have been blessedly boring. We've been settling in and shaking off the residual stress of the wedding and honeymoon.
Adam left for his two month deployment yesterday.
I'm due another thyroid scan in a few weeks.
I'm becoming more grumbly about my job as the weeks wear on. My main complaint is hating being chained to a desk. Being chained to a desk with nothing to do or things that you don't want to do is by far worse.
That's the news! I'll try not to be so scarce!
xoxoxox
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, monday
Ahhh, Monday almost done! I can't believe how fast the weekends go. They are even faster now since Adam and I started cohabitating and are around each other all the time. I guess the time go faster when you have company. We are finally getting over our jet lag - it seemed to take a long time - and spent most of the weekend relaxing. Yesterday we went to Ala Moana beach park and laid in the sun all afternoon. I'm getting pretty tanned after our cruise when we had a few really sunny days and then yesterday. I always wear my SPF too and I have to yell at Adam when he digs around in the cabinets and somehow produces the oldest, most decaying bottle of sunscreen we have and uses that. That stuff expires! I'm going to have to throw some of those away or he will keep using them. Just like I am going to start throwing away his military-brown undershirts that have perma-stink. He protests vehemently, but I was forced to disappear one particularly offensive one on Saturday when I pulled it out of the drier and the b.o. smell almost knocked me over. There are many funny things about being married. For instance, I still have to laugh about the toilet paper comment when we first moved in together... we were at the commissary getting groceries and house things when I first got to Hawaii and we went down the toilet paper aisle and I said, oh we need to get some toilet paper, and Adam said, why? we already have a roll. HahahaHA! A roll. I'm chuckling now just thinking about it! It was precious, having to explain to him the special needs of women in the powder room. My dad pulled that trick on us when we were little too, and evidently two little girls were using way too much toilet paper because I remember him trying to ration it out and tell us we only needed three squares to wipe with. Hehehehehe. Our sweet men.
Anyway, I think I broke my toe over the weekend. I slammed it into my big wooden trunk and now it's all swollen and bruised and looks like a purple grape. And it hurts! I've been wearing my flip flops at work all day because they are the only shoes that don't hurt my toe! No one has seemed to notice, which just goes to show you - I probably COULD wear my pj's to work and no one would even care. I was worried about trying to get my gym shoes on, but I managed... they were a little more uncomfortable but I was determined to get my workout done. I just had some kettlebell and bodyweight work today so no running or aggressive jumping. One of the really great things about living in Hawaii and working at a military command is that there is a fully-equiped (albeit small) fitness facility right on site. And we're encouraged to use it during business hours! The weather was awesome today so I dragged my kettlebells outside and did my workout in the lawn under a shade tree.
And it's 4:59... just about that time. Finally! All day I've been wishing I could just go home and read my book... I'm reading Twilight. What??? - I know, I know, a book about teenage vampires/seriously/??/etc, but I kept hearing about how good it was and Costco had it for $7 and now that I started it I can't put it down! I read nearly 100 pages yesterday on the beach!
I promise I have honeymoon pics, soon... just as soon as I get them off my camera, which honestly may not be until I finish Twilight and we burn through the remaining 500 Sopranos episodes clogging up our DVR... oh, and finish our wedding thank you's! Eh, I'm going to take my purple toe home now and prop it up on the coffee table.
Anyway, I think I broke my toe over the weekend. I slammed it into my big wooden trunk and now it's all swollen and bruised and looks like a purple grape. And it hurts! I've been wearing my flip flops at work all day because they are the only shoes that don't hurt my toe! No one has seemed to notice, which just goes to show you - I probably COULD wear my pj's to work and no one would even care. I was worried about trying to get my gym shoes on, but I managed... they were a little more uncomfortable but I was determined to get my workout done. I just had some kettlebell and bodyweight work today so no running or aggressive jumping. One of the really great things about living in Hawaii and working at a military command is that there is a fully-equiped (albeit small) fitness facility right on site. And we're encouraged to use it during business hours! The weather was awesome today so I dragged my kettlebells outside and did my workout in the lawn under a shade tree.
And it's 4:59... just about that time. Finally! All day I've been wishing I could just go home and read my book... I'm reading Twilight. What??? - I know, I know, a book about teenage vampires/seriously/??/etc, but I kept hearing about how good it was and Costco had it for $7 and now that I started it I can't put it down! I read nearly 100 pages yesterday on the beach!
I promise I have honeymoon pics, soon... just as soon as I get them off my camera, which honestly may not be until I finish Twilight and we burn through the remaining 500 Sopranos episodes clogging up our DVR... oh, and finish our wedding thank you's! Eh, I'm going to take my purple toe home now and prop it up on the coffee table.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wedding Photos!!
Well we're back from the land of pancakes and elastic pants (aka: the cruise ship lol). Honeymoon was awesome. We have tons of pics I will upload later. We just flew in to Honolulu this morning on an overnight flight from Auckland. Yesterday was Sunday in Auckland. We got off the ship at 8 am and walked around Auckland for a few hours before heading to the airport for our flight to Fiji. We were stuck in the Fiji airport for 6 hours! It's about the size of a high school gymnasium. We were going crazy. Adam read to me from Sherlock Holmes for about 3 hours straight! Finally we made it back home. Sunday again. You can time travel when you cross the dateline! It's a gorgeous sunny day here. We ate and went to bed for a few hours and now I need to get some groceries and get ready to resume "real life".
Check out our wedding photos though!! This link is a cool online book my sister made. Or you can see all of the pics by going to this website and entering the password "seiler".
Hope you are all doing well and having fun!
Life is good!
Check out our wedding photos though!! This link is a cool online book my sister made. Or you can see all of the pics by going to this website and entering the password "seiler".Hope you are all doing well and having fun!
