Mama, I’m Comin Home*

Autumn brings with it bountiful harvests and a time for thanksgiving. Last year, Hubs and I sat in a barely furnished house with no Macy’s Parade of football while one of those (soon to be discovered by us, DISGUSTING) processed turkey breast baked away in the oven. It was depressing and all I wanted to do was cry. We were celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one weekend as deployment was days away. Military life finally made me realize how I missed my family, however dysfunctional they are. Oh, and trust me: you couldn’t script the crazy my family is.

When I knew we would be going home (home, home) this autumn I knew it was going to be a whirlwind! We’re meeting the movers, packing our stuff and heading back home (to California home). I knew the one thing I wanted was to celebrate the family I hadn’t seen in a year and that I might not see for the next two years! I planned a fun “feast of Thanksgiving” for the Sunday we’ll be in town. Then the question arose: since it’s a family gathering, do I invite my mother? The mother whom I haven’t spoken to since around November 2009? The mother who I was made to invite to my wedding, and who didn’t even bring a card? (I know it’s petty that I hold onto that, and I own that, but I mean: who goes to an event such as a wedding and doesn’t even take or send a card?)

I e-mailed Dr. J (my life coach, not the famous basketball player) and outlined the three possibilities

1. I do not send her an invitation. She catches word that there was a family event she was excluded from, but I’m already gone and she takes it out on my grandmother (since it will be at Nan’s house).
2. I send an invitation and she thinks I’m a “C U Next Tuesday” by having the audacity to invite her out of the blue. She thinks she is being spiteful and doesn’t come. (this is the best case scenario in my book)
3. I send an invitation and she thinks I’m a “C U Next Tuesday” but actually comes (out of spite, because she is hateful) and I have to slap a smile on and play it cool. (this is the worst case scenario in my book)

Dr. J called me this morning and we talked about it. After much prayer and discussion with both Nan and him, we came to a conclusion. I send her the invitation, fly into the freak show that is my family (Hubs calls it a war zone and I think he would take a year in A-Stan over a three-hour family get-together with my mother in attendance, true story, no exaggeration.) and let the pieces fall where they may. I do not own their reactions because quite frankly, when it comes to my family, there is no right.

The adorable invitation/notes sent out to family asking them to join us! Oh yeah, I use the very things I sell!

 I’m not going to lie: her “note” is a little snarky and more to inform her it is happening than to invite her to join in. I’m trying God, I’m trying, just not hard enough when it comes to the woman who has hurt me for the last 27 years of my life. (Well, 27 years as of next week! Man, I’m getting old!)

Next step is to work out a survival strategy in the event she actually shows her face. If you are reading this thinking “what in the world is that girl’s problem?” think of it like this: my mother is worse than the worst mother-in-law horror story you have ever heard. I’ll be sure to share how it goes down and my survival strategy with you all once Dr. J and I come up with it!

How do you handle those horrific family members or in-laws? I am not looking forward to being home with my family. I am only very, very, very excited to be home with Nan!

Oh, and I thought I would make this my song of the week for Amber’s link up!

“Times have changed and times are strange
Here I come but I ain’t the same
Mama, I’m comin home
Times go by, seems to be
You could have been a better friend to me
Mama, I’m comin home

You took me in and you drove me out
Yeah, you had me hypnotized, yeah
Lost and found and turned around
By the fire in your eyes

You made me cry, you told me lies
But I can’t stand to say goodbye
Mama, I’m comin home
I could be right, I could be wrong
It hurts so bad it’s been so long
Mama, I’m comin home”

I’m gearing up and am ready for the inevitable emotional journey that will be going home this time.

*Oh, you didn’t think I was an Ozzy type of gal, huh? Well, I am!

I was PROUD to be an American on September 10th

Ten years ago I was 16. Ten years ago I was a Junior in a high school under the flight lines leading to Oceana. I lived near the Naval Air Station attached to NOB. Ten years ago as I was at my locker going from Algebra 2 to Public Speaking people were in a panic. While sitting in my Public Speaking class the principal came over the loud-speaker once more and we prayed (as I went to a Catholic school). Our teacher broke some recommendations from Father (the principal) and turned on the television. I sat there and just wanted the media to stop playing the now infamous video of the second tower being hit.

Ten years later I feel the same way.

I recognize that everyone has the freedom of speech, and yet we sometimes shouldn’t use that freedom. As a military wife I’ve learned to keep certain opinions to myself, or between my husband and I. Trust me, there are many views that I hold that just aren’t the popular opinion. I just can’t hold this one in anymore and know there must be others out there who both love this country and yet share this view with me.

