Live Outside the Lines #3

This one is a little hard to spot, but the entire right front end is in a completely different stall. I literally watched this guy pull up while we were getting gas in Dallas. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, assuming it was a quick stop. It wasn't.

Ants in Yo Pants

My ants made it! In case you didn't hear, I got an ant farm for Christmas. My ants had to be shipped separately and they came in yesterday. Here they are starting their tunnels...

In less awesome news, I've spent the last 20 hours sleeping - hoping to shake this flu before we leave of Friday for California!

~Stephanie

Merry Christmas!

Brad and I have had an awesome Christmastime so far, and I don't really feel like the feeling of this season will be over soon because we will be going home to California in less than 2 weeks! Because all of our holiday things are still in boxes (we didn't see the point of taking them all out if we are just going to move again before next Christmas), we went low tech and just decorated with the awesome Christmas cards that we got from all of our family/friends. 

Our Christmas really started on Wednesday, my first of six days off (woot!). We've been watching a new series called Human Target and being lazy and eating tons of food. On Christmas eve we met our friend Becky for a fab dinner and then went to the Christmas eve service at our new church. We then went out to a karaoke bar (classy, I know) to hang out. Brad was brave and sang "The Real Slim Shady" - he was great!

Becky and I at Woofers & Tweeters

This morning we woke up, opened gifts, and then decided to go to Ihop - a tradition for Brad's family. On the way we found this dog running near a busy street (bringing our total of dogs rescued since we've been here to 12) and brought her to our backyard until we could find her owner/take her to the shelter.

 

Christmas Goggie

We passed out "Found Dog" signs in that neighborhood, and then Brad washed her (she smelled horrible) and brought out our doggie igloo for her. Fortunately she is really really sweet and loved playing with Hank and Spencer. 

Speaking of Hank and Spencer...apparently Christmas is all about them and the gifts that they get to chew. 

 
Exhibit A

 Exhibit B

Tonight we will be hanging out with Becky again and enjoying the rest of the weekend before I have to go back to work - but not for long because we'll be California bound on December 31st!

~Steph

Live Outside the Lines #2

This picture was taken outside the same Ihop (on the same day) as the last post. It's not uncommon to see several cars parked in a cluster like this, and I'm not sure if one person starts it so subsequent parkers have to adjust...or if nobody cares. It's hard to tell in this bunch who the culprit was, so featuring them all seemed to be the most appropriate option.

Live Outside the Lines #1

I know, its been nearly a month since I posted last but hopefully this makes up for it...

We've lived in San Angelo for just under 3 months now, and a common theme has developed as we go frolicking around town - shitty Shitty parkers. Texans do not know how to maneuver their F-850's that they all insist on buying, and because their truck is undoubtedly bigger than yours, they can put it wherever they want. And you can't do anything about it, until now of course! I've taken to photographing these incidents as they emerge, and I felt that the next logical step was to call 'em out for the world to see. and maybe so I can free up some space on my phone. Other bloggers have a variety of theme posts on their blogs, and I don't want to be left out. So here goes...

This gem took up the, um, median in the Ihop parking lot. You can't tell from the picture, but I swear there was an entire row of open spots and a shopping center next door. However, none as convenient as this. Here's to you shitty Texas parker - Live Out Side the Lines.

I feel better now,
Steph

We Made It!

After 7 weeks apart, Brad and I are now living in Texas. We're renting a house close to base and it is starting to feel like a house since everything was delivered on Thursday (finally). We spent the last two full days marathon unpacking and organizing, and we were able to go grocery shopping for tonight's first 'home-cooked' meal in this house.

San Angelo isn't so bad, Brad likes it a lot more than I do. I didn't think I liked California that much until I left, and now I really miss taking our dogs to the dog park (none here), going to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods (none here), going to pretty much any style of restaurant (BBQ, that's about it) and drinking reasonably clean/healthy tap water (none here). We've had to start stocking up on those 2.5 gallon jugs that sit on our counter and pour out of the tap because the water here is like Mexican water - it will make you sick if you drink it or cook with it.

We experienced a real Southern storm today - thunder loud enough to shake the windows, tons of lightning, and flooding! Our neighborhood was so flooded that I had to have Brad drive to pick me up down the street, and by looking outside right now you couldn't even tell that it rained at all! Crazy...

This is a picture of our house, and the water level is half way up the fire hydrant on the corner behind us. The water went up to just below the car doors! San Angelo will definitely take some getting used to...

