A Meme from April

Okay, so I stole this from Megan, borrowed actually. And since I don’t have a computer as of yet, I must say this was written April 2 at appx 8:30 am.

10 Firsts
1. First best friend: I’m not sure if this was Else or Eric. I’m thinking Eric since we grew up on the same block and he’s in most of my little kid b-day pictures whereas Else is not. Hmmm. And what’s fun is now Eric and I work together!
2. First car: A light blue 1986 Ford Tempo – nothing exciting, but it worked. However, the first car I ever purchased for my very very own was a Mini Cooper…that’s a nice step up.
3. First love: I’m with Megan, I love reading as well. It’s usually one of the first things I look to do if I have nothing to do.
4. First vacation: I think this was our trip out west. And by ‘out west’, I mean to the Black Hills .
5. First job: I began babysitting when I was, like, 9. But my first official job was at Arby’s. Yeah, I know…
6. First piercing: My only piercing is in my ear lobes. I got these at age 12, I think, and the woman who did it screwed it up because she didn’t like the idea of girls having more than one hole in their ear (not counting the canal, obviously) so she put it just high enough and just in enough that to add a second hole will look dumb. Boy was I pissed when I figured that out.
7. First concert: Lord, I don’t know. I want to say Merle Haggard and Clint Black, but I’m not positive on that.
8. First record/CD bought: My first record was the one with the frog on the front and they sang the annoyingly repetitive good morning song. Either that or the Mini Pops – young kids singing songs from the 60s…not bad, very popular in the 80s, sort of. I wonder what happened to all of them. First CD? I think it was Ella Fitzgerald, but I’m not positive on that either. Apparently being old makes you forgetful of these essential details in life.
9. First real love: Didn’t we answer this one?
10. First screen name: Man, I don’t remember. Probably something like my last name first initial or something stupid like that.

9 Latest
1. Latest alcoholic beverage: I haven’t had a drink in weeks, but the last one I had was a Guinness, of course, in Rapid City and it was 32 oz worth.
2. Latest car ride: Car ride, as in where I haven’t been driving? I guess that’s the one where my friend took me to my apartment to help fix my dishwasher. Usually I drive everywhere and my last car ride was here to work.
3. Latest movie watched: This is sad: Where the Heart Is…because it was on TV last night.
4. Latest phone call made: Where I dialed the number? One moment while I check my outgoing calls list (if this can count since I’m just pushing redial)…apparently that was to mom yesterday afternoon.
5. Latest Jacuzzi bath: Hmmm…I don’t usually do the Jacuzzi bath thing, so how about this: Chena Hot Springs, 11 months and 3 days ago. J
6. Latest played CD: I think it was the soundtrack from Sliding Doors or one of the Ella Songbooks. (Megan – I love Lily Allen!)
7. Latest time you cried: Last night, that movie…grrr, what is wrong with me? I’m such a sap.
8. Latest meal: I just ate oatmeal out of a cup. yummy. Not. But it’ll fill me up and keep me going.
9. Latest curse: Obsession with this damn marathon I’m going to run. You’d think I was insane. Oh wait, I probably am. Oh and my obsession with moving my office around and dumping some of the unneeded huge furniture. It’s much roomier now. I should have taken pictures. (but if you’re talking curse words, and you don’t want to count the damn I wrote in this answer, then shit is usually my word of choice)

8 Things You Wear
1. BDUs
2. Combat Boots (someday my niece can tell her friends, “My Aunt Moe wears combat boots!)
3. Underwear, usually
4. My green Nike hoodie I got for St. Patty’s day. Sooooo soft.
5. My typist shirt, my Dooce shirt or my fussy shirt.
6. Black long sleeve favorite t’s from Gap
7. A green bracelet of sorts my brother made me for the Soldiers/Airmen etc. overseas. I’ve had it on for almost 4 years now.
8. One spinning ring with my name in Arabic and English that I got in Turkey

7 Have You Ever
1. Dated one of your best friends: Yes
2. Been arrested: No
3. Fallen in love at first sight: No, but I’ve fallen in like and lust
4. Been in a TV program: Captain 11, baby! WOOHOO! (does that count?)
5. Had your heart broken: Too many times.
6. Said you love someone without meaning it: Unfortunately
7. Made a prank phone call: Kind of, in college I answered my phone as “Kessler’s” (the local grocery – our number was one number off) and shockingly the person on the other end was trying to reach Tony, whoever Tony was.

