Nite's bad day

When Nite woke up this morning, it was a day just like any other. She probably ate a little bit, used the litterbox, then went about her daily routine of playing and napping. She had no idea what was waiting for her.

Around 7:00PM, she was rudely awakened from a nap and thrown into her cat carrier. She and Buffy were then wisped off to the vet, which Nite knew is never going to be a good thing. While there she was poked with three needles (vaccines) and was "violated" as the vet took a stool sample. She had had enough at this point and bit the vet tech. They finished up by applying a topical flea treatment. She then got to go back into her carrier (which was a welcome place by this time) while they worked on her sister.

This whole time, poor Nite really had to pee. On the way home, she just couldn't hold it anymore and peed in her carrier. The poor cat had to lay in her own urine all the way home and up into the apartment. I hadn't noticed until she came out of the carrier and noticed that she was wet.

As if her day hadn't been bad enough, it only got worse. Because she was wet with pee, I had no choice but to give her a bath. Nite really didn't like this at all. Once we were done, I toweled her off a bit and threw her in the bathtub, where she is staying until she dries off.

Now, if you have never tried to give a cat a bath (which I hadn't), let me tell you how this went. I filled up the kitchen sink about a quarter of the way with lukewarm water. I grabbed Nite and forcefully dunked her in the water. She started thrashing around, doing anything she could to get away. But I had a good grip and started rinsing her in the sink. She was howling the whole time, but was pretty good about it and didn't bite me. Everything in the kitchen was soaked. She did seem to enjoy being toweled off, though :P

It was probably one of the funniest things I've done and laughed through the whole event.

Freak accidents

As usual, I've been listening to the radio, and I've heard quite a bit about the airplane that slid off the runway in Chicago and killed a kid. Now a bunch of activists are demanding that airports implement "buffer zones" so that something like this won't ever happen again. Ok, I know that it's unfortunate that this kid died and that this whole thing happened, but it was a freak accident. They happen. If you tried to act on every freak accident so that it never happens again, the world would just be insane!

Sorry for the lack of contact

It's been somewhat of an adjustment for me having Matt back home. I'm not used to having other things to occupy my time, so school, calling friends and family and posting here has suffered a bit. But as unexpectedly as he came home, Matt will be leaving for Colorado on Thursday night to be with his family. His mother is not doing well at all, and has asked that he come home to be with her in her final days (hopefully more).

I have been doing the only thing that I know to do for him, which is just being here for him. We have decided that I will stay home, as this is really a family thing anyway, and I would just feel like I was in the way. There are a lot of other excuses that I can list as to why I'm not going as well, but I'll just leave it at the fact that it was a joint decision. He'll be gone until the night of the 17th, and still plans to come back to Wisconsin for Christmas. This schedule is obviously pending anything that might happen in the meantime. Yeah, life sucks sometimes.

Readjusting

My sisters should be back home, safe and sound, by now. Matt and I have taken no time at all to get used to having each other around. I am finding that I am having to learn how to balance things again. I'm behind in school. I need to figure out how to balance school, Matt and time for myself. It shouldn't take me too long to get down, but it is still an adjustment that I need to make. What a great adjustment, though!

I think that we all had a good time while my sisters were here. It was definitely more activity than I have done, but now that I have started to be more active, I don't plan on stopping. Matt and I went for a walk last night. Otherwise, we're just planning on chilling for a bit before we begin our month of travels. :)

Long day ahead

Yesterday we had a fairly light day. We had intended to take a bit of a hike in the mountains, but the trail that we wanted to go on was closed. So, instead we ended up driving around the Navy base with our own personal tour guide. Jess and Tracy took some pictures and stuff, then we headed home to prepare for the Badger game. For me, preparing is no more than changing outfits, but it takes on a new meaning with my sisters. They occupy the bathroom area for quite a while, it's funny.

