Something Wicked This Way Comes!!!

Something wickedly fun!!!! Deana and Elaine are visiting this week!!! We are not sure of the date, because Deana is buying a very cool house and has to be there to sign the paperwork! If it were not for these two, I may have never survived three and a half years of retail banking! We plan to see the redwoods, check out the beach and I have a couple little things to show them. I am so excited, I can hardly wait to see them!

It has been a pretty good week. Facebook, also know as the biggest time sucker on the planet, has been so much fun this week. My dad actually is using facebook, and has even written on my wall...it is awesome. My brother helped him get set up, and even helped him find some long lost friends. I am having fun reconnecting with cousins, that I have barely spoken to in years.

A girl's new best friend.....

For my birthday, Lee got me a Keurig coffee maker. This thing is my new best friend! Instead of me filling a filter with coffee, it has these things called "k-pod's". Each pod makes a cup of coffee....there are tons of flavors...so every cup I have can be different! It also has tea and hot chocolate too. No Starbuck's though....but they do have Tully's. I am having fun trying all the different kinds of coffee that came with the sampler with the coffee maker. Only drawback...I am drinking way too much coffee! I had a good birthday.

Elliott had back to school night last night....so far so good! He has all the kinks worked out and seems to actually be enjoying school...well, enjoying it as much as a 16 year old can enjoy school. He is really liking the computer classes, he has a web design class and a programming class. Even the teacher is impressed with what he is doing in those classes.

We (hopefully) have our first company coming next week, Deana and Elaine are supposed to come. They asked for this time off last February...so I am excited to see them. Deana is in the process of buying a house...so that may mess up the plan a little. We hope to visit the redwoods, the beach, and maybe donate some money at the casino!!

Worse than childbirth...

There is something more painful than childbirth....and that would be letting them leave the nest. Mason headed back to Washington yesterday. With all his hopes and dreams packed into his backpack. The plan is to finish school up there. Although, by the looks of this one picture...he still cannot resist the urge to play with Lego's. So, I watched him go beyond the point where I could no longer hold his hand.....through the TSA barricade. I fretted that I was putting my baby on such a small plane.....but he made it to Seattle in record time. Met there by Mike, who took him back to my dad's for a little bit and then over to the west side where Arrielle was waiting.

I did not think it would be this hard....I feel like such a big baby. I went to Leanne's 50th birthday party last night...so much fun, still laughing at the apron's....and got to see some old friends, Carrie and Margaret, who thankfully assured me I was totally normal.

I think maybe harder for mom's...the boys have been the center of my universe for 19 years and now I feel like the planets are spinning wildly out of control. Poor Elliott, who probably wants to kick Mace's butt for leaving him here alone with the crazy mom.

I always knew they would leave and go off to college someday....but I think that as long as I looked at them and saw them as my babies that day would never come....yesterday I had to look at Mason and realize...my baby is now a man.

Kind of an odd day...

So, I was out and about running a couple errands. I did the Winco trip for groceries....felt good, saved some money by going there instead of my beloved Safeway. I am even starting to like it here, and beginning to get over the home sickness that seems to be looming over me. I did a quick trip to the post office, to get some cute stamps....it is a girl thing! As I left there and made my way to the main road, I caught sight of reality. I saw a line of people a block long waiting for food at the food bank. It was that slap in the face I needed, to put me back in that grateful mode! I have a fridge and pantry full of food for my family, I have friends and family that are always there for me, I have a loving and supportive husband. I could not imagine standing in that line, and it breaks my heart. I have decided that every payday, I will donate a bag of canned goods to the food bank...I would like to challenge those that read my blog to do the same.

Here is where it gets weird and gross....I pick up my mail at a UPS store. So, I pull in to a parking spot...remember that I wanted to call Elliott's school. I am making the call, leaving a message for his counselor (we have a teacher that is kind of a turd).....and this man, that was napping on the bench in front of the SSA office, gets up fiddles with his pants and proceeds to pee next to the building. Needless to say, I will pick up my mail tomorrow...or the day after, or when I can get that image out of my mind! GROSS!! Humboldt county is beautiful, but it comes with the price, the homeless population is high here....

One a good note, I am making beef stroganoff for dinner....yumm-o-rama!!!!

Sunday, rainy Sunday!