I'm a Big Kid Now

Me being charitable...No I didn't photoshop myself in to this.

I've made it through ASBC (freakin' finally...) with relative ease, and ECAC (evasion & conduct after capture - SERE light, if you will) with relatively few bruises. I'm pretty sure my brain has blocked the past 7 weeks from memory as a self-preservation measure. Now all I can think about is TOMORROWIGETTOSEEBRADANDTHEDOGGIES! The drive from Montgomery, AL - Monroe, LA - Ft. Hood, TX (and tomorrow San Angelo, TX) has been easy but long because I am so anxious. We will be living in our first (rental) home tomorrow, and we are both really excited about all of the extra space - especially a nice backyard for Hank and Spencer.

I'm not sure when the defining moment is in someone's life when they finally feel like an "adult", but I certainly feel that I've arrived after researching to purchase our first washer and dryer. For me, it is best done while enjoying a glass (read: plastic hotel room bathroom cup) of fine Smoking Loon Merlot while watching Dogs 101 on Animal Planet on a Saturday night. I've decided that we need a washer that is a top-loader after I read nasty reviews about front-loaders getting moldy. Our dryer needs to be rated highly in the capacity and noise control areas. I'm still deciding if an extended warranty is really worth it...yep, I definitely think I've made it.

Post soon to follow of our new house details!

Toodles,

Stephanie

9. 5. 09.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our first wedding anniversary and our fifth anniversary of the day we started dating! I really feel like this year (and 5 years) has gone by really fast. I'll try to remember everything that has happened over these past years:

2005 - Started 'officially' dating. I was a senior in high school and he had been in the Marines for about a year. He would come to visit me from Monterey every weekend, and we went to our first Marine Corps ball together.

2006 - I graduated high school and started attending SJSU. On Valentine's day that year I had the flu, but we tried to make the best of our time together. We went to my Senior Ball together. On my 18th birthday we went to visit Brad's sister and husband and went to Vegas together.

2007 - We road tripped to move Brad to Texas and then later Georgia while I continued at SJSU and my involvement in ROTC. Our months were spent counting down the days until we saw each other again. Brad surprised me and came home for Christmas and we went to San Jose's Christmas in the Park together.

2008 - We got engaged this January! I was in the Miss Alameda County pageant, and Brad was able to fly home to escort me on stage. Brad moved to North Carolina and then Iraq for 7 months. That summer I went to Field Training at Maxwell AFB to continue my AF career.

2009 - Brad came home safely from Iraq around Valentine's day. We adopted our first dog Hank in March, and I took him with me to Georgia to visit Brad. We spent most of our time that summer in Savannah and Tybee Island. We adopted our second dog Spencer right before our wedding. Brad finished his time in the Marines and moved in with me. Oh, and we got married.

2010 - Brad started school, and I graduated from SJSU and commissioned into the Air Force. We moved back to Livermore and spent the summer vacationing in Mexico and at my grandparents house. We recently road tripped across the country to move me to Alabama. In October we will be moving to Texas together.

It's so fun looking back at all of the cool things we have done together. We are definitely looking forward to this next year of exciting changes.

Happy Anniversary, babe!

Love,
Stephanie

Blue Thunder

Blue Thunder

I spent this past week being mock-"deployed" at a tent city called Blue Thunder. In a few weeks, we will be doing a culminating exercise at another camp called Vigilant Warrior where we will combine all of our skills for some yet-t0-be-known training purpose. Looking back on BT, I'm actually getting excited about going to VW with my flight to see how each of our skills will come together as a team.

My Cot...actually comfier than it looks

Here is a breakdown of the week:
Monday - Intro briefings/met my flight/moved to BT
Tuesday - SABC (Self Aid-Buddy Care, aka first aid)
Wednesday - Land navigation and small unit tactics
Thursday - Integrated base defense
Friday - CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield explosives)

It was, in typical Alabama fashion, hot and really humid. We didn't really know each other yet because we all had just met on Monday. Overall, I had a good time but it wasn't fun to feel sweaty and dirty, and eat MREs as your best meal of the day.


~ Stephanie

Sweet Home, Alabama!

