Life & Love

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New Job & New Recipe…!

… – ish on both accounts. Today I start my new non-profit gig in Wilmington. Unfortunately it’s temp, but depending on how it goes, that “unfortunately” may turn into a “fortunately”… 😉 Really though, I am excited! It’s high-visibility business development for the area (which it desperately needs), and I think I will learn a lot from it – especially since I’m one of only two team members/consultants brought in to help.

Either way – it’s something! I will try to keep the pharmacy job a few shifts per month just in case I don’t find something else when this position wraps up in the fall. Luckily, they are willing to work with me for that.

And as for the “new” recipe… slow cooker lasagna?! WHAT a novelty! Clearly I’ve made lasagna before, but I’ve never heard of the crockpot concept 🙂 Prep n’ go… Come home to delicious smells and a ready dinner! What’s not to love?

Today Chuck helped me find my inner green thumb by planting a mini-garden in the front yard. Turns out I’m better in the kitchen… Ha… But I’m still happy to find something new we can do together, and enjoy the outdoors while we’re at it. Plus we planted pumpkins, tomatoes, and blueberries in the back! Yum. 🙂

Of course I was bummed to flake on going to see my wonderful DC ladies this weekend, but I had such a great time partying on the beach with lovely new girl friends and my amazing hubby, who surprised me by coming home a whole week early 🙂

(Taken with instagram)

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So Proud of My Bean!

Today, I watched Annie pee in the backyard for the first time ever! Don’t get me wrong – I don’t mind the litterbox – but Chuck and I both find it odd that Miss Bean will spend so much time in the yard but scramble back inside to use the potty. Aren’t animals supposed to know the grass makes for a great toilet?

So, there I was relaxing on the patio watching her frolic, and before I knew it, she wandered to a small corner of the yard, popped a chubby little squat, and went! She even tried to cover it like a lady (I guess she hasn’t grasped that you can’t paw through grass like you can litter.) I don’t really know why this is so exciting to me, but it’s like that moment when you realize your kid is finally potty trained… or so I would imagine.

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I Love Surprising People

At a career fair on base this week, I had an opportunity in my ongoing pursuit to convince people that not all military spouses are stay-at-home moms (to reiterate: I’m not opposed to that, just not ready yet!) Granted, the fair was geared mostly to Marines looking to get out and enter the civilian world, but I still found myself almost instantly overlooked as a wife.

I approached one contractor’s bench and asked him if he had any positions available in the area. He smiled at me as if I was a high-school student asking the question, asked if I was active duty (“No, I’m a spouse”) and said, “Well ma’am, all our positions are for experienced professionals with security clearances at this time.”

I HAVE A SECURITY CLEARANCE, SUCKA!! Spouse does not automatically mean under-qualified! We all know what happens when you assume. I wish I had been ballsy enough to yell that  and smack my resume down right on top of his perfectly stacked business cards. But of course, the nice girl took over instead, opting to politely tell him I do have a clearance while I calmly walked away…

… But I didn’t turn away too late to notice the surprised and embarrassed expression on his face. Ha 🙂

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Wedding Anniversary Getaway: Napa Valley

This October will be Chuck’s and my first wedding anniversary (two-year marriage anniversary, if you want to get technical!) I know October is a way’s off, but with Chuck’s ever-changing deployment schedule, it’s never too soon to start thinking about these things. 🙂

A France/Italy trip has always been my ultimate anniversary trip, but that isn’t in the financial cards quite yet. However, a vacay in wine country is a very close second! Napa would be absolutely gorgeous in October…

So, even though I have no idea if Chuck will even be in the country or not, I’m going to have fun planning our imaginary anniversary-cation, even if we have to take it another year. I even picked the place we will stay, Maison Fleurie (it’s like we’ll be in France anyway!!)

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Restless Night

I had the most bizarre, stressful, yet broken series of dreams this AM! My brain is literally exhausted.

First, I was climbing with a group of people in a dilapidated house, trying to get to the top of the (mostly missing) stairs. I was in the lead, and about to get around the corner to the next room. A hand reached out of nowhere to help me up. I took it and was pulled around the corner, into a nasty smoky room full of evil skeletons! I woke with a start and all kinds of electric pins n’ needles.

Then, I faced 10 years in prison, for inadvertently owning something manufactured in North Korea. Huh?

Then, for whatever reason, I had a little break from prison (but knew I had to go back) and was driving along a highway with my sister and another random girl. It was like driving through a circus in the rain! Bright colorful lights, distractions, and I could barely see. Even in the dream, I knew it wasn’t real, and just hallucinations, because no one else could see it. I had to pull over and let my sister drive. We simultaneously realized my GPS was giving my directions as if we were traveling “by air.”

Then, I was in a busy dressing room with Kim Kardashian getting ready for the Oscars (still facing 10 years of prison), which was actually just some dinner party in the mall. It was chaotic and messy, and once again, I couldn’t actually see anything… very blurred, and nothing was working. I was supposed to meet my sister to have lunch with Pam Anderson (strange pair), but I was too disoriented to tell where I was going, had 3 sets of glasses on, and eventually gave up and stood in the middle of the mall before waking up very, very confused.

I hope none of this means I’m crazy, or about to become crazy – because I sure feel crazy. And I’m so tired!!