6 Things You’ve Done Today – not in any particular order
1. Watched Saved By The Bell (I’m not proud of this)
2. Driven to work
3. Cursed the fact I’m now the supposed resident expert for the copier
4. Showered (It’s only 8:35, people!)
5. Avoided work
6. made a PB&J sandwich

5 Favorite Things
1. Sleep
2. Running
3. Warm to hot showers or baths (the latter with bubbles, of course, and both of these are especially nice after running)
4. baking/knitting/reading (my hobbies)
5. My family/friends who love me for me

4 People I Can Tell Anything
1. Best Friends
2. Debbie
3. You know this is tough because I do keep some things from some friends and I keep other things from other friends. (not for any reason really, I just do)
4. I don’t have many people I feel truly comfortable with where I could tell them anything. If I had a therapist, they’d be all 4 of these numbers.

3 Choices
1. Black or white? Black, natch.
2. Summer or winter? Given these options only, then summer, but my real love is late spring and early fall

3. Chocolate or chips? How about just chocolate chips? Or neither, really. I tend to not eat a lot of chocolate, and chips just make me swell. Though I would probably say I’m a salt-aholic before a choc-aholic.

2 Things To Do Before You Die
1. Run a marathon or two (I’ll at least do the one and then probably will die)
2. This is provided that I survive number one this year: I’d love to write a book, or travel Europe or Australia .

1 Thing You Regret
1. I’m sure there are many things I regret, in fact, I know there are, but seeing as you’re probably not the person listed in number 1 or 2 from the question above, and you’re not my therapist, I’m not going to tell you what it is I regret. Like I said…I don’t tell everyone everything. :)

one more update for the month

I MISS BLOGGING!

Thanks, I just had to get that off my chest. Okay, folks. I promise that I will be ordering a new computer within the next few days. My younger older brother helped me with the specs and it's way more expensive than I was planning, but I might as well pay for something that will last me a little while.

I'm actually at his place tonight, watching the two littlest. (What do you call a group of nieces and nephews? I mean, brothers and sisters are siblings...what do you call these? niplings?) They are super cute though, but it does keep me at bay from jumping into the parenting game. (of course there is an order to that too, but not in a hurry - though that said, I'm really really getting tired of my mother constantly telling me I'll be a great mom and not to worry about the little things, like when I wanted to scream at my nephew for whining about not wanting to brush his teeth, and that it'll be different when they are my own kids...knock it off, mom...that's not helping if you really want more grandchildren.)

Okay...sorry, that's a topic for another day.

Monday is d-day...the day I start my training program with Keith. I'm very excited about this. I got a heart rate monitor yesterday and tried it out this morning while running in the rain. It's pretty slick - it'll beep fast if you've gone over your target zone or slowly if you're under and doesn't beep at all when you're right in there. This is really going to help. Amazingly, I wasn't as tired as I usually am after running 5-6 miles during the day. Usually I run and just run...with this it felt like I was walking more, but in the hour I spent running I actually was in my zone for 38 minutes, which i thought was pretty good considering. Hopefully this will help me with all my training and help my breathing as well.

Anyway, the whole program is pretty intense but I think it'll be good for me so I can really be ready for October. 6 months is going to fly by and I'm already nervous thinking about the day. Though i will say, i also have been picturing what it'll be like...hopefully I'll be as calm then as i am when I'm imagining it.

Fast and furious

Okay, this is going to be quick because since I don't have a computer, when I find one I have to catch up on reading all my other favorite blogs, which takes time and then I'm left with all of 5 mintues left to actually write anything on my own blog! I'm pathetic.

I am closer to buying a computer, just so you know. I'm pricing out macs and pc's and thanks to my new job I have discounts with both so I just need to pick what I like and what will work best. So hopefully in a few weeks I'll be back to blogging daily, which I need to do, and reading daily, which i miss, and life will be good again.

