Just Because

I am helplessly addicted to LOLCATS and LOLDOGS. It's kind of funny considering I don't typically like cheesy humor. This one made me cackle.

What a great trip!

Thursday evening was very bumpy here in our house. I thought I might have to kill the child, so I didn't have great expectations for the trip, unfortunately. Regardless, we were going.

We had a pretty good flight on Friday, got settled quite easily and found our hotel. All pretty simple, except for my throat hurting and my sinuses starting to throb.
Picture of Austen on the plane:


Saturday pretty much sucked. I was sick and it rained. and rained. and rained. Hannah was not nice to us, but much nicer than to all of my southern friends. So, we did get out a bit and do some driving around. We stumbled upon the Iwo Jima Memorial. It's so big. I guess I never realized. We also happened upon Ft. Myer. We drove around there a bit. It's so neat to see the old bases (posts) because they are so vastly different than good ole Camp Pendleton.
The Memorial in the Rain:


Sunday we got out and saw a lot, well after we drove around looking for a parking spot. Austen actually found one, he's got a good eye. We went to several Smithsonian Museums, the Capitol, Washington Monument and the WWII memorial. All of it quite gorgeous, as most of you know:
The Smithsonian Castle:


Austen at the Air & Space Museum:


The Capitol:


Austen at the Natural History Museum:


A photo to make you go, "Awwwwwweeeeeeee!":


Me at the Washington Monument:



So Monday I got all dressed up and stood next to the Treasury in the hot sun for several hours, then went to the front (South) lawn of the White House and listened to the Shrub babble. I was thoroughly underwhelmed, but I can claim to have been on the White House grounds, I suppose. His remarks can be found here, if you're interested.
Here's my self portrait at the White House:


I had someone else take a picture of me, too. I like the one above better, though:



After the White House, Austen and I went and found some grub, then hit some more sites. We went to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. I did not think that would have any affect on me, however, I bawled. A. Lot.



On to the Lincoln Memorial (Wow):


When we were leaving the Lincoln Memorial, we ran across this little squirrel. Notice how he's flat on his belly. He scooted around like that. He ran, too. So, he wasn't injured, just fat and funny:


And Arlington, I cried a lot more. It is so amazing. I'd never been there before. I've always said that I wanted to be cremated, but if the hubster wanted us to be buried there, I would be good with that. It would be an amazing place to be ad infinitum.:


The Tomb of the Unknowns:


Next we visited was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, which was gorgeous. We were there around sunset and able to see the sunset over the Tidal Basin...


On Tuesday, we got up early and drove down to Quantico to see the Marine Corps Museum. Wow, simply wow. How very cool. Then we met my dear friend Khris for lunch and talk. It was *so* good to reconnect with her. I've missed her so much. I forget how easy conversation is with Khris. We won't let the communication slide like that again, ok?

So, sorry for the massive update, but it is what it is....

lots of love,
binks

We're off!

Headed to DC in the morning! Can't wait. Will be a fun trip. Site-seeing will be great but getting to see Khris takes the cake!

Will update with photos upon our return....

The New Skipjack Lane

I thought I had posted pics and a link before, but it was just a picture and no link! Silly me.

Anyway here we go:

This is the new Skipjack standing near where the pool is (my house is at the very endon the left) These are all one story homes, but most of the community is comprised of two story homes. The one stories are field grade quarters or disabled accessible homes.


Here's another of the street. My house is centered in the photo. You can see the two story homes off to the back right of the photo and you can see Koelper Street back there, too.


And for more photos of *my* house (the interior and such) you can check them out here. I will try to get down there and take more pictures of the community at large for y'all.

The White House

So, I've been invited to the White House to attend an event for volunteers. The President will be there and be giving a speech. The event will be held on the South Lawn. I don't know how to dress.

I was raised by pinko, commie, liberal, tree-huggin, leftists. I am married to a fairly centrist republican. I am somewhere in between those two identities. I have a bleeding heart, but I still believe in your right to bear arms (or bare arms if they don't look like mine). I guess you could call me a Libertarian. I believe in small government and protecting our own first.

I am not Bush's biggest fan, you could say.

Is it hypocritical to attend an event thrown by a man you loathe just to garner the once-in-a-lifetime experience of attending an event at his (ultra historic amazing) home?

I'm confounded.

Falling into place

Well, some things are getting settled, which is nice. I have a move date. School starts tomorrow and Austen's school just needs a bit more to fall into place. Stress has lowered immensely.

I am a bit nervous about school, but not like I was last semester. I am actually more excited to get it going and done with than any other emotion.

We still don't have orders, but I think there is a decent chance that we're headed Hawaii's way. If we do, Tom will have to do a 5 month school in VA, which kind of upsets me, but I will deal. At least he will be able to fly home and we can visit him. DC is a whole lot more accessible than Fallujah these days. This also means we might get a bit longer in our house here in Cali.

I don't have much desire to stay in California, it's really not my kind of place. However, schooling here is ridiculously inexpensive and that is important to me these days. So, if we stayed even one extra semester, it could save us thousands.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.

Scattered, Stressed and Excited...

Well, two weeks since a post. Not sure why, I haven't done a damn thing in the last two weeks. So, here is two weeks worth of blabbing:

We're supposed to move. They've delayed it until the beginning of September. I start school the 25th of August. I may have a trip to the east coast the first part of September. I have a trip to Florida the first two weeks of October (Tom's R&R and Eve's wedding *squeeeeeeeee*). I'm not sure when they CAN move me. It's so very frustrating. I just wish that these last three-four weeks that I've been sitting on my ass could have been spent setting up the new house. Not to mention that the longer they put off moving us, the less time we will be in that house. If we moved NOW, we wouldn't be there a year. So, if things get pushed until October, we might be there 7-8 months. That's an awfully short time (Liz, you're feeling this, I am sure).

I feel like my hands are tied. I keep going through things in my house to feel like I am accomplishing something, anything. It's not working. I feel like a lump. Other than having somewhat of a social life lately, my life is totally stagnant right now. I know it's not going to stay that way. It's some kind of effed up juxtaposition.

I've gotten everything handled that I can. I guess that is good. The only thing I am behind on is reading, but I am always behind on my reading. I buy books faster than I can feasibly read them. Sorta silly. Some people collect black and white cows or coins or what-have-yous; I collect books. It's a good thing.

That's where I am right now. Poised and ready to pounce but worried I am going to need to pounce in 8 directions at one time. I am blessed to have such great things going on in my life.