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Puppy Flip-Flopping

I love just about any furry cuddly animal, dogs being a close #2 to my all-time fave, cats (in case you haven’t figured that out.) I’ve always assumed Chuck and I would eventually get a dog, and now is actually a decent time for it, since I’m not working full time and we have a big back yard.

But now I’m getting cold feet and don’t really want one anymore. I’ve been talking to people who are dog owners, and I’m reminded of how much a puppy would overhaul my life. They are cute, and tons of fun, and great companions, but like babies, it’s nicer to hang out with them and then hand them over when the tough parts come along.

I’m also realizing how much I’ll lose control over the look and feel of my home. One of the couples who visited us last weekend brought their massive great dane – which was a total sweetheart and I loved him – but the house smelled after just one night, and it took a little while to get my beach-scented balance back.

Dogs are so much work, and require a lot more logistics and worry when you plan anything – even a night out. They’re also so demanding of attention. I may still be too selfish with my time…

I grew up with an amazing golden retriever named Lacey, and she was a handful. But looking back, it was manageable because my mom, sister, and I were home pretty much all day every day, since we were home schooled. We got through puppyhood a lot quicker and easier than I would now. And, what happens when we move back to a city, and we only have an apartment with no back yard and I’m working 50 hours a week?

I say we just get another kitten. Chuck isn’t quite on board with that yet…

Last weekend ended for us on Wednesday morning, when we saw off the last of our holiday guests. We had such a great time – but WHEWWW I am socially exhausted (and that’s hard to do for me!) This weekend was meant for relaxing, even though it’s still been socially heavy – a Hail and Farewell on base Friday night (not the most relaxed form of socializing…), dinner with friends last night, and a BBQ with families from Chuck’s platoon this afternoon (again, not the most natural socializing.)

At least we got lots of downtime at the beach! 5 fabulous hours. But my thighs are now a little crispy 🙂

Chuck’s accidental pumpkin plant has become quite the beast in our garden – we have to monitor it so it doesn’t crowd out our tomatoes and blueberries! But check out our two baby pumpkins! We may have home grown Jack o’Lanterns this Halloween yet…

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Culinary Delight #8: Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

These are one of my favorite cupcakes yet! Even my more health-conscious friends ate two, and Chuck had four. There’s no combo better for the beginning of summer than strawberries  and lemonade 🙂

For the cupcakes:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup lemonade powder mix (Country Time was really good)

1 cup milk

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with liners. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, lemonade powder, lemon zest, and set aside.

IN another bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well. Gradually add the dry ingredients and the milk, alternating starting and ending with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Fill the liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, then cool for 5 minutes. Ice with Strawberry Lemon Frosting.

For the Frosting:


2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp strawberry puree (I used more than that – I pureed something like 5-7 strawberries)

1 tsp lemon zest

Cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar until well mixed. Mix in the strawberry puree and lemon zest. Frost your cupcakes!

**I topped my cupcakes with strawberry slices, but they ended up molding over time – so I had to throw everything out 😦 It was yummy though, so next time I will just add the strawberry slice to a few, and add after that as I go along. **

We passed this amazing house while boating the Intracoastal yesterday. It had a gazebo with a hammock in it, and a pool with a waterfall and a slide. There were dolphins frolicking nearby. I’m convinced the Barbie of Topsail lives here (and it should be me!!) Just adorable.

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Musing About the Value of a Master’s Degree…

So, about a week ago, I paid off the last of my undergraduate loan (woohoo!) It was painful, considering I had no idea that I’d spent the past 5 years paying off mere interest ONLY, so Chuck and I made the decision to hit it hard and just pay it off in large chunks and eliminate the principle altogether. It stung, but at least it’s over with, and we can enjoy being officially debt-free.

But of course, now I’m thinking more than ever about my “next steps” in higher education. A master’s degree is increasingly becoming the new status quo, and I do feel the need for one, and even the desire (my own ego is at stake here, ha!) I enjoyed school, I’m more focused now, and I would like to expand my knowledge base and work my brain again. Also, any halfway decent jobs I find in this area “prefer” masters degrees (oddly enough), so I honestly think it would make me look more appealing, regardless of how much actual work experience I’ve had.

At the same time, I’m still as fuzzy as ever in knowing what to do with my life, and how much I value a big fancy career, as opposed to just working and being productive and finding happiness outside of work. As discussed before, military life makes this exponentially more difficult. If I go back to the basics (“What do you like?”), my academic interests still lie in foreign affairs, international studies, and the news. I still love that shiz! I could see myself in the CIA, or at the State Department, or at USAID… doing communications, management, planning, or policy.

But of course, those tracks require being in DC, for the most part. Otherwise, they will require travel to all kinds of “exotic” locations that are certainly not compatible with the demands of my husband’s career (you can’t have two tricky ones!!) I may not want to travel like a maniac to far corners of the earth in my 30’s anyway…

So, I’m thinking MBA lately. It may be cliche, but it’s versatile. I can use it if I go back to consulting, and I could use it if I get into hospital or university management (two things I honestly think I would enjoy, and take around with me.) It wouldn’t interest me as much as a variety of other degrees would, but it’s functional, and let’s face it – practicality trumps all at this point! It fits well into the resume I already have, and I’m sure I could use it in a government setting as well.

The other issue is COST. Ugh. I hate the idea of going back into debt – bleeding money instead of making it. School is so freaking expensive these days. I was looking at one program that charges $1500 per CREDIT HOUR. No freaking way. It was a pretty reputable school, but seriously… how low do I have to stoop so I can afford to go? Even the lower ranked schools cost a small fortune 😦

Anyways, as always – just trying to figure out and balance what I want vs. what I need vs. what I should do vs. what Icando vs. what I actually care and don’t care about.  I don’t know why I still try so hard to have a life plan – I should probably just continue to wing it – throw caution to the wind and trust that I’m smart and will get by no matter what winds come our way. Life doesn’t always have to be so by the book…

I mean hey, it’s worked so far, right?

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