Anyway, we went to the Badger game and it was a lot of fun. It was the first time that either Tracy or I had been to a football game (outside of high school), and we were both impressed. We had pretty good seats and it was surprising how small the cameras on TV make everything look. There were a lot of Badger fans in red, but the Hawaiian fans were really nice to us. We won the game 41-24. We then walked to a nearby food place, where Matt met us and then drove us home.

Today will probably be our busiest day yet, and I'll let you know what goes on tomorrow!

Busy busy busy

In a few hours, I went from being bored and having nothing to do to being really busy all of the time. My sisters arrived at the airport as planned, and I drove them back to my apartment. Thanks to Hawaii traffic, we didn't get back to the apartment until 4:30 or so. I had to leave to pick Matt up at 5:15, so that didn't leave me much time to sit and catch up. My sisters didn't know that I was going to pick Matt up, either. I just told them that I had to run to the store quick.

Matt's plane was delayed for 20 minutes. That hour at the airport was probably the longest of my life. I would go on a mini emotional rollercoaster every time the door from the exit area would open - I would wonder if that was him and then see that it wasn't. Eventually, though, he finally walked through the door and right past where I was sitting (he didn't see me). I tackled him from behind and the rest is history :)

We're all having a good time thus far. Yesterday we went on the Atlantis submarine tour and walked up and down Waikiki strip. Today we are going to go for a little hike in the mountains and then my sisters and I are going to the Badger game while Matt stays home and catches up on his video games. We've got a lot of stuff to do in a little time, so I've got to go!

OMG OMG OMG

I just found out that I have to make two trips to the airport tomorrow. My sisters arrive at 3:15pm, so I need to go and pick them up then. Then I have to make another trip to the airport at 6:15pm to pick up Matt! That's right, he's coming home for good tomorrow night! He's known about it for about a month, but just decided to tell me the day before he's coming home. Apparently his chief decided that it wasn't cool that he had to buy his own tickets home from Australia, so they decided to let him go while they were in Guam. What a great surprise! I am soooo happy. I'm not going to tell my sisters about it, I'll just tell them that I need to go pick something up quick. Hehe.

Just a few days away!

My sisters arrive here in Hawaii in just a few days, and I am really excited! I can't wait to give them a thorough tour of the island and all of the amazing things that there are to see here. I'm trying to put myself back the first time I was here and remember the things that really stood out for me. I have come to take this paradise for granted, and I know that I should get out and enjoy it more than I do because my time here is coming to an end before I know it. Matt and I have plans to do a bit of that when we finally get home together in January.

Anyway, I have a tentative schedule for them. I know that we could probably do nothing but go to the beach and shopping and they'd have a good time, especially since the weather back in Wisconsin is sub-freezing and it's over 80 here (as always). I'll keep you all posted on some of the things that we do while they're out here.

So far away

The worst part about being so far away from everyone that I care about is not being able to be there in person to help them when I need to be. It comforts me a little to know that there is still a network of people there to help you all when I'm not there, but I still feel a little guilty for being so far away. The worst part is knowing that I'll probably never live in the same state as most of you again. I have been able to talk to Matt a little over email over the past couple of days, and for the time being, our plan to move to Daytona Beach still stands. I'll be a little closer, much less of a plane ride, but still not there for day to day stuff. I'm still just a second away over the phone, though :)

Conspiracy theories

Having exposed myself to a lot of talk radio recently, I am hearing some debates about "trading our freedom" for certain forms of government protection. This prompts me to remember some of the more interesting people that I've encountered having worked in a call center. I have seen some people who are really out there. One guy was convinced that the government was using satellites to spy on him. More than one person insisted on hitting the "channel" button on their phone when giving me a credit card number because they were convinced that someone was listening in on their phone call. I even had one guy who repeatedly told me that he refused to take his medication because he thought it was a mind control thing.

I don't buy into government conspiracy theories, but even if I did, I really wouldn't care. I have nothing to hide, so I don't care if the government is watching my every move with satellites and security cameras. I guess I'm willing to trade some of my freedoms if it means a little extra protection. I think there's a lot that we probably don't know, and I prefer it that way.