Life is good!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
25 things....
Well, it was only a matter of time until I got tagged by the Facebook 25 things meme. So here goes (this is really off the cuff)!
1. I'm a pisces and whether you believe in astrology or not, the shoe fits me.
2. I went to three different high schools and three different colleges (high school: Germany, Alabama, Turkey; college: Germany, UT Austin, TX A&M).
3. The longest I've ever lived anywhere was 6 years spent from ages 3-8 in Las Vegas, NV where my parents live now.
4. I have a college degree in psychology. No I am not analyzing you.
5. I've had a polygraph examination before.
6. I never planned on becoming an expert on weapons of mass destruction policy - I just sort of fell into it. In fact, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I went to grad school on a whim and because I got a scholarship.
7. I have one sister who lives in Florida and she gave the most rockin' maid of honor speech at my wedding (it was the only point where I nearly cried).
8. I graduated from high school in Izmir, Turkey in a class of 11. Our school district spanned a distance greater than the continental U.S. from the Azores, Portugal in the Pacific Ocean, to Rota, Spain, to Bahrain and three schools in Turkey at Adana, Izmir and Ankara. We played basketball against the Bahraini girls who wore hijab (headscarves) and long sleeves/pants on the court and kicked our butts!
9. I used to be a wild child. Clubs, raves, drinking and drugs. I have admitted all of this to the U.S. government.
10. I was raised Catholic and had to attend CCD/church until we moved to Turkey when my parents stopped making us go. I was supposed to get confirmed, but I didn't finish the class until 2007. I believe in saints, angels, and the Virgin Mary and try to outrun my guilt complex.
11. I married a man who was once in the seminary. Now we go to church every weekend and even though I don't agree with all the Catholic dogma, I love the ritual and mysticism of Catholicism.
12. I want kids. Sometimes I want them NOW, NOW, NOW. Sometimes that scares me a little and I think of all the ways my life will change once I have them. For instance, how am I going to drag a baby to China???
13. I'm scuba certified and got my open-water cert in a lake in Texas where there are catfish as big as your thigh.
14. When I was little I cut all of my cousin's hair off with a pair of plastic Mickey Mouse scissors while my dad was watching football... ahem, I mean babysitting us. To this day it is still everyone's favorite story to tell when the family all gets together, especially if there are newcomers.
15. I struggle with maintaining my weight. I have been really thin a couple of times in my life through strict diet mainly. When I am winging my diet, I tend to be pretty soft and voluptuous (thanks Mom lol).
16. I love being an athlete. I love to lift weights and get a good sweat going on. I never said I was good at it though!
17. I had thyroid cancer and I got to be radioactive as part of my treatments when I had to ingest radioactive iodine and be isolated for a week. A year later, my best girlfriend in DC who worked in the same office as me was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
18. I still can't believe I live in Hawaii.
19. I love Adam more and more each day. Would y'all believe he rubs my feet almost every night?!
20. I also love anything chocolate.
21. I used to be a real dreamer and fancied myself a writer/poet/anti-establishment modern day bohemian beatnik. Now I'm a yuppie.
22. I drive a white Honda Civic. Too fast.
23. I pack my lunch every day in a huge cooler that people make fun of me for - it's been called my "pharmacy of food." I get comments about what I eat all the time.
24. My favorite color to wear is blue. My favorite color for the home is green.
25. I have a window in my office that looks down on the ocean and Pearl Harbor. You can come visit anytime!
1. I'm a pisces and whether you believe in astrology or not, the shoe fits me.
2. I went to three different high schools and three different colleges (high school: Germany, Alabama, Turkey; college: Germany, UT Austin, TX A&M).
3. The longest I've ever lived anywhere was 6 years spent from ages 3-8 in Las Vegas, NV where my parents live now.
4. I have a college degree in psychology. No I am not analyzing you.
5. I've had a polygraph examination before.
6. I never planned on becoming an expert on weapons of mass destruction policy - I just sort of fell into it. In fact, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I went to grad school on a whim and because I got a scholarship.
7. I have one sister who lives in Florida and she gave the most rockin' maid of honor speech at my wedding (it was the only point where I nearly cried).
8. I graduated from high school in Izmir, Turkey in a class of 11. Our school district spanned a distance greater than the continental U.S. from the Azores, Portugal in the Pacific Ocean, to Rota, Spain, to Bahrain and three schools in Turkey at Adana, Izmir and Ankara. We played basketball against the Bahraini girls who wore hijab (headscarves) and long sleeves/pants on the court and kicked our butts!
9. I used to be a wild child. Clubs, raves, drinking and drugs. I have admitted all of this to the U.S. government.
10. I was raised Catholic and had to attend CCD/church until we moved to Turkey when my parents stopped making us go. I was supposed to get confirmed, but I didn't finish the class until 2007. I believe in saints, angels, and the Virgin Mary and try to outrun my guilt complex.
11. I married a man who was once in the seminary. Now we go to church every weekend and even though I don't agree with all the Catholic dogma, I love the ritual and mysticism of Catholicism.
12. I want kids. Sometimes I want them NOW, NOW, NOW. Sometimes that scares me a little and I think of all the ways my life will change once I have them. For instance, how am I going to drag a baby to China???
13. I'm scuba certified and got my open-water cert in a lake in Texas where there are catfish as big as your thigh.
14. When I was little I cut all of my cousin's hair off with a pair of plastic Mickey Mouse scissors while my dad was watching football... ahem, I mean babysitting us. To this day it is still everyone's favorite story to tell when the family all gets together, especially if there are newcomers.
15. I struggle with maintaining my weight. I have been really thin a couple of times in my life through strict diet mainly. When I am winging my diet, I tend to be pretty soft and voluptuous (thanks Mom lol).