It is our last Sunday with Mace for a while....so we headed to the beach for a couple pics!! We went to McKinleyville to start up the Corvette for a little bit....it is so weird not seeing it everyday. It will be back in the driveway as soon as we get our house. Then we headed up to Clam Beach for the pictures. I love taking "myspace" pics...the kind where someone holds out the camera and snaps the shot. It took a few tries to get all four of our huge heads in one picture. After the beach we went to McDonald's....we sat in the car to eat...there was a kid standing out in the parking lot near a small truck. The kid looked like he was gonna break out in a cheer, then he danced a little, when he struck a ninja pose... I could no longer keep in the giggles...and spewed soda all over myself. Thank goodness for Clorox! We got home just as it started to rain....I think it is time for a Lifetime movie (although, I am sure I will be out-voted ).

Happy Sunday!!

Remembering September 11th, 2001

It is hard to believe that September 11th was 8 years ago. I can remember that day so clearly. I had gotten up early, because I was supposed to open the gas station (on base) in Petaluma that morning....I come downstairs to put my shoes on, Lee mentioned that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, I thought that is crazy. I look up at the tv, and at that moment I see "live" the second plane crash into the other tower. I remember my disbelief....and being afraid. There was no tv in the gas station, and thankfully someone brought me a radio to listen to. The news of the day just got worse, with the crash into the Pentagon and the crash in Pennsylvania. That day started a sequence of events that changed our country forever. We went to war. I hope that you will take a moment today to remember those that lost their lives that day....and another of for their families. Take a moment too, to give some respect for those in the military, serving here at home and overseas.

Wasting away in Key Largo..

This picture of Key (our greyhound, who we call Key Largo or Cujo!) and Lee cracks me up! Key seemed to love Susan's couch. He never sat on our couch in Port Orchard and has not tried to sit on the couch here in the temporary house. He has been napping in his kennel...trying to keep the cats out of it.

All is well this week, so far! It was a nice low key Labor Day weekend. I went along with Leanne and Mac to Arts Alive in Old Town Eureka on Saturday night. Not a lot of art, but it was fun to peek into the shops and it is totally worth it just to people watch! I got to have a nice lunch with Susan on Monday...it was nice to actually visit. I think Lee finally got the last of the cow poop off the truck. We are fairly settled in the temporary housing...kinda getting a groove/routine going.

I am trying to keep my days filled. I have been scrap booking all the pictures I have taken since we moved. I am crocheting a throw for the couch, and trying to work on some cross stitch. I cannot wait to get settled.....more importantly unpack our things!!

I shoulda took Dramamine!!

Wow...this week has been so full of ups and downs that I feel a little motion sickness. As soon as we figure we should find a place to live...that the CG housing is not going to happen...everything changes again! After some discussion this week with the peeps involved...it turns out we should be moving on to Coast Guard street the first week of October. We are currently staying in a townhouse in Eureka....which will be easier for everyone. I can get Elliott to school in 7 minutes, Lee can sleep another hour in the morning. Plus, Susan, Justin and Emily can have their home back. I will thank them forever, not many will open their home to a family , two cats and a dog! The townhouse is only a few blocks from housing, so I am hoping that the transition over there will be easy. Lee assures me that our unit will be worth the wait....lots of new stuff. I can hardly wait. I really miss all my stuff!

I will admit my dad was right....he told me not to lose my faith in the CG...and I shouldn't have.

The view from here...

Ahhhh....a sunny day can do wonders for the soul. So can an amazing view.....the ocean view is the view I see while waiting for Lee to get off from work! The helo, is one that was coming in to land at the base. The base just received two new helo's (Dolphin MH-65...it is an updated helo, http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_13175640)...and they must be flying them like crazy, because I have been seeing them everyday.

The front light is out on Lee's motorcycle (part should be here Thursday) and the Corvette is winking (one light does not want to come up) and school started. What a combo. So, Elliott gets ready for school a little early....we drive Lee to work then I take Elliott to school. I come back to Ferndale and work on the house hunt. Then, in the afternoon I pick up Elliott from school, we head to the base and pick up Lee and then head back to Ferndale.....just those tasks is 155 miles a day. Yikes for the gasoline bill!!! It is only for a couple days, and I have enjoyed sitting and watching the waves roll in. It has been beautiful in the afternoons....well worth the wait.

Mason continues to help at the dairy, he rolled in this evening like he was on his last leg! He spent the day moving pipe (irrigation pipes), feeding calves, and other farm chores. He does not get paid anything but the satisfaction that he can say he did it. I think it is admirable....he will always remember the summer he learned to milk a cow!! Elliott has the "it's better than I thought it would be" attitude for school. So far, so good. I am sure it will be easier when we get a place and he has his own bed, and all of his room put together. He has been a trooper though. I am so grateful for boys that have been pretty adaptable their whole lives....but they really do not know any other way.