The media has gotten out of control. Why do we, as Americans, continue to relive the pain from that day? Do you need to see the images to be reminded of your pride in America; your pride as an American? I don’t need to watch Vietnam or WWII (dubya, dubya two) movies to stand up and thank Vets when they walk by.

from Google via Elizabeth on Pinterest

We will never forget the terror that struck America that day, but I promise you this: I was proud to be an American on September 10, 2001. I was proud to be an American on everyday, for 16 years before then as well. I supported our troops and had pride in the men and women who served this great country before then. I saw honor in our military, our brothers in blue, and the brave men and women who run into burning buildings for a living. I had a sense of pride in the people who save us, before the dreadful day they had to try to save so many. Even at 16 I recognized that on September 12, 2001 it was hard to find a bumper that didn’t have an “I Love Jet Noise” bumper sticker and folks talking about “the sounds of Freedom!”

I have also had the extreme pleasure of seeing this song performed live, by Lee Greenwood, and there is nothing as moving my friends- nothing.

Play this song on some random day: February 3, April 16… any day other than July 4th, Memorial Day or 9/11 – show your patriotism year round.

Quite frankly, I am ready for Monday. I am ready to not have to see the images, to not hear the stories. I am also curious how future generations will hear the stories and events of the day. After being to NYC several times in my youth, I hope they learn of the majesty that was those towers and the strength of a city to continue after such devastation.

As with every Thursday, I’ll be linking up with Amber over at Goodnight Moon! For some awesome songs, head on over and check her out!

*The views expressed are the sole views of myself and do not reflect the views of my husband, the United States Navy or the DoD.

The Great American Housewife

Did you know that recently I have taken a step towards putting myself and my writing out there by joining Happy Homefront as a guest blogger? It is a community website not just for military spouses, but all spouses who thrive during separations from their loved one due to work (cross-country truck drivers, longshore fishermen, those in the airline industry and more! It’s so nice to get to know people who understand the separation we all go through, in different lifestyles!

I am the in-house “Domestic Diva”! An aspiring Bree Van De Kamp, if you will. I blog over there on Wednesdays about things like: recipes I find and love (and hopefully learn to not screw up), dinner party tips and tricks, the importance of handwritten notes, and next week: the awesome pantry we created this weekend!

This week my song for Amber‘s link up is “God Bless The American Housewife” by SheDaisy. Stop on by Happy Homefront, check it out, and join the community! See what groups are over there and how we can support others with similar struggles yet separate lives. 

*As a side note: Thursday morning (tomorrow/this morning) I will be going to yet another Doctor’s appointment for some stuff going on. I’m really scared about this one! It’s some more lab work and I will be on pins and needles until answers come back. Hopefully I will have some answers about my blood work. I just want to have some answers, know what steps we have to take, and work on getting better soon.

[edit: Appointment this morning was better than expected and you can read all about it right here later this evening or tomorrow for sure! Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers! God is good, all the time, friends! ]

Work Out Jams

Hubs and I got sweet little iPod shuffles to enhance our workout experience and get me past my “good enough” mile and a half. I found pretty sweet podcasts for the C25K where a guy tells you when to run vs walk. Sweet. The only disadvantage is there is nothing in the meantime. Would it be weird if I took and put it on hubs’ iPod, with my music on mine, and had his in one ear and mine in the other? The description says there is a way to overlap them… I’m not that tech-savvy! If you are and want to send me a cd with the C25K mix and some music behind it, that’d be super!

Hers and His: musical companions for workout buddies 😀

Oh, so you want to know what’s on my shuffle? Sure… as long as you let me know of some rocking music you jam out to when you walk, run, or workout as well 😀 Mind you, this list might be slightly embarrassing for me… but without further ado, my track companions:

• Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO [man, what a great song to just get PUMPED to!]
• Last Friday Night – Katy Perry
• Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
• Love Drunk – Boys Like Girls
• That’s Not My Name – The Tings Tings
• If You’re Wondering (If I Want You To) – Weezer
• Tonight, Tonight – Hot Chelle Rae (oh, such a great tune!)
• It’s Tricky – Run DMC
• Glamorous – Fergie (Yep.)
• Good Girls Go Bad – Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester
• Supermodel (You Better Work) – RuPaul yelling at me to work as I workout.
• I’m On A Boat – The Lonely Island (there is something about “angry”/yelling music that motivates me)
• Booty City – Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears (he’s taking me to booty city, and my booty is gonna look good!)
• Shake It – Metro Station
• Stronger – Kanye West (I think this should be the official PT song for everybody. It truly will make me harder, faster and stronger!)
• Dynamite – Taio Cruz
• Blow – Ke$ha
• Hustlin’ – Rick Ross (well, because everyday I’m out there hustlin’)
• The Way You Move – Outkast
• Magic – B.O.B. feat Rivers Cuomo (ummm, you know I seriously want to name a son Rivers, right? Hubs isn’t going for it. However, he can motivate me and give me some of his magic!)
• Pon De Replay – Rihanna
• Wild World – Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
• Poker Face – Lady Gaga
• The Girl Got Hot – Weezer (obviously Rivers is shocked by my fitness goals and how hot I’m gonna be!)
• I’m Awesome – S’pose (I just repeat it around that next to last lap when I’m close to giving in. I keep going, because I’m awesome.)
• Get Some – Lykke Li
• S&M – Rihanna