So last week, st. patty's day, I celebrated the little leprechaun's by running a 5K. Yep! This is my first race ever and I'm happy to report that I finished and finished with a 34:56 time. Not the greatest but considering I haven't ever done this before I'm happy. 6 months to the marathon and I met with my trainer this weekend to coordinate a training schedule. it's going to be intense but great. I'll try to keep updates here and maybe at the SB blog I used to use, at least for the food portions since i need to be tracking that again. Chubby isn't a way to run a marathon. :)

Otherwise, life isn't much different. I still love my job and it feels less like 'camp' than it did to begin with. I'm coming into my own, though it is interesting to get minor complaints from members of my section who tell me I do things differently than my predecessor. Hmm...not sure how asking them to be accountable to me if i'm cutting their orders is different from the previous CCA but okay, whatever. But other than that it's great.

I miss reading everyone's blogs, but I do thank you all for continuing to check in here with mine. Soon I'll be back to annoying you every day. :)

Connections

Sometimes it pays to have connections.

Today as I'm still lamenting the lack of DVD from VCR workage, I have a lead. I did check out the new versions of electronics last night at Target and heavens to murgatroids...I'll have to buy a whole new system of everything if I want anything to work correctly. I love my little TV but apparently it's too old to work with anything from this century. Maybe it's time I give in and come into the 21st century.

BUT until I give into that, my connection is going to take my VCR to his contact to see if the electronic geek (and I mean that in the best way) can fix it. Apparently the latter likes to work on things like this and can maybe make it work again. So I'm crossing my fingers and saving my quarters for the fix-it payment (Crown Royal or a case of beer...fixer's choice).

I baked yesterday though...and it felt great. I made my infamous chocolate chip cookies which turned out perfect - soft and chewy but not overly so. AND I made my other infamous cookie - the peanut butter with Hershey's kisses. One of my bosses 'shamed' me for those. He saw them on my desk this morning and said, "Shame on you." He said it again after I explained that I use the low-carb peanut butter and dark chocolate kisses so they are actually GOOD for you, but this time he smiled then laughed as he walked back into his office. Oh well. And I tried one other new recipe...Banana Oatmeal Raisin. These turned out really well. Very soft and chewy but yummy! The last oatmeal raisin I made turned out well but didn't have a lot of flavor...wow does the banana add to it. Good stuff.

Otherwise, nothing is new in my life since yesterday. I could talk about Lent and my Lenten discipline of going through a box of stuff a night, but I've already screwed that up, but I am keeping it in mind. I'm trying to de-clutter my life. I'm reading Clutter's Last Stand right now and it's really good. As I look around my house I see I don't seem to have a lot of stuff, but I do. A lot of papers and books and things I just don't need. Sooo I'm trying to de-clutter and become better organized. My hope is that I'll be buying a house soon and I really don't want to move all those books and crap again if I don't have to. And I really don't have to.

How's that for goals... Crazy: 5K and marathon, de-cluttering, studying for promotion, baking...man. And you'd think I'd be busy. :) This is turning into ramblings so I'm going to cut out for now. later...

Time keeps on ticking...

So I have 20 minutes on the ever ticking library computer clock so I'm going to make this quick. Well, whatever.

My vacation with K&E was the best...I tried sushi for the first time ever and survived, I fell in love with edamame (and have found it at the stores here - woohoo!), was enlightened on the world of Empire Records and The Producers, and got a great fix of Hyde which leads me to think that maybe I am more of a cat person than I ever thought.

But the bestest part was spending oodles of time with K&E. They are two of the mostest wonderfulest friends ever! (can I add a few more est's to that?) My life is truly filled with them. Somehow we're all on the same page which is amazing looking at our different backgrounds growing up...but we all came together and a great friends. I miss you guys already!

The other great thing last week, that despite my non-interest in working (4.5 days off then to a 3 day work week is almost worse than working 10 days in a row - but that's another story), I am excited to announce I received my two correspondence courses for work and now I can start studying to get my 7-level and my academy finished so I can be promoted. YAY! It's complicated so I won't go into it too much but it's a good thing. i get to be a student again, though I have to be a self-motivated student which will be a challenge.

The sad news is...my VCR is causing me issues again. This time the connectors in the back which I plug my DVD player into are shorting out, I think. I'm 90% sure it's not the DVD player since the new one I purchased is doing the same thing the old was is, it's gotta be because of the VCR. SO my dilemma is whether to scrap the whole system (TV included) and buy new or figure out someway to make it work. We'll see. The VCR itself still works, it's just the connectors. Maybe I can just replace those? Does anyone know?

Anyway...I have 14 minutes left and I need to do some research. I hope to be back soon!

Becky HomeEc-y

I love to bake and cook.