16. I love being an athlete. I love to lift weights and get a good sweat going on. I never said I was good at it though!
17. I had thyroid cancer and I got to be radioactive as part of my treatments when I had to ingest radioactive iodine and be isolated for a week. A year later, my best girlfriend in DC who worked in the same office as me was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
18. I still can't believe I live in Hawaii.
19. I love Adam more and more each day. Would y'all believe he rubs my feet almost every night?!
20. I also love anything chocolate.
21. I used to be a real dreamer and fancied myself a writer/poet/anti-establishment modern day bohemian beatnik. Now I'm a yuppie.
22. I drive a white Honda Civic. Too fast.
23. I pack my lunch every day in a huge cooler that people make fun of me for - it's been called my "pharmacy of food." I get comments about what I eat all the time.
24. My favorite color to wear is blue. My favorite color for the home is green.
25. I have a window in my office that looks down on the ocean and Pearl Harbor. You can come visit anytime!
Well, we're not going to Germany, but we ARE going to Australia and New Zealand!!!
This week has been BUSY! I've actually had a lot going on at work instead of my usual low-grade boredom, and we haven't even had time to accomplish our goal of getting our wedding thank you's done... tonight might not work either cause I need to be packing for our HONEYMOON! I'm so excited we are leaving on Saturday morning to Sydney, Australia and hopping on a cruise ship for TWO WHOLE GLORIOUS BLISSFUL WEEKS!!! It's going to fly by so fast.
Here is our itinerary:
Day 1
Sydney, Australia
Day 2
Sydney, Australia
Day 3
Phillip Island, Australia
Day 4
Melbourne, Australia
Day 5
At Sea
Day 6
Hobart, Tasmania
Day 7
At Sea
Day 8
At Sea
Day 9
Milford Sound, New Zealand
Day 9
Doubtful Sound
Day 9
Dusky Sound
Day 10
Dunedin, New Zealand
Day 11
Christchurch, New Zealand
Day 12
Wellington, New Zealand
Day 13
Volcanic White Island, N.Z.
Day 14
Tauranga, New Zealand
Day 15
Auckland, New Zealand
We are trying to figure out what to do in each port call since we're only in port for the day each time we will barely have enough time to see a few things! There are a TON of shore excursions including kayaking, biking, train rides through the New Zealand Alps, city tours, wine tastings and more. Not to mention everything there is to do on the ship - can you say SPA-AHHH!
I will have a ton of pics when we get back!
Also, we are not going to Germany. Yes it is sad but I am at peace with it and I feel like it's the right thing. I feel like it is the "sign" we were waiting for... the detailer offered us AFRICOM and after talking to the guy Adam would be replacing we decided no, not for us! 12 hour days and sub-optimal housing and facilities. We could live with not the greatest living conditions IF the job was great... or we could live with a kind of crappy job IF the living conditions would be pretty cool... but both sounds like a bad assignment! So, as much as we both wanted to live in Europe, we also realize that we've barely had any time to enjoy the islands. And there is plenty of adventure left here. We want to travel to the big island and Kauai, and go to Japan, China and Thailand while we're here and relatively close.
So that is that. If I don't see y'all again before we depart, I'll catch ya on the flipside, after March 16! Think good thoughts for a successful vacation!
Here is our itinerary:
Day 1
Sydney, Australia
Day 2
Sydney, Australia
Day 3
Phillip Island, Australia
Day 4
Melbourne, Australia
Day 5
At Sea
Day 6
Hobart, Tasmania
Day 7
At Sea
Day 8
At Sea
Day 9
Milford Sound, New Zealand
Day 9
Doubtful Sound
Day 9
Dusky Sound
Day 10
Dunedin, New Zealand
Day 11
Christchurch, New Zealand
Day 12
Wellington, New Zealand
Day 13
Volcanic White Island, N.Z.
Day 14
Tauranga, New Zealand
Day 15
Auckland, New Zealand
We are trying to figure out what to do in each port call since we're only in port for the day each time we will barely have enough time to see a few things! There are a TON of shore excursions including kayaking, biking, train rides through the New Zealand Alps, city tours, wine tastings and more. Not to mention everything there is to do on the ship - can you say SPA-AHHH!
I will have a ton of pics when we get back!
Also, we are not going to Germany. Yes it is sad but I am at peace with it and I feel like it's the right thing. I feel like it is the "sign" we were waiting for... the detailer offered us AFRICOM and after talking to the guy Adam would be replacing we decided no, not for us! 12 hour days and sub-optimal housing and facilities. We could live with not the greatest living conditions IF the job was great... or we could live with a kind of crappy job IF the living conditions would be pretty cool... but both sounds like a bad assignment! So, as much as we both wanted to live in Europe, we also realize that we've barely had any time to enjoy the islands. And there is plenty of adventure left here. We want to travel to the big island and Kauai, and go to Japan, China and Thailand while we're here and relatively close.
So that is that. If I don't see y'all again before we depart, I'll catch ya on the flipside, after March 16! Think good thoughts for a successful vacation!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Love and Marriage
I saw this over at Because of Course and thought it was cute and appropriate since we just got married! (Squee!)
What are your middle names?
Lynn and Derrick
How long have you been together?
We met in mid-2003 and have been dating since early 2004. And we've been married for 5 days now!!
How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 5 months.
Who asked whom out?
He asked me. We were at a bar in College Station and I gave him a ride home since he'd been drinking. He was very cute and asked if I would want to go to dinner with him sometime. I didn't want to get involved with anyone at school since I knew I'd only be there for 18 months, but he was so sweet I thought why not, just for kicks!
How old are each of you?
I will be 29 on March 8 and Adam is 26.
Whose siblings do you see the most?