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo

I have always liked the Bloodhound Gang, which is the group that sings the song listed above. I had never really listened to the song and thought it was just another one of their weird songs, which it is. But tonight it cam up in my playlist and I realized that foxtrot, uniform, charlie and kilo are all words used in military speak to represent their respective letters. Then I realized what the song is all about - Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo. Yeah, I'm a little slow. I wonder how they slipped this one past the censors. HAHA.

In other news, I finally got a few emails from Matt tonight. It came at a good time because I've really been moping around the last few days - I've been tired all the time and just haven't been feeling well. This really helped to lift my spirits. Only 34 days until he's home.

Talk radio

Lately I have been listening to talk radio. And I actually enjoy it. I feel like I learn something that I didn't know every day. I listen to political shows, financial shows, news shows, etc. It's really quite interesting. This is a large change for me, because I used to hate talk radio. I think I just got tired of listening to the same music over and over, whether on the radio or on my computers. I am also finding that I am much more opinionated on some of the topics discussed than I would have thought.

In other news, I am patiently awaiting any type of contact from Matt. I haven't heard from him since October 12, and I'm starting to get anxious. Every time I get an email notification, I eagerly check to see if it's from him. He comes home in 38 days and I can't wait. It sure does help that my sisters are going to be here in two weeks :)

Riots

I've been reading a lot on cnn.com about the riots outside of Paris. Riots to me seem very stupid. I understand that they have a point that they want to make and that they want their voices to be heard. But at what point will they realize that destroying their cities are just leaving them worse off than they were before the rioted? I can just picture it..."Hey Pierre, do you want something from the bakery? Oh wait, we torched it yesterday."

Just my random thought for the day.

Time

When I was little, time moved very, very slowly. I couldn't wait to grow up and do the things that everyone tells you that you're not old enough yet to do. I don't ever find myself wishing that I was a kid again, because I really do enjoy being an adult (including all of the responsibility that goes along with it), but as I continue to get older, time seems to be speeding up. Sometimes I feel like I'm just rolling down a big hill and the momentum keeps gaining as I go. Of course, I want time to go quickly right now until Matt gets home, but I'm talking in more general terms. Even the last six weeks have really flown by, and I have no idea why. It seems like one day I wake up and it's Monday, then all of the sudden it's Sunday again. I have a feeling time isn't going to slow down and that I'm going to keep tumbling down that hill.

Right now I feel like my life is just on idle, waiting until Matt's out of the Navy so I can push the "pause" button again and get my career back on track. I don't regret a minute of it, though. :)

Troublesome news

I usually follow the news daily on www.cnn.com, and although there isn't a whole lot of good news there, nothing usually worries me at all. However, there have been a couple of things in the news lately that have me concerned about where the future is heading. Last week it was reported that Syria had some involvement in the assassination of a Lebanese leader. The international world is not happy about that. I didn't really think much of that until I read something yesterday that really has me nervous - the Iranian leader stating that Israel should be "wiped off the map." Naturally, there seems to be an international outrage about this.

Things are already unstable in the Middle East, and I am afraid that things like this are going to keep happening and we are going to get further involved. This is already a "holy war" to some of the fundamentalist Muslims, and I think that we are biting at the bait by responding to their comments. I have a feeling that it is going to be a long time before we pull out of the Middle East, and if Syria and Iran get involved, I fear that things are going to get bloody.

I normally don't state my opinions on stuff like this because I usually don't have much of an opinion. I don't want my next statement to be taken the wrong way, I do not agree with the statements made by the Iranian leader at all, but it's purely rhetorical. That being said, would things in the Middle East be resolved if Israel were "relocated"? I understand that this is holy land for both Muslims and the Jewish. Then again, I wonder if the fighting there would just continue even if Israel weren't there. It seems as though there is fighting amongst the different sects of Islam anyway.

I know that Israel will never be "moved" and I don't think that it should. I understand why the nation was created by the United Nations and the significance of the land to the Jewish people. If we let the terrorists have their way this time, then they'll just keep pushing the limits. But I am afraid of things that will continue to unfold in the future, and I hate to see more U.S. soldiers die there.