I'm sure I've mentioned that before, but I really do. This weekend I'm visiting E&K (they're at a 'thing' so I'm hanging out catching up on blogs - Man I need a computer at home) and last night I cooked us the Salsa Chicken recipe from the South Beach book. Of course, I added a bit here, and left out a bit there, but it turned out really well. Tonight I'm cooking another chicken recipe I found in mom's Family Circle magazine or something like that. I've had it before I really liked it. I hope they like it too.

In my quest to catch up on my 'reading', I've been going through my saved links of blogs I used to read at the former job. Many many of them are cooking or baking related and it struck me just how little I've been doing of either lately. I made a couple batches of cookies in January, to try out the new stove and figure out its quirks, and I've made a couple chicken recipes too. BUT I haven't been baking or cooking like I used to.

I'm getting the urge to make a pie, or bake some cupcakes so I can get out my frosting gun and decorate to my heart's content. I'm aching to mix up some batter and experiment with new recipes. Or maybe I'm just wishing I could lick the batter off the mixer.

Good thing this coming weekend I have nothing planned. The past 3 weeks I've been booked, and while that's good for my social calendar, my kitchen is lonely. I think I hear it calling out to me, even from two states away...Yes, there it is, "Moe! I need cookie dough!"

Remiss

I seem to have been remiss in explaining a few things. Hey Jman - yep I moved. I'm trying to remember you email address...if I can I'll drop you a line - the former position hasn't set up my alumni account for email yet so that one doesn't work.

and the big one: YES I'm planning to run the TC marathon with JB. How freakin' crazy am I? And to help matters I think I talked E&K into it too. :)

Mostly, I need a goal. For me to run on a continuous basis, whether for the mile and half we have to for work or just for fun, I need a damn goal. I'm not much of a goal person - usually I don't set them because when/if I fail then I just get super depressed so I usually just rather go through life one day at a time and see what happens. BUT for running, it's totally different. I need a goal.

So here's my plan for the year: (yep, YEAR)
March - Run the St. Patty's 5K
April - Run another 5K
May - Run a 10K
June, July, August - prepare, plan, train and enjoy running outside
September - Run a Half
October - The TC Marathon baby!

This seems a little daunting now that I've signed up for the first one and have put the rest in writing...and I've put them in writing for all the world to know...sheeeeeeit. But maybe all you folks can help keep me accountable.

I'm really nervous for the first one but I think I can do it. 3 miles is nothing, but 26...well that's another story.

Best news - I'm at E&K's this weekend. Ah...nature has restored order with me back with my friends. There's nothing like sitting down over salad, chicken, fish and beer to feel at home. :)

Motivation

Thursday was a great day. I’m feeling motivated, the sun is shining and I’m made plans for the weekend. YAY!

JB sent me a quote today. We were talking about the TC Marathon and our training and our motivators. She mentioned that during one race she ran there was a girl standing on the side holding a sign stating, “you are your own motivation.” Damn, if that doesn’t choke me up every time I read that. It totally caught me off guard this morning when JB sent it. It’s true. No one can motivate you but yourself. If you’re determined to do something and are motivated, you’ll succeed.

This made me think of another friend who is struggling with some weight issues (who isn’t!). She had an encounter with a co-worker where as she was discussing what had worked for her in the past, the co-worker would shoot down her plan with, “no you need to do it this way.” What works for one won’t work for another necessarily. That is a common truth with everything in life – in weight loss, in eating, in sex, in relationships, in life.

“you are your own motivation” It’s so true.

Bumper cars

Okay, so seriously. Is this just a SD thing or does everyone do this? Is there really a need to pull up behind a car at a stop light and get as close as you possibly get without touching them? I mean, are we living in a Brady Bunch episode? Do you think it'll get you out of the gate quicker on green if you're right on my butt? UGH!

Sometimes, just to be mean and evil, as I am prone to be, I just want to sit there a little bit longer after the light turns green, just to piss them off.

morning musing

It’s moments like these that make me wish I was full-time PA. Two women from our unit, who are great to work with truly, are working on a program for an upcoming event. This is all well and good. I’m not saying that people can’t design their own program, because let’s face it- they can and they do. But if you’re going to use the layout program on the computer and you have to ask the resident expert to help you with it, why not just let her do it? It’d take her a quarter of the time it’s taking you and she’d be able to utilize her skills? That sounds like a plan.