His so far. They came to visit us in DC and we saw them in Kansas, plus they were just here for the wedding. My sister lives in Florida.
Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Uh... planning our frickin' wedding, yo! But it was totally worth it.
Did you go to the same school?
The same grad school - Texas A&M. That's where we met and fell in love!
Are you from the same home town?
No. Adam lived in Galax, VA and then Wichita, KS until he went to grad school. I was born in Germany and then lived in Nevada, Kansas, Virginia, Alabama, Turkey, Germany, Texas, Arizona, Italy, Texas again, Virginia again, and now Hawaii.
Who is smarter?
Me. Hehehe. Just kidding. He is smarter about money and finances and math stuff. I'm smarter about everything else :)
Who is the most sensitive?
Me. Adam is sensitive, but mostly he's calm and balances out my watery, Piscean emotional nature.
Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Our most visited restaurant is probably the Kabob Bazaar in Clarendon (Arlington), VA. We also end up at Cheesecake Factory a lot since they have big tasty salads. We hardly ever eat out, though. I don't like to eat out. It's usually a disappointment!
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
So far Hawaii, although once we drove a U-Haul from Texas to Virginia and that SEEMED like the farthest we've traveled!! Next week it will be Australia and New Zealand!!
Who has the craziest exes?
Neither of us has crazy exes.
Who has the worst temper?
Me. I can be a real brat sometimes. It's hard to ruffle Adam's feathers. He just thinks it's cute when I get riled up, which is kind of annoying.
Who does the cooking?
Cooking? What's that? We cook for ourselves mostly.
Who is the neat-freak?
I am probably more of a neat freak, I guess. He's pretty tidy too. We both like everything in its place. I'm more of a cleaning person, though - hair in the bathroom sink - yuk!
Who is more stubborn?
It's a toss up.
Who hogs the bed?
He does sometimes - and his appendages weigh like 500 lbs so when they are on you in the dead of sleep, you practically need to send up flares to get rescued.
Who wakes up earlier?
I do. Sometimes Adam has to wake up earlier, but he doesn't like it.
Where was your first date?
Ask Adam, I can't remember the name of the restaurant. In my mind, Valentines day 2004 was our first "real" date. The first dinner was just a dry run to make sure he wasn't insane or anything. Valentines day Adam made a reservation at this chic restaurant in Bryan, TX (yes, I realize chic and Bryan, TX is an oxymoron), but it turns out he made the reservation on the wrong day (ha!) so we ended up getting Outback steaks at the carry-out window and eating at my place. He brought me a present too, which totally freaked me out at first because we'd only been interested in each other for about a week so Valentines day was a LOT of pressure and I figured there was so much that could go wrong in selecting a gift at that early stage... but he gave me these cute little teddy bears with their arms tied around each other in a hug from Red Envelope and it turned out to be perfect.
Who is more jealous?
Neither of us is particularly jealous!
How long did it take to get serious?
What do you mean by serious? We were seriously involved right away, but it took a few years before we got really serious about marriage. Or I should say it took ME a few years!
Who eats more?
Adam eats more most of the time, although I can eat like a linebacker when I'm in the mood.
Who does the laundry?
He does. (I KNOW!!)
Who’s better with the computer?
He is. I know how to turn it on and access my email.
Who drives when you are together?
Definitely Adam. He hates it when he's not in control. He likes to hold the remote control too lol.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
We got married!
Thursday was a dream. It went by so fast! I was so sad when the day was over - I didn't want the day to end! It was a perfect day. We can't wait to see the pictures! Our photographer was awesome and there are going to be some really cute ones of us! It was kind of a cloudy day but the sun came out both times when we went outside to take pictures! I felt like a princess and Adam looked so handsome in his tuxedo! I'll be back to write all about it - I want to remember every detail. And to post more pics! The past two days we were staying at the resort where we had our reception and man, all we did is eat and sleep! Time to get back on the program before our honeymoon in a week!
Mr. & Mrs. Seiler!
Mr. & Mrs. Seiler!Friday, February 06, 2009
Monumental tasks
Don't worry - I'm not holding out on you guys. We just don't have anything to report yet. The detailer was evidently on leave last week and this week was too busy to respond. Commence the waiting while I waffle back and forth between excitement about moving to Germany, dread about quitting work, and a general sense of anxiety and worry about the whole affair. It sort of helps that I'm super extremely bored at work, which makes me want to QUIT NOW. But then they start talking about how I am going to be the continuity on this or that after the two military guys leave our shop and I start to feel guilty and all like, I can't QUIT! They NEED me!
And of course right now I am up to my ears in boxes since my stuff got delivered on Monday and I keep unpacking and organizing but it never seems to end and all I can do is wade through mounds of packing paper moving things around from here to there and feeling forlorn. Woe. And we are talking about doing this again in less than a YEAR?! Am I out of my freaking mind?! Yes. Yes I am.
And of course right now I am up to my ears in boxes since my stuff got delivered on Monday and I keep unpacking and organizing but it never seems to end and all I can do is wade through mounds of packing paper moving things around from here to there and feeling forlorn. Woe. And we are talking about doing this again in less than a YEAR?! Am I out of my freaking mind?! Yes. Yes I am.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
What a difference a day makes...
I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about baby names. Which ones I like (Madison, Victoria, Luke and Jonah) and which ones I like but don't like the obvious nickname - Addison/Addy, Samuel/Sam, Jonathan/Jon, Michael/Mike. I also spent at least 15 minutes signing my name "Michelle Seiler" in about 50 different ways. Traditional curly-que cursive S or written more like a normal capital S? And with the -eiler kind of messy and strung together... I then moved on to writing out baby names to see how they will sound with the last name Seiler. If all goes as planned we will be "Trying" by the end of this year.