For the most part I keep the BPM up around 130. I have some more over on jog.fm that I need to download, like “Evacuate the Dance Floor”. I have more already on the shuffle, but seriously, do you want the whole list? [Naturally, yes: “Eye of the Tiger” is on there.]

Your turn: what gets your heart pumping?

Everyday I’m Shuffling

Working on getting fit and healthy is a challenge. I’ve done pretty good so far this week with an initial shock to the system loss of three pounds. (Motivating, isn’t is!) I’ve been doing the “quarter” of the 100 workout I posted this weekend and it has been rough on old flabby over here. The first day I was shaking and wobbly half way through, but I persevered repeating in my head mantras I pinned on my “Working on my fitness” board. I managed to get 25% done. It was the greatest “pain” in my life!

The next day my muscles were a little sore and tight for sure, and the last thing I wanted to do was my personal “INSANITY”, but I remembered my motivators, snuck a peek at them, and did it again. Today, I wasn’t going to since we were headed to the track, but I did… and my body is thanking me even though it hurts to sit, or stand, or reach to grab my phone when someone tweets me.

The song that gets me pumped and through it all is this one:

How can I lose motivation when I’m Party Rocking? It is infectious and gets me pumped up every time!

PS: I’m still figuring out the little nuances to wordpress, so if the video isn’t there, I’ll work on fixing it! I’m also linking this bad boy up with Amber over at Goodnight Moon later on for the Music Link Up, but I can’t figure out how to get the button in my blog… and wordpressers know?

This Friday Night

I don’t know if you remember the song “I Love College” by that Asher Roth kid. I loved my time in college though- crazy parties, good times, I guess I learned a few things too… but, as Toby Keith would say: “Nights I can’t remember with friends I’ll never forget”. That is what I first think of when I think back on college. While it is a part of me in the past [as we learned this weekend when we were out until midnight!] they are memories I have of fun times with friends. 

When I hear Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” [side note: I just got the whole line of Katy Perry O.P.I. colors. Full report to come :D] I am instantly taken back to my college days. Shouldn’t everyone have a crazy story to tell their kids? I know if we ever have kids, I’ll have more than a few stories to share… kids need to know their parents were human once as well!

I’ve been kicked out of a few bars in my life [4 to be exact, those are stories better left untold]. I’ve made friends with random strangers on the streets of Norfolk and Virginia Beach while walking drunk back to a friends car after a night of drinking. We’ve drunkenly harassed cops and never once been arrested. 

They weren’t all peachy moments. I once had to have my mother and step father drive to Virginia Beach in the middle of the night to rescue me from the scariest situation of my life because I passed out on Hampton Blvd, by ODU. My friends let a guy [whom they thought knew me] take me home when he offered. This was an event that no girl should ever have to experience, but because I did- I know my daughter never will.

LAST FRIDAY NIGHT. The epic story of our generation. Rebellion. Celebration. Freedom. Oh, and that catchy Katy Perry bringing it all to us. When I hear this song I remember drinking every dollar we had. Meeting new people in bars. Peeing on the side of Colley Avenue in Norfolk one Mardi Gras after being kicked out of Red Dog. I’ll leave you with this mash-up and of course… the song!

It's A Blacked Out Blur, But I'm Pretty Sure It Ruled!

I have fond memories of all of these “Friday nights”. From passing out at IHOP, drinking shots of SoCo with strangers and stealing a few ball caps from young sailors to bar crawls, epic St. Patty’s Day parades in the OV and O.A.R. concerts. My friends and I truly had amazing nights, and pictures really did end up online. I can thank that old dinosaur “Myspace” for still having all these pictures!

Nights I Can't Remember... Friends I'll NEVER Forget!

Oh, and the anthem for young folks these days and those reminiscing on days when they were younger:

As always friends, head on over and link up with your old pal Amber for the fun!