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Surprise…!

… we are moving to Okinawa.

Actually, we don’t have orders yet, so I am trying not to freak out more than I already have. In an unexpected, early announcement from Chuck’s monitor, we found out we are “slated” to move to Japan in the spring. This is not great news for either of us, but especially for me. What the heck am I going to do in Okinawa? 😦

There is still hope though – Chuck is going to call the monitor and see if we have any other choice. This was not even remotely on our list of preferences, and we are still wondering why we weren’t given any options in the first place (like everyone else we know has.)

I’m just… tired. Twice this year I’ve had my hopes up for something a little better around the corner, but things just keep getting worse. I hate to be dramatic – and yes, I’m sure I’ll find things to love and experiences to value in Okinawa, just like I did in NC and GA – but I don’t particularly want to spend the next three years of my life on a remote, isolated little military base in the middle of the Pacific…

Giant chocolate cake is in the oven…

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Tuesday…

This is the first full week I’ve had in a while where I have nothing big coming up, and I’m not recovering from anything just past. The next several weeks should be like that, which is kind of nice. Here’s a small life update:

  • Friday, we went to the PX to stalk Sarah Palin (not because we’re fans, but just because.) She was in town for a book signing. I was shocked at how many people showed up, especially women. I honestly didn’t think that many people liked her…
  • Saturday, Chuck went to the Marine Corps Ball, and I stayed home and watched Miss Universe. We figured it wasn’t worth $135 for us both to go to a party where we know no one. We’ve been to enough parties lately. Even Chuck was anxious to slip away.
  • Sunday we went to a local ice hockey game with another couple from Chuck’s class. That was really fun! I didn’t want to get attached to anyone while I’m here, but I’m getting increasingly fond of those two. Dang it! 🙂 
  • I’ve been to the gym a few more times with Chuck, but not as much as I’d like due to his schedule. I’m not quite ready to go on my own yet. I’m still getting the hang of the exercises and the machines, and a military base gym is rather intimidating. Way too many men being all beefy and making me feel uncomfortable. 
  • I’m noticing lately that I’m falling more nicely into the stay-at-home-wife routine than I was before. I hope I’m not getting addicted to sleeping in, being accountable to no one, etc. But it’s better than being overly anxious about it, I guess!
  • Season 3 of “Homeland” is awesome.
  • Chuck’s monitor asked for our top 3 picks for next duty station. I wish we could see a list of options, so we can pick 3 that may actually exist, but the good news is that MAYBE we will know where we are headed next by Christmas! 
  • We took the plunge and got a grown-up, rewards-based credit card. I’m pretty excited about it, and have had fun revamping our financial plan and our approach to making purchases. I only wish we had gotten it months ago, before we dropped thousands on weddings and a DITY move. C’est la vie! Speaking of which…
  • French is finally getting harder, and I’m loving it!

That’s pretty much it. My brain is feeling kind of warbled today (been battling a headache since 2 AM!) so I’m not even sure I’m making much sense. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week already – and Christmas is just about a month away! In some ways, time sure is flying…

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I work out!

I’ve never been the type to commit to working out, and have always relied on the fact that I’m skinny to avoid doing much about it. Of course, like many women, there are things about myself I’d like to change (and I certainly recognize the value in being healthy), but I never had weight issues as an incentive to get to the gym and actually do something about it.

Now that I’m not working and the gym is free and 2 minutes away, I really have no excuses left. I’m officially letting Chuck be my personal trainer for the remainder of our time here in Georgia. He studied fitness a good bit during his ample free time in Afghanistan this past deployment, and he’s convinced he can help me attain aspects of the body type I want, without turning me into some sort of muscle guru/gym rat…

Half my problem is I don’t even know what I’m capable of! I know I want to be toned, build some muscle, and feel healthy and strong, but it’s not like I am a heavy person who was once thin and has a mental image of what I need to work towards. I have no tangible realization of what I can or want to look like, within the limitations of my body type.  No target weight, no concept of what I’d look like with muscles, etc. So, this could be a very enlightening piece of work!

Yesterday Chuck started me with chest, shoulders, and back. I did dead lifts and baby bench presses, among other things. This morning, I am crazy sore in all of those places, and if there’s one thing I do love about “working out”, it’s being sore! It’s not so bad now that I have someone to guide me. I hate going to gyms alone – everyone watching everyone else, and here I am not having a clue on how to work the crazy looking machines…

Wish me luck!! We will see how this odyssey goes..

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Beautiful Beautiful Day Out!

Today is one of those perfect, sunny, energized days when I really wish we had a porch or a patio (if not more outdoor things to do around here in general.) It’s 70 degrees and 100% cloud-free outside, and there’s no way to enjoy it. We already went for a long walk around the neighborhood. It was glorious.

In NC, I had my little patio out back, with our crappy little lawn chairs and a lattice cover and a fenced yard where the Bean and I could bask and relax in the fresh air and sunshine. Friends nearby had adorable front porches with rocking chairs, where we could sip wine and people watch from a safe distance. We don’t have either here in GA, and our “back yard” is about 10 feet from the windows of another house…awkward. 

Someone  with a better setup than ours needs to host a football BBQ or something!

Phew!! Another successful and beautiful wedding weekend done! I didn’t get quite as many pictures of the wedding itself due to bridesmaid duties, but it was a serene and gorgeous ceremony at the Mission San Luis in Tallahassee. Alex was remarkably calm, considering she doesn’t like a lot of fanfare and attention. 🙂 She was a literally SPARKLING bride! She and David are just adorable together.

But ohhh boy… as anticipated, I have been sick all week. I knew pulling off 3 weddings in a week would likely do me in, so I’m not complaining. I’m just glad it hit AFTER they were all over! But I’m not quite finished yet. Chuck and I are off to DC next weekend for one of his best friend’s weddings. I’m out of dresses (kinda) so I decided to do Rent the Runway. Always a treat! Let’s hope it looks good on me 🙂

Helen, Georgia

For part of the long weekend, Chuck and I celebrated Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia – a Bavarian-style “alpine” village nestled in the Appalachians. It was not quite what I expected and was a total tourist trap, but we still had a great time. I went all out and drank more beer than I’ve ever drunk in my life. I rarely get tipsy anymore, so it was fun 🙂 It was nice to do something a little different.

Now I’m hoping for a productive week before skipping town again for the next two weekends: Charleston to Brooklyn to Tallahassee. Two weeks from today, I am going to be pooped… but full of great memories!