Of course I’m really just vying for a full-time PA job. I really miss PA…the more I think about this, I’m not sure I made the right move. Well, I did. I needed a change and this is a great one – good benefits, great hours, great people. But leaving the best job in the AF was pretty stupid, even if it was for a full-time gig.

I am getting compliments on my work (not that I’m motivated today, but still). Sunday after drill our new HR senior asked me if my ears were burning that day. I said, “No, why would they be?” as my paranoia began to rise. She smiled and said that ‘they’ were talking about me at lunch – all good things of course, how I’m bringing good things to the building now. I said, “I bring cookies. Of course they’d like me.” But she went on to explain that the attitude and air I bring to the building is great and that people appreciate it and that I probably wouldn’t be here [in this position] long because she sees me going far here [the unit]. I’m not sure what that means. Maybe I’m being to narrow minded. I love PA and I don’t want to stray too far from it, and there aren’t many ops for a girl like me out here from what I can see. But maybe there are more than I think. People are coming up to retirement, others will be moving up and there may be openings. But will they be in a career field I want or can do? I guess I won’t know til then.

It’s scary. Every now and then I wake up or have a moment where I wonder if I did the right thing. I wonder if it was smart to leave the cities. Last night I was watching a special on Billy Strayhorn. He was amazing and I got to thinking about life back then. People took chances more. They’d pack up their belongings and just move and work wherever and work to make a name for themselves. Hell, he even went to Paris for awhile, he rode across country on a train staying up all night writing music for Ellington, he did something with his life. Of course I’m thinking this as I was lying on my couch, watching TV, feeling incredible alone as I was missing the Cities and my friends and wondering if this is all my life will be – go to work, come home, eat, lay on the couch watching TV until the day starts all over. Will I ever be daring enough to pack everything up and just go? I’ve thought about it but my fear of having no security, no stability with my life scares me into staying. Am I just living out my fears by moving ‘home’ and taking this job? Am I truly living how I should be or could be?

I keep thinking back to a conversation I had with my friend (happy birthday Sunday!). He even said to me he was worried that I was settling down too soon in life, settling in to the good retirement pay, good job, etc., (all good) but I wouldn’t have or wouldn’t take the opportunities to live life differently. He and his partner have lived all over, granted – even 10 years in London (of which I’m extremely jealous). Will I never have that? Am I settling too soon? Should I be taking more risks in life? I don’t want to look back and wish I had done more. I don’t want to wonder “what if”.

I don’t know. I suppose I’ll find my niche eventually. Maybe I’m just suffering those first month blues where I wonder if I chose the right path because the ‘camp’ feeling I’ve had is wearing off and now I know I’m here for a while and I wonder just what my life will be like in a year. Will I still feel alone? Will I still be longing for PA and wishing that was full-time? It’s not that I don’t value what I do now. My job is important. Our work here overall is vital. Maybe I’m just wondering if there will be more in and to my life. I’m sure it comes down to me making it happen, and again maybe it’s the blinders I’m maybe wearing, but I’m just not sure how to make it more.

I found it!

I found the library, everyone. And yes, I'm here and typing away. Of course they limit your time and do so with this nice little timeclock in the upper left corner of the screen, ticking away little seconds of time making me nervous that I have very little opportunity to get everything typed in that I want to say.

So here I go. Thank God I type fast.

I love my job. It's fabulous. Working four days a week, with time to work out during the day, working with two of the best bosses in the world - these things are just small portions of why this job is the best.

This past weekend we had a ceremony honoring all our colleagues who returned from overseas (5 are still there having volunteered to stay and help out - amazing). The ceremony was typical for a military gig - formation, stand at attention during awards, hear our higher ups speak, etc. But this one was pretty powerful for me. For once I truly felt a part of it. Not that I was part of the 300 or so that were overseas, but now I'm truly a main part of the greater portion. Every day our job is to help strengthen and defend out nation. I'm a part of that. What other job in the world can give you that pride and respect.

Throughout the ceremony, I found myself choking up, knowing that this was such a small tribute for these men and women who did such awesome things. Our unit is truly the greatest in the nation, if not the world, and I was honored and very humbled to stand next to them then and on a daily basis.

That said, I do still miss all my friends in the Cities and I miss the Cities in general. I am visiting this weekend, (hint hint: email me people if you want to see me! I'm there for a limited time but I'll try to make something work) and I can't wait to go back.