Brad and I finished our journey to Alabama on Thursday, but it officially culminated today when Brad had to fly back home :-( ... It was such a long drive and I really (really) got sick of being in the car all day, every day. Here is a breakdown of our stops (btw - I can't figure out how to do the pictures properly and my internet here is extremely slow, so I will only post a few):

Southern California - stayed at my grandparents house and visited the Reagan Library

Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA

Phoenix, Arizona - stayed at my aunt and uncle's house and relaxed

at a Native American Indian reservation in AZ

Clovis, New Mexico - stayed at Cannon AFB...for my AF friends, do whatever you can to avoid that place. The "downtown" is 20 miles away through cow pasture and the base perpetually smells like...cow pasture.

my first Southern meal at Cracker Barrel

Fort Worth, Texas - stayed at NAS Fort Worth and went to a movie tavern where they serve you drinks and apps while you watch your movie. We also heard the new Ke$ha song "Take It Off" in Texas which, if you have heard the song, know why that counted as something memorable.

New Orleans, Lousiana - of course we stayed near Bourbon Street, but not on it luckily because it smells like what you would imagine the outside of humid dive bars would smell like. We were here for two nights, and it was a really cool place to visit. I wouldn't live there, or probably visit again, but it was fun.


Montgomery, Alabama - my new home! If you haven't heard, I'm here until October for AF things. It is super uber hot and humid, but the ammentities make up for it. Good running trails, housekeeping everyday, and free flowing beer at any given time in the quad (what do you expect from fresh out of college 20 somethings with disposable cash?).


I'm not sure how much I will be able to post, but I do really plan to blog more so my family and friends can keep in touch even if I can't call them.

Toodles!
Stephanie

Surprise, Surprise

So...it was pretty well known that I wasn't planning to leave for Texas until sometime after the summer, maybe around October. Well yesterday I was notified that I begin traveling on June 30th!! Definitely not what we expected, but it will be fine. I'm excited to have a "date", but not so excited that I have to miss my cruise and family Yosemite trip. Getting to Texas in the summer will be AWESOME and I am really looking forward to all of these fun changes coming my way...

22 days until graduation and commissioning!!

Eat What Has Itself Eaten Well

A few days ago I watched this Oprah episode about food. It was highlighting the documentary Food, Inc. (which I've never seen, and probably won't plan to). The author of Food Rules was talking about how we need to eat sustainably and buy local and think compassionately, blah blah blah. Now anyone that knows me will tell you that I absolutely do not care about eating organically (overpriced and unnecessary because the FDA regulates the pesticides used - and who wants icky bugs in their produce anyway) or about global warming (also a hoax - give it 10 years and the fad will pass). BUT what did make me think was when they showed clips of the documentary about how meat is cultivated...

Farmers (chicken, for example) keep their chickens in large coops with no access to sunlight or grass or things that chickens need to live happy chicken lives. They give them a corn or similar diet that is fortified with antibiotics (so they don't get sick in those close quarters and die, resulting in less profit) and hormones that allow them to grow to slaughter-size in only 49 days, rather than 3 months. This, you can imagine, has helped chicken become a once-a-week meat on the dinner table 30 years ago to the "cheap" meat consumed practically every day by most Americans. It also boosts profits for farmers to raise chickens (with bigger breasts - because that's the most popular) more quickly and in mass production.

The sad part about this is because of the rapid growth the chicken's breasts undergo due to the hormones, their little bodies can't keep up. They take a few steps and fall down under the weight of their own bodies - if they have space to take steps at all. This process is also harmful to humans, who consume the antibiotics that are injected into these feathery friends. Over time, humans have created resistant bacteria, and the author of this Food Rules book was saying (citing research, of course) that this can be linked to our overuse of antibiotics - to include the ones we unknowingly ingest (mRSA, anyone?).

Now this is logic I can get behind. I'm not promoting vegetarianism (trust me - those people look a little sickly) or veganism (just weird), but I do think we should pay more attention to how our meats were treated before they were on our plate. Who wants to support a company who doesn't let their chickens roam or their cows graze? Besides, if they are destined to be dinner why not let 'em live a little?

School's Almost Here!

I'm actually really excited about starting my LAST semester of college (Brad said he's excited about his semester too)! My classes (Culture+Conflict, Wine tasting, Fitness+Nutrition, and AS class) should be sooo easy.

In the AF world, I'm not as excited about going through another semester of ROTC but I have been preparing my self for the extra PT. We have Warrior Challenge (sports with other detachments) too, but It's usually a big competition rather than a friendly day of playing games. Some people dig the competition though...

Today we are planning to go to lunch and then to the Museum of Modern Art with Brad's cousins. I've never been to MOMA, but it's something to scratch off my bucket list. I'll post pics later!

~Stephanie