Everything could change tomorrow. Adam is going to talk to the detailer and request orders to Germany. We both agree that when our babies come, I should stay at home to care for them. We can afford it. We will have to cut back spending, but we'll make it ok. Knowing I won't be worrying about a career at least temporarily means it's not important to stay here. So we appease my restless heart and go off on a new adventure. We are both excited for schnitzel and pommes, mayo on the side, Kristkindelmarkt, gluhwein, Oktoberfest, snowy villages and summer trips to Italy.
And if we can't get orders to Germany? Aside from the heartbreak, we don't know what we'll do. It doesn't seem like either of us really, REALLY wants to stay here another three years after this one. We both feel like we'll be sort of ... done before then. But where else to go? Adam raised the possibility of going back to DC and strange and crazy as it seems, I actually thought it sounded like a good idea. If I were in DC right now, I would have gotten up early this morning and bundled up to go jogging on the W&OD trail - maybe a light snow would fall and my breath would be an icy fog. I would peel off my clothes and my cheeks would be red as cherries and my fingers so cold the hot water would hurt. Then I'd pull on warm sweats and shuffle around with music on in the background, watching the snow fall, drinking warm tea, getting shocked by the static electricity. Maybe later I would go out and meet Erin and Megan for tea at Cosi. I try to remind myself of all the reasons I couldn't wait to leave there - the traffic, the ice, wind and cold, the rat race, the oppressive crush of people all racing to be... where? I can't explain why I am thinking maybe we could live there again. Maybe it would be different this time. No, I mean I know EVERYTHING would be different. But maybe it would be better?
Also tomorrow my things are getting delivered - my books and couch and bed and all the other stuff I've been accumulating over the years. We'll be up to our ears in it. And I'm sure I'll get sidetracked from packing when I open the box with the photo albums and journals - I can lose days reliving memories, unwrapping trinkets, reading old letters. Adam will unpack the kitchen stuff and put everything in the wrong place while I lose my mind in the past...!
Everything could change tomorrow. Adam is going to talk to the detailer and request orders to Germany. We both agree that when our babies come, I should stay at home to care for them. We can afford it. We will have to cut back spending, but we'll make it ok. Knowing I won't be worrying about a career at least temporarily means it's not important to stay here. So we appease my restless heart and go off on a new adventure. We are both excited for schnitzel and pommes, mayo on the side, Kristkindelmarkt, gluhwein, Oktoberfest, snowy villages and summer trips to Italy.
And if we can't get orders to Germany? Aside from the heartbreak, we don't know what we'll do. It doesn't seem like either of us really, REALLY wants to stay here another three years after this one. We both feel like we'll be sort of ... done before then. But where else to go? Adam raised the possibility of going back to DC and strange and crazy as it seems, I actually thought it sounded like a good idea. If I were in DC right now, I would have gotten up early this morning and bundled up to go jogging on the W&OD trail - maybe a light snow would fall and my breath would be an icy fog. I would peel off my clothes and my cheeks would be red as cherries and my fingers so cold the hot water would hurt. Then I'd pull on warm sweats and shuffle around with music on in the background, watching the snow fall, drinking warm tea, getting shocked by the static electricity. Maybe later I would go out and meet Erin and Megan for tea at Cosi. I try to remind myself of all the reasons I couldn't wait to leave there - the traffic, the ice, wind and cold, the rat race, the oppressive crush of people all racing to be... where? I can't explain why I am thinking maybe we could live there again. Maybe it would be different this time. No, I mean I know EVERYTHING would be different. But maybe it would be better?
Also tomorrow my things are getting delivered - my books and couch and bed and all the other stuff I've been accumulating over the years. We'll be up to our ears in it. And I'm sure I'll get sidetracked from packing when I open the box with the photo albums and journals - I can lose days reliving memories, unwrapping trinkets, reading old letters. Adam will unpack the kitchen stuff and put everything in the wrong place while I lose my mind in the past...!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Almost there...
Coming down to the wire now! I think all we have left to do is get a DJ and finalize everything (flowers, photography, etc.). After this weekend - fingers crossed - we will be able to just sit back and relax until Feb. 19. Then another week until our honeymoon! I will be so happy when we finally get on the ship for our cruise around Australia and New Zealand! I've always dreamed of going there and I'm so excited to finally get the chance!
We still haven't made any final decisions about Germany. Part of us wants to stay just out of sheer exhaustion - another change? No thanks. Another part of us is excited to have a new adventure!
Am I just like Don Quixote? Always chasing after something elusive and not really real - a dream of greener grass? I have a restless heart...
We still haven't made any final decisions about Germany. Part of us wants to stay just out of sheer exhaustion - another change? No thanks. Another part of us is excited to have a new adventure!
Am I just like Don Quixote? Always chasing after something elusive and not really real - a dream of greener grass? I have a restless heart...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
MORE ADVICE PLS!!!
So, I need advice. Adam has to talk to the detailer at the end of the month about our next assignment. Originally we were thinking we would stay here so I could work, and the last time he talked to the detailer, he told us we could stay here another 3 years after this year, then get a pretty much guaranteed follow-on assignment to Colorado Springs where we want to settle down ultimately. We have talked about asking for orders to Germany or Japan, though. Just to live overseas and have a cool experience and get to travel around. Germany would be Stuttgart - Army facilities, not the greatest, but it would be a great location to do day trips and travel around. Japan would be right outside Tokyo - really urban, big culture shock.
Anyway, the thing is that if we leave here at the end of the year, I will probably quit working. This is the big decision point for me - whether I want to keep working at this career path or not..... if we stay here I'll keep working at least until we have a baby, then who knows... maybe I will quit working anyway. If we leave here though, there is very little chance of me finding a job other than maybe at the fitness center or at the PX.