I promise to get my butt over here more and write more often until I can find and afford a computer. :)

I'm still alive

The new job hasn't killed me yet, and even better, neither has living here again. SD is damn cold. That's all I'm going to say about that.

For the record, i started a nice long blog last weekend, had it all ready to go and then somehow lost half of what I had written. So I got pissed and closed out without publishing anything. JB you were so right. What in the world was I thinking not taking a job where I could blog all the time? I'm insane.

So the quest is beginning to find me a 'puter for the home. Something affordable, if possible, but something I work with pics and still blog without wanting to rip my hair out. Anyone out there have a preference: Macs vs. PCs? I've seen the commercials and as funny as they are, I'm looking for some real proof. Help me out if you can.

But anyway, until the 'puter fund is filled then emptied, I have found the library and I intend to use it...hopefully tomorrow. But until then, know I'm still alive and missing the cities, though I do love my job. :)

Musings throughout the day

It's day three and already I'm starting out with a nervous gut-ache. I really need to work on my paranoia. This is a completely different position than I've been in. Here I'm right next to the doors being closed so private conversations can ensue. Today it started at 7:15am as Deaner came in to talk to the big man. Shutting both doors just makes me nervous. And I shouldn't have anything to be nervous about, right? It's only the beginning of day 3. I couldn't have screwed up that much already?

-----

I'm getting a new computer! YAY!

-----

Things are getting thrown at me left and right. I'm starting to push things off to next week so I can breathe a bit today, and maybe actually complete some tasks I had set for myself at the beginning of the week that I need to complete at home once I get home tonight. Lately, I've been working a bit later, then going home, eating supper, and crashing. I went to bed at 9:30 last night (though I wanted to go at 8:30). Someday I'll get the hang of this I think.

-----

I don't like finding files with files of things that say "File" on them. I hate filing but this is ridiculous! I need to set a meeting with Lori at some point to go through the File Plan for this office. I know I need to keep some stuff, and maybe some of this is just back ups or something, but this doesn't make sense. Oh and I need to clean and organize. I feel crowded and I have a big office! Must feng shui if I can.

Sir, may I be excused? My brain is full.

OMG.

I haven't been this tired in ages. And seriously, my head is full. Three hours learning how to cut orders alone will do that to you, but that on top of everything else today is exhausting. I about ran across the base today to kiss Kurt when he said that what I need to learn from him wasn't a priority and was happy to delay it until next week.

But I am happy to report that on top of my tiredness I continued the workout in the gym today, though I didn't do the push or sit ups. The sauna is such a wonderful treat...sweat it out, baby. That's what it's all about. Next week: food plan.

Tomorrow I'll have something fun to show you...but not until then. Stay tuned... for now I'm going to take K's advice and get some sleep.

And away we go...!

First days are exciting, aren't they? Suddenly everything is different, new, invigorating. You're doing things you've never done or haven't done in awhile and fumbling through them.

So my friend told me I need to brag about what I do...so here's a little bit. I work at a military base, which most people know, and I'm now the assistant to the commander. I was in public affairs and we put together a 12-page paper every other month. Well, for awhile I'll be do double duty until they can find a replacement for me in PA. The extra work load is insane but it's good...I can slowly let go of PA instead of slam, bam, thank you ma'am-ing it.

But here's a quick recap of my first day: I got to work and started to settle in to my desk, but really was going back and forth for a bit talking with RAC regarding the paper and getting things I needed from the office. At one point I actually had to stop myself and tell myself to slow down and walk normal. Of course, my normal is faster than most people's but I was actually going faster than normal (if you can imagine). I had to focus on that this isn't a be-all, end-all moment. I have time...more than I could imagine, in reality. Anyway, then my new office's computer decided not to play nice today, so at 7am I'm calling the computer gurus and asking them for mucho amounts of help. Turns out the computer is corrupt so now I'm working off a laptop from the PA office until they can get it fixed. And my boss was traveling today so I didn't see him for much more than 20 minutes. What a way to start the job!

The morning included meeting up with some of our retired members. Once a month there's a meeting of the retirees and today I thought I'd stop by. Good thing since RAC introduced me to them and I got to meet up with 2 of my favorites, 1 current member and I got to meet another who knew my uncle from long ago. The last one has this laugh that is so infectious; it just makes me smile to think of it. I wish I had a way to record it and play it here...believe me, you'd love it.