I want a Charger!

I want a new car. There's nothing wrong with the one that we have now, it's just...boring. I had a Hyundai Tiburon in Wisconsin, and I loved that car. It was so much fun to drive, and I was very proud of it. I want that again. There is a new car on the market that has caught the eye of both Matt and I, and I am going to try to talk him into trading in the Neon for it when he gets home. That car is the new Dodge Charger. They are pretty sweet looking and they've got some pep, something that the Neon is really lacking.

The hard part will be talking him into it, but I can be pretty good at pleading my case ;)

Creative streaks

Once in a while I get in really creative streaks. Usually it involves my website or something like that. I'm not sure why or how it happens, but I just know when they hit. I have a feeling another one is brewing, because I've had some ideas popping in my head over the last couple of days. We'll see...

I got my grades from my last block of classes, and I got two A's and a B in Economics. I'm not sure how I pulled out a B, because I really slacked through the class and had no interest in the subject matter at all. I guess I shouldn't complain. This block of classes is much better. I am actually enjoying them - Algebra, World Cultures and Management of Information Systems. I really like math, and sometimes I wonder if I should pursue a career involving math. However, I think if I did that, I would get really frustrated, because when numbers don't add up, I tend to get angry pretty fast. I could never be an accountant lol.

New tattoo!!!

Well, I went out and did it today. Tattoo #4 is official! I am quite pleased with the results. I got the old Milwaukee Brewers logo with the number 19 in the middle, in honor of my childhood hero, Robin Yount. I think it's the coolest one I've gotten yet. It's about three inches by three inches on the outside of my left calf. I feel cool now! And I am also now the most die-hard Brewers fan I know :P

I went to TNT Tattoo, and Dave was my artist for the day. This was the first tattoo that was not done at Steve's Tattoo in Madison. I always really liked that place, they know customer service. But I can't complain about this place, either. There just seems to be something inherently cool about tattoo artists, they are very real and always seem to be genuinely interested in your design and making sure that they get it right. As far as pain goes, this one was moderate, but still not nearly as bad as my first one on the small of my back. However, it ranks #2 of all my tattoos on the pain scale. It hurt a lot more than I thought it would. Maybe it's because I haven't had one done in a few years. It took Dave just over an hour to do.

I'll be posting a picture of it as soon as it is not covered in blood, as it is at the moment.

Aliens

Why is it that our depiction of aliens never includes clothes? I have never seen an artist's rendition of what aliens might look like that includes clothing. Could this be a reflection of our own opinions of humans? Are aliens supposed to be so intellectually advanced that they no longer have "shame" and therefore don't need clothes? Or is clothing just something that we assume to be human-exclusive? No other creatures on Earth have the need to clothe themselves. Think about it, clothing has become such a part of our species that our evolution has been altered by it. Once upon a time, I'm sure that we were a much more furry species, but over time we have invented clothing so that we don't really need the fur anymore. Wow, I'm so deep......LOL

200th post!

This is my 200th post since I started posting messages on my site. Hooray!

Anyway, I just wanted to follow up my previous post. Apparently, I caused a bit of concern within my family. I just want you all to know that I'm doing very well, surprisingly well. My intent was to show that I have come a long way from where I once was. I'm happy. I wasn't always happy but I am now, and have been since I met Matt. He filled a hole that I had inside of me, one that I had been trying to fill for a long time.

Life is good!