I have thought about a career change anyway, and I can use Adam's GI bill to get re-educated if I want to... we've talked about me being a SAHM while we have little ones too. That all sounds nice, but it also sounds hard to give up the gov't career I've worked so hard on these last few years!
PLUS - giving up my income. I LIKE being able to go into a store and buy a shirt if I want to! We would have to really reign it in if we are living only on one salary, especially if we want to do some cool traveling AND we're going to have babies!
EEK! What would YOU do??? I'm really torn! He says he will do whatever I want.
Anyway, the thing is that if we leave here at the end of the year, I will probably quit working. This is the big decision point for me - whether I want to keep working at this career path or not..... if we stay here I'll keep working at least until we have a baby, then who knows... maybe I will quit working anyway. If we leave here though, there is very little chance of me finding a job other than maybe at the fitness center or at the PX.
I have thought about a career change anyway, and I can use Adam's GI bill to get re-educated if I want to... we've talked about me being a SAHM while we have little ones too. That all sounds nice, but it also sounds hard to give up the gov't career I've worked so hard on these last few years!
PLUS - giving up my income. I LIKE being able to go into a store and buy a shirt if I want to! We would have to really reign it in if we are living only on one salary, especially if we want to do some cool traveling AND we're going to have babies!
EEK! What would YOU do??? I'm really torn! He says he will do whatever I want.
Friday, January 16, 2009
About that guy....
ok, so about this guy I was asking for opinions on...
this is a 52 year old Lt Col i work with! This is the same guy who is changing his eating habits on my advice... he was eating a candy and a mountain dew for breakfast. (how he made it to 52 and in the military no less without knowing a bit more about proper nutrition is beyond me.)
he's still single and he talks about wanting to meet a woman, and i was trying to give him some advice. i said that if a woman sees duct tape on your shoes she is going to probably draw some conclusions about you and your lifestyle and it's going to be a turn off. plus if she sees the rabbit ears and then finds out you don't have internet or a cell phone either.... most women would be running for the door. even if you're really nice! because this tells how you live your life and MOST people don't live like that!
sad to say my opinion is this guy is pretty cheap. he says he is saving up to buy a lot of land to have a horse ranch when he retires... and have retarded kids come over to ride them......... but honestly, getting some nice shoes would only put a tiny dent in that!!! plus, i've seen him eat moldy bagels because he didn't want them to go to waste. it's not like this guy doesn't have money!!! he probably has piles of it scrooged away, at 52 and a Lt Col in the Army you are well compensated and he has no one else to spend it on.
i know there are some out there who would not care about any of this, but they are few and it's limiting his dating pool. he's too set in his ways to change, i think... he absolutely would NOT believe me about the shoes. he thinks that god is going to send him the woman who will love the fact that he has duct tape on his shoes because "that's so him"... even after several women came into the office and were "informally polled" LOL about their opinion, he still didn't believe that women would judge him on the basis of his shoes!!! this turned into a long conversation with me arguing that people make judgments about each other on the basis of appearance. it may not always be RIGHT, but it's what people DO, it's partly how we make sense of the world around us so we know how to behave and interact with each other. he just vehemently opposed this idea, refusing to believe that people do or should judge each other based on appearance. anyway, he told me to ask the internets, so that's why i posted it!!!
thanks for your responses!!
this is a 52 year old Lt Col i work with! This is the same guy who is changing his eating habits on my advice... he was eating a candy and a mountain dew for breakfast. (how he made it to 52 and in the military no less without knowing a bit more about proper nutrition is beyond me.)
he's still single and he talks about wanting to meet a woman, and i was trying to give him some advice. i said that if a woman sees duct tape on your shoes she is going to probably draw some conclusions about you and your lifestyle and it's going to be a turn off. plus if she sees the rabbit ears and then finds out you don't have internet or a cell phone either.... most women would be running for the door. even if you're really nice! because this tells how you live your life and MOST people don't live like that!
sad to say my opinion is this guy is pretty cheap. he says he is saving up to buy a lot of land to have a horse ranch when he retires... and have retarded kids come over to ride them......... but honestly, getting some nice shoes would only put a tiny dent in that!!! plus, i've seen him eat moldy bagels because he didn't want them to go to waste. it's not like this guy doesn't have money!!! he probably has piles of it scrooged away, at 52 and a Lt Col in the Army you are well compensated and he has no one else to spend it on.
i know there are some out there who would not care about any of this, but they are few and it's limiting his dating pool. he's too set in his ways to change, i think... he absolutely would NOT believe me about the shoes. he thinks that god is going to send him the woman who will love the fact that he has duct tape on his shoes because "that's so him"... even after several women came into the office and were "informally polled" LOL about their opinion, he still didn't believe that women would judge him on the basis of his shoes!!! this turned into a long conversation with me arguing that people make judgments about each other on the basis of appearance. it may not always be RIGHT, but it's what people DO, it's partly how we make sense of the world around us so we know how to behave and interact with each other. he just vehemently opposed this idea, refusing to believe that people do or should judge each other based on appearance. anyway, he told me to ask the internets, so that's why i posted it!!!
thanks for your responses!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Would you date this guy?
Poor neglected blog! SORRY!!!! If anyone is still out there... I'm still here! I just haven't had much mental space for blogging mainly because I can't process all the things that are happening fast enough to write about them before more things are happening... there is just too much going on!!
On the wedding front. Stress. Trying to be super cool, but you know, it is a lot of stuff to plan. There is still so much to do even though we are doing stuff almost every day. Yesterday we booked our honeymoon!!! We are so excited, we are going on a 14 day cruise to New Zealand and Australia! We ended up finding a really good deal on the cruise and the airfare ended up being pretty cheap too.