After working some more, I took advantage of one of the perks of this job: working out during the day at the gym. Suh-weet! I'm so excited for this because I'm really hoping to turn my exercise program around. The eating program has already started, with one set back of breakfast. I had pop-tarts this morning, then one Clementine around 10:30, then worked out and when I got back from running, sitting up, pushing up and sauna-ing, I tried to eat my chicken. I ate maybe half but I wasn't really hungry. Weird. Usually when I'm here I'm eating like there's no tomorrow.

The afternoon was spent meeting with LH regarding my training needs for this position and getting permissions to certain folders and such, and trying to finish up the paper. Nothing like spending extra hours here this week. One co-worker walked by and cracked that "only Linda stays late." And I said, HEY! I'm doing two jobs here...please don't give me crap. He laughed and said, "well, I should have amended that to say that only Linda and I stay late." Yeah, there you go. If I didn't have an article to write I wouldn't stay late either. But, let's face it, I am a workaholic and I know it. I felt a little guilty for spending an hour with the retirees today so I felt like I should work a little extra to make up for that.

But either way, this place is such a great place to work. I'm loving it already. This was truly a good move for me. I do miss the cities and all my friends there, but for my sanity this is truly the best. And just think, friends, you won't have to put up with my bitching about work anymore (or at least not as much).

Baptism by fire

This weekend was a blur. I'm sure I was working and doing many exciting things, but I can't for the life of me really comprehend my memories. But I'll try.

I got to work Friday afternoon and had the obligatory check-in with RAC, which is always good, and then checked in with the new bosses. There was a retirement party so I headed there and ran into two really good friends and countless people congratulating me on my new position and then asking me if I was told I'd be on committees or if I knew anything about so-and-so and such-and-such. Uffda. I finally escaped back to my old office to set some items up for KN to work on while I'd be jumping back and forth the rest of the weekend. Of course it was a paper month so we would have been busier than usual anyway.

Saturday I got in early to add some thoughts to KN's list and noticed that no one was in yet in my new office. So I ran down, grabbed the roll call list and my notes of interest for the group and called finance to see if I was supposed to be doing roll call or if someone else was? Nope, it's me. Is AP in to walk me through this? Yep...thank God. So I had my crash course in roll call and headed in. Our Shirt wasn't there so I ran through a list of important stuff from the bulletin and boom, I was in.

The rest of the day I went back and forth from the new office and the old. I stayed late to work on the old office stuff and of course went in early on Sunday and repeated it all again. Thank goodness I'm still around today to clean up my mess for the paper. We didn't get it done but I can finish up most of it today, get it approved tomorrow and off it can go to the printer.

I'm excited for my new job but scared to death too. It's doing a lot of work I haven't done since I've worked in PA all of my career and a lot of this wasn't needed there. But my predecessor did set up a book of how to do things, and I'll just have to take it step by step I guess. I'm sure I'll screw up, but hopefully not as often as I'm fearing I will. I just need to make sure this week sets my pattern for work - especially the little things: working out everyday, taking 15 minutes at the end of the day to create a to-do list for the next day and cleaning up the desk so I'm not walking into a mess. Slowly but surely, it'll all come together.

Math - we use it every day

What a way to end the cities festivities. This has been a great week of get togethers - helping keep me sane in the midst of boxes and papers and dust and dirt.

• Saturday Debbie and I went to our friend's house for a little bash. That was great, and my! what a house! I would move in their guest room in a second and put up with the boy's' typing forever if I could.
• Sunday was New Year's with Megan, Chris and JB playing a little Guitar Hero, pausing only to watch Dick Clark count in the new year. It was a little sad to see Dick Clark not his usual self, but considering all he's gone through it was great to see him in general.
• Tuesday night I met up with the Y&F DL gang at OC's for a beverage, welcoming them back to LS and just having a quick catchup.
• Wednesday after choir my gay boyfriends took me out to Major's for food and drink. This was a great time and I do have pics of me with the boys (and girl...Debbie was there too!). But those will have to come another time.
• And last night, my last night in the fabulous city, was the perfect end to my stay.

So last night Neil, my friend from TX, and I went to the Chatterbox. (He was in town for the DL program so we had to get together and catch up.) I think I've talked about this place before, but it is truly my favorite hangout in the cities.