Inner strength

There was once a time when I was afraid to be alone. I don't mean afraid to be without someone physically around for a short period of time, but instead really alone for long periods of time. The truth is, I couldn't trust myself then. I was mentally unstable and just kind of generally messed up. I was naturally a little apprehensive about Matt being gone for so long. I was afraid that I might lapse into old habits, but I am pleasantly surprised with how well I've been handling the whole thing thus far. I'm sure my medication plays a part in it, but I also have to think that I've grown a lot personally in the last year. I am more comfortable with who I am than I ever have been. I am truly happy. I also know that I am never alone - even if you're all thousands of miles away, I've still got Matt, my family and Tony out there. I know that if I ever need you, you're no more than a phone call away. :)

Rainbows

There's just something about rainbows that makes me smile. Every time I see one, I can't help but smile. Fortunately in Hawaii, there are lots of them. They are not nearly as rare as they were in Wisconsin. It's kind of like a neat little surprise that Mother Nature has put there just to make me smile. I have taken many pictures of them, too, but I'm starting to find that one picture of a rainbow looks just like another picture of one, only in a different spot. Anyway, I just thought I'd share that random bit of information with you!

I'm so sick of bad news

I don't watch the news on TV very often, but I do check CNN.com once or twice a day. All I ever see anymore is bad news - this or that hurricane is killing x number of people; a boat overturns and kills x number of people; x number of people were killed in the war in -insert country-. I would like to see a piece of good news once in a while. The world seems to be a pretty glum and depressing place these days, at least that's what you'd think if you follow the news. I know this is the way it has almost always been, but the reporters seem to be focusing on the negative more and more these days. I guess that's what sells.

Yay Brewers!

Well, the Brewers' season is officially over. For them, it was an outstanding season. They finished 81-81, the best season I can remember in a long time. I'm really excited for future seasons. They have a lot of young talent that could carry them into the post-season in the not so distant future. Maybe next spring I won't be saying "there's always next year" and will instead be saying "this is our year!" I haven't been able to honestly say that since I was in high school. That is, of course, as long as they don't trade all of their promising young prospects, which they have been known to do.

Anyway, for anyone out there who cares, go Brewers! Oh, and go Badgers, too, who are now 5-0 and finally getting some national respect! :)

Two weeks down

Matt's been on deployment for two weeks now, and it really has gone quickly so far. I'm pleasantly surprised. I can't really tell you what I've been doing to pass the time other than EQ, watching TV (I have my routine, Seventh Heaven and X-Play along with a National Geographic show or two) and an occasional homework assingment. I guess it doesn't really matter, though, as long as the time is moving.

Matt was recently in Japan, and I did get to talk to him on the phone a couple of times. It was nice to hear his voice, and I feel lucky that I got to talk to him. I have decided not to continue working with Best Buy. It's too bad it didn't work out because I was looking forward to it. The timing just didn't work. That's ok, though, because I haven't been too terribly bored thus far. :)

I forgot what this feels like

It's damp, overcast and windy here, which means it feels cold (as cold as Hawaii can feel, anyway). I actually had to turn off the fans and put on a long-sleeved shirt. It feels really weird, I haven't had to wear long sleeves in a looong time. I even had to pull out the quilt for the bed (I usually just sleep with a sheet). I know I'm not going to get any sympathy from those of you back home in Wisconsin, but I thought I'd share :P

Best Buy orientation

I had my orientation with Best Buy yesterday, and it was...interesting. It was extremely high energy. When they opened the doors to the (very large) convention room, all of the supervisors were lined up on both sides of us and all of them gave us high fives and hugs. Very weird. They had some "pump up" music playing, like the Venga Boys and stuff. They played that music all day. Throughout the day, they made us do these cheers. If we weren't loud enough, we had to do it again. Stuff like "BEST BUY" and "PROTECT THIS HOUSE" and some stuff in Hawaiian. Again, very weird.

Of course, they made us watch a bunch of videos on how great Best Buy was and we had to listen to each manager give a speech on what their department is and why it's important. They also had us do some creative activities like make a styrafoam ball into a head and explain what it means to our group. Since I'm on the geek squad and we are all geeks, ours naturally looked like a geek and had no other meaning than that. Then we had to come up with a departmental cheer. None of us were really into it other than the two supervisors.
They put a lot of effort into this "culture day," but there was something very fake about it all. I am not getting good vibes from most of the supervisors. I could tell that the GM (general manager) was genuine and seems to be a really nice guy, and one of my supervisors seems like he'll be cool. As for the others, I have a feeling they might turn out to be jerks.
I did actually enjoy interacting with people. I guess it's obvious that I'm not from Hawaii, because just about everyone asked me where I'm from. I was one of the few "howlies" in the group. Just about all of the rest of them were from southern California. It's kind of cool to be in someplace so culturally diverse.