OK! Fun question for all you ladies out there...
Pretend you are not married or in a relationship. Now say you are in a bar with your girlfriends (or a cafe or the rodeo or wherever...) and this guy comes over to start talking to you. He's interested in you and seems nice enough. Looks pretty clean - jeans and a button up shirt. But you look down and discover that he's wearing shoes held together by DUCT TAPE. Do you give him your phone number?
Ok.... now let's say that you decide you don't care about the duct taped shoes for whatever reason. Maybe you think he seems really nice. So you go out with him and he invites you inside for a drink afterwards. You discover that he uses a TV with rabbit ears. Does this, either on its own or in concert with the duct taped shoes, raise any alarms or questions in your mind? Or do you just not care?
Maybe you ask him about it and you find out he doesn't watch too much tv. He doesn't want to spend the money on cable. Or internet. Or a cell phone. He doesn't think it's worth the money to have these things.
And the boots... they're his favorite. And also? He doesn't want to spend money on new ones when these "still work"...
Do you date him?
Hope I get lots of responses!
On the wedding front. Stress. Trying to be super cool, but you know, it is a lot of stuff to plan. There is still so much to do even though we are doing stuff almost every day. Yesterday we booked our honeymoon!!! We are so excited, we are going on a 14 day cruise to New Zealand and Australia! We ended up finding a really good deal on the cruise and the airfare ended up being pretty cheap too.
OK! Fun question for all you ladies out there...
Pretend you are not married or in a relationship. Now say you are in a bar with your girlfriends (or a cafe or the rodeo or wherever...) and this guy comes over to start talking to you. He's interested in you and seems nice enough. Looks pretty clean - jeans and a button up shirt. But you look down and discover that he's wearing shoes held together by DUCT TAPE. Do you give him your phone number?
Ok.... now let's say that you decide you don't care about the duct taped shoes for whatever reason. Maybe you think he seems really nice. So you go out with him and he invites you inside for a drink afterwards. You discover that he uses a TV with rabbit ears. Does this, either on its own or in concert with the duct taped shoes, raise any alarms or questions in your mind? Or do you just not care?
Maybe you ask him about it and you find out he doesn't watch too much tv. He doesn't want to spend the money on cable. Or internet. Or a cell phone. He doesn't think it's worth the money to have these things.
And the boots... they're his favorite. And also? He doesn't want to spend money on new ones when these "still work"...
Do you date him?
Hope I get lots of responses!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year
"...Recognize that even right now, this period in your life is also an era that will pass as well. Are you going to spend it, lamenting on who wronged you and why? Are you going to carry the bad and the ugly forward? If you do you only create a block to recall in the future. This era of your life belongs to you. No one else. In 10 or 20 years what senses will fill you when you recall this time in your life? I say recall this era as so many more beginnings.The only constant in all the years of your life, will be YOU."
Scott Abel
Scott Abel
Friday, December 12, 2008
Oh really.
“The United States expended its carrots, including delisting North Korea from the terrorist list, in exchange for a verbal promise that Pyongyang would sign on to these verifications,” he said. “We now know the North Koreans tricked us.”
Somebody give this guy a medal.
In Setback for Bush, North Korea Talks Collapse.
Somebody give this guy a medal.
In Setback for Bush, North Korea Talks Collapse.
"One of the main reasons I train my body is so that my mind works effectively." - Paul Chek
That's Paul Chek with a 160# db over his head. This man is 47. I think we should listen to him. He has some really interesting thoughts on training in this T-Nation article. Enjoy!
Our Wedding Website
Oh my gosh, you guys have to go check out our AWESOME wedding website that my sister has been putting together!! It's still a work in progress so check back again soon!
THANKS KATIE!! :D
Adam and Michelle
THANKS KATIE!! :D
Adam and Michelle
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Kaneohe Condo
Hey y'all! Sorry I've been neglecting to post! I'm just really trying HARD to stay balanced with all the stress going on in my life. I will be happy when this weekend comes and I get a big break! I've had days off from work since I got here, but we've been running around trying to get stuff done for the wedding and the condo and have barely had time to catch our breaths. It's taking a toll on my mental and spiritual well being!
I'm going to have an acupuncture session on Saturday! It's something I've been wanting to try for a while now and I can definitely use it. The woman said I will see results right away and she will do a lifestyle interview with me to see where any imbalances might be and if there are any herbal remedies that can help.
Also! I met Misty May-Treanor today! She and her husband and father came to the PACOM headquarters to do a professional development forum - it was way cool! She is totally nice and sweet and soft spoken and down to earth. She was just a regular girl! Definitely a role model.
You can go to my mom's Picasa album and view the pics of our condo. Thanks for taking and posting all those, Mom!!
Kaneohe condo!
I'm going to have an acupuncture session on Saturday! It's something I've been wanting to try for a while now and I can definitely use it. The woman said I will see results right away and she will do a lifestyle interview with me to see where any imbalances might be and if there are any herbal remedies that can help.
Also! I met Misty May-Treanor today! She and her husband and father came to the PACOM headquarters to do a professional development forum - it was way cool! She is totally nice and sweet and soft spoken and down to earth. She was just a regular girl! Definitely a role model.
You can go to my mom's Picasa album and view the pics of our condo. Thanks for taking and posting all those, Mom!!
Kaneohe condo!
Monday, December 08, 2008
There was a little girl who had a little curl... right in the middle of her forehead.