First there's the drink - they brew their own and I have found the Chit Chat to be quite pleasant. But if that's not around a tall cider can make the world go 'round. Second there's the atmosphere - the exclectic 60s and 70s motif they have is awesome, mixed in with the nintendo's and Atari's*, of course. And finally, there are the games. YES games. Neil and I are big cribbage fans and since we only get to play once or twice a year this was a necessity. He got the beer, I got the game and we commenced the torture of skunks and pegging and counting 15s to our hearts content. I think we ended up tied in the end, but in reality he probably kicked my ass.

So the culmination of everything - the parties, the cribbage, the beer and of course the fabulous friends made it really tough to drive away this morning. Although, it's still a little surreal. I feel like I've just been preparing for a longer deployment than normal, and it kind of is, except I'm not returning this time. Evenutally it'll kick in, I think. But until then I'm just going to relish in my memories and await the new ones I'll be creating - both here in the new place and as I visit the old.

*by the way, Sarah, I found buried in my stuff an Atari hand game called Touch Me - just like our favorite Simon game. :)

Elvis has left the building

Well, not quite yet. I leave in 2 and a half hours, but I'm taking a minor break here to talk about the wonderful people who have been stopping by today thanking me and telling me they'll miss me.

I woke up this morning not really feeling different. It was just another day, not my last day, just a...well, a Thursday. Other than packing up a few things, burning CD's of my files and hoping to God I haven't forgotten anything, this has been a normal day. Well that and aside from tearing up everytime someone hugs me, or brings me a small gift of gratitude or well-wishes (which, if anyone knows me, throws me off anyway. I'm the gift giver, not receiver.)

But it has been good. It will be weird not being here, but I think, in the end, this will be good.

So I'm moving on. Goodbye, LS. See you on the flip side.

It's starting

Slowly, but surely, it's starting to hit that I won't actually be here in a few days. It's been very surreal, watching my apartment turn from papers and books to boxes and boxes. Little things, like removing the massive amounts of magnets from the refrigerator or even just moving the bookshelf from one side of the room to the other with the piles, suddenly make the room look almost sterile. Granted, the room is anything but sterile since the dirt and trash around my home is just downright scary, but everything is losing it's character. Now the character is in a box.

I worry a bit about this new job. It's going to be great, don't get me wrong, but now I'll be in a uniform four days a week. Bonus: I don't have to think about what I'm going to wear. Bad thing: I'm going to look just like everyone else. Not that the latter is a bad thing. I'll be part of a team, a team I believe in and love to serve with, but suddenly that individuality is slipping away.

But I know this is the right thing for me. While I'm saying goodbye to a lot of great people here, I know I can visit and that we'll, at the very least, keep in touch - the true friends do, I've learned. And hey, I am starting new. I'm beginning fresh. I'll be in a new position, one where I can set my own reputation, despite what others have done before me or will do after me. I can set my own standard for me and rise above it. I can be me.

New Year Notes to Self

• when moving, allow yourself more than one week to pack all your life possessions, especially since you've never actually had to move this much furniture at one time
• when leaving a job, allow yourself time to finish projects, but don't do them while you're actually on vacation
• when un/packing, throw things out!
• if you haven't opened that box since you moved in the first time three years ago, you probably don't need what's in it. sort it and throw it. you'll be happier in the end
  
• don't save every scrap of paper or article you think you'll read later...you won't read it
• buy a shredder
• it's okay to sell some of your books, or give them away
• you don't need to save every piece of memorabilia that friends give you, they'll still love you
  
• it's good to give to good will
• no matter how quickly you want to start your new job, do allow yourself more than one day between positions to clear your head, but if you don't do that, be very thankful for 4 day weekends
  
• if you really feel you need to keep that 'awesome quote', then start a quote journal and write it there...then throw the paper away
• don't take hotel toiletries...you don't use them when you get home, so why take them in the first place?
• Remember to pack your gym shoes and sports stuff for the first week of work. The first week of the job will establish a practice, a discipline of sorts, and part of that must be going to the gym to walk/jog on the treadmill and to start lifting weights. It all starts there.
• sleep when you're tired, eat when you're hungry, but don't do both at the same time and don't overdo it
  
• you're starting new this week - a new year, a new life with a new job and new home - it's scarier than snot, but it will be okay. remember to breathe and to keep your head up.