I have officially broken up with my blow dryer and my flat iron. Bye bye. Hasta.... or as the Italians say, basta (finished). One of my first tasks after getting on the island, after finding a decent place to get a pedicure, was finding a hair stylist. I asked the wives in Adam's squadron - no luck. They all just rolled their eyes and clucked about their bad haircuts at all the salons on the windward side. I pretty much knew I'd have to go downtown to Honolulu to find an acceptable stylist - but you always want to get a word of mouth recommendation. Except that I have no friends here... and all the females I work with wear their hair slicked back in buns so I can't tell which of them has good hair! I resolved to ask the first girl I saw whose hair I liked for a recommendation, which happened to be in line at the Navy Services Center while I was waiting on my ID card for work. The stylist, Katie, works at the W Salon in the Ala Moana Center. She took one look at my fro, listened to my sad tale about spending hours straightening my hair only to have it poofy by lunchtime, and told me to stop fighting my texture. She gave me a layered cut that actually ACCENTUATES my natural curls and body and sent me off with some curl enhancing hair products. I can actually let it air dry and it looks fantastic. The End.
Monday, December 01, 2008
My plate is full
We have been busy! My parents flew in on Wednesday evening and we spent Thanksgiving downtown in Waikiki. We went to a sports bar to watch the Cowboy's game and then over to one of the hotels on Waikiki beach to eat at their traditional turkey/stuffing/pie buffet. We got to sit out on the balcony RIGHT on the beach while eating our turkey!
THEN! Black Friday was neverending. We have been planning to get a big screen TV for Christmas and Adam had researched all the brands and models and had one picked out that he wanted. He called around all the shops on the island and the only place that had it on sale on Black Friday was Best Buy in Honolulu and they only had 3 left on Wednesday! So we planned to go there at 5 am to get one on Friday morning. We were also planning to look a couple other places for furniture we need (living room, dining table, outdoor furniture).
We woke up at 4:00 and were downtown by quarter to 5. When we pulled up to Best Buy, the first thing we saw was that the parking lot was full and there were cars leaving to find other parking spots. Then we saw the line! OMG, there were seriously at least 1,000 people lined up to get inside before 5 am! It was insane. We weren't sure how long we were going to have to wait to get in the store, but they pretty much let everyone in right away and we went straight to the TV section and got the LAST TV on the island in the brand we wanted!
We left there by 5:30 and headed over to Home Depot where we got the LAST patio furniture set on sale, plus a pre-lit Christmas tree for $50 and a bunch of plants. We headed over to Macy's around 8:00 to look for the comforter I wanted, which they didn't have. We were on our way to the Navy Exchange furniture store when my mom called and said she saw some interesting couches on craigslist, so we drove all the way to the other side of the island to look at them. They were just ok and we wanted to check out the NEX furniture store, so we went over there and were there for HOURS deciding what to buy... we ended up getting an entire living room (couch, loveseat, coffee table, end tables, lamps, tv stand), a dining room table, and a bedroom set... all of it 20-25% off.
On Saturday we rented a truck and went back to get everything and spent the day unloading the stuff and the carting all the packing material back to the store. Yesterday we thought we deserved a break so we took my parents to hike Kuliou'ou - one of the best views on the island at about 2,000 ft elevation, but also a brutal, steep and slippery climb to the summit. They made the trip like champs, although we were all tired and sore afterwards! Then we went to run errands and church!
Man, I need a vacation after our holiday! Today it's back to the grind.
I'm working with the Precision Nutrition coaching program online (more on that later) and I start my new workout program today, so I'm excited to go to the gym this afternoon! My parents are in town for the rest of the week.
I will be really glad when all of the stress of moving, getting settled and planning this wedding subside - Adam and I both feel like we have way too much on our plates at the moment. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
THEN! Black Friday was neverending. We have been planning to get a big screen TV for Christmas and Adam had researched all the brands and models and had one picked out that he wanted. He called around all the shops on the island and the only place that had it on sale on Black Friday was Best Buy in Honolulu and they only had 3 left on Wednesday! So we planned to go there at 5 am to get one on Friday morning. We were also planning to look a couple other places for furniture we need (living room, dining table, outdoor furniture).
We woke up at 4:00 and were downtown by quarter to 5. When we pulled up to Best Buy, the first thing we saw was that the parking lot was full and there were cars leaving to find other parking spots. Then we saw the line! OMG, there were seriously at least 1,000 people lined up to get inside before 5 am! It was insane. We weren't sure how long we were going to have to wait to get in the store, but they pretty much let everyone in right away and we went straight to the TV section and got the LAST TV on the island in the brand we wanted!
We left there by 5:30 and headed over to Home Depot where we got the LAST patio furniture set on sale, plus a pre-lit Christmas tree for $50 and a bunch of plants. We headed over to Macy's around 8:00 to look for the comforter I wanted, which they didn't have. We were on our way to the Navy Exchange furniture store when my mom called and said she saw some interesting couches on craigslist, so we drove all the way to the other side of the island to look at them. They were just ok and we wanted to check out the NEX furniture store, so we went over there and were there for HOURS deciding what to buy... we ended up getting an entire living room (couch, loveseat, coffee table, end tables, lamps, tv stand), a dining room table, and a bedroom set... all of it 20-25% off.
On Saturday we rented a truck and went back to get everything and spent the day unloading the stuff and the carting all the packing material back to the store. Yesterday we thought we deserved a break so we took my parents to hike Kuliou'ou - one of the best views on the island at about 2,000 ft elevation, but also a brutal, steep and slippery climb to the summit. They made the trip like champs, although we were all tired and sore afterwards! Then we went to run errands and church!
Man, I need a vacation after our holiday! Today it's back to the grind.
I'm working with the Precision Nutrition coaching program online (more on that later) and I start my new workout program today, so I'm excited to go to the gym this afternoon! My parents are in town for the rest of the week.
I will be really glad when all of the stress of moving, getting settled and planning this wedding subside - Adam and I both feel like we have way too much on our plates at the moment. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
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