I'm really not convinced yet that this is for me, though. I think I actually prefer working in a cube farm (office). The store doesn't open until Nov 18, which means that we'll be doing training and helping to get the store set up until then. My sisters come out on the 23rd, and I would like to spend time with them rather than work. Plus, they've already told us that there's no way we'll be able to get the Friday after Thanksgiving off, which is the day that we're going to the UH-Badger game. I really want to go to that. I'm torn - I know that if I'm not going to stick this out, I should just let them know now so they don't waste their money on me, but at the same time, it seems like easy money - not really work, just training. I think that I am going to quit before my sisters come out, since I'd be quitting before Matt got home, anyway. What would you do?

Torn

So tomorrow I have my first day of orientation with Best Buy. Truth be told, I really don't want to work. It's probably just laziness on my part, as I have let myself get lazy in nearly every respect of my life except for EverQuest2. I turn in my homework assignments late, I have slackened up my regular cleaning routines, I forget to eat sometimes, etc. I have thought about just not going tomorrow and letting it go at that.

However, there still seems to be this little spark inside of me that won't go away. It makes me do my homework, albeit late, makes me clean the apartment (I never let it get to messy status, less than neat, maybe), it makes me pay the bills, and now it's making me go through with this job. At this point, I'm just doing it for the experience of doing it, I really don't care about the money. I have never worked in a retail environment, and I think it might be interesting. I really don't have an interest in meeting new people, I don't want new friends and the employee discount will probably cost me more money than not having it (I'll justify spending money at the store "because I'm saving so much money!"). I don't need anymore darn DVDs lol.

Anyway, this might change between right now and tomorrow morning (I am praying that they don't make me work days), but for the time being, I'm going to go through with this for now. If I don't like it, I'll quit, simple as that :)

Time heals all wounds

So they say, anyway, and I am already feeling much better. It was a rough couple of days, but thanks mostly to EverQuest 2, I am feeling much better about my current situation. Matt and I have already exchanged a couple of emails, which is the highlight of my day. Today I took a break from gaming to buckle down and do some homework which was long overdue. I have my first day of orientation this Saturday, which I anticipate to be 8 hours of "Best Buy is great because blah blah blah", but at least I'll be getting paid to listen to the blah blah blah :)

I see that Matt included my website address, so for any of you that might be first-time visitors to cheyster.com, welcome! Take a look around and enjoy the pictures and stuff :)

The end of chapter 1

One thing that Matt and I realized before he left is that with his departure, we are officially closing chapter 1 of our lives together. Things are going to be very different when he gets back. He will never have to go to sea again, not have to work for the Navy, I will be working, and we'll be spending time preparing for the next chapter of our lives - Florida and Matt's time in school. It's both exciting and a little scary. I think I'm putting a little too much pressure on myself because I know that I'm the one that's going to have to be making enough money for us to make ends meet. It'll be a tough four years, but it'll be worth it.

I went to the picnic yesterday for the boat's departure, and I also realized just how lucky I am that Matt is only gone for three months. Most of the guys are gone for six months, and it was depressing to see all of the families there, many with small children, saying goodbye. There weren't many dry eyes leaving the pier.

And he's gone

It's not forever, but right now it sure does feel like it. I just dropped Matt off at his pier. It wasn't our final goodbye, because they're having a boat picnic on the pier in two hours, which I'll be going to. Part of me doesn't want to go because I'm pretty emotional right now and I don't want to have to be around people. However, I will take any chance that I can get to see him before he leaves this afternoon.

I know that before I know it, it will be December and he'll be back home - for good. I keep trying to think about how happy I'll be when I pick him up from the airport and get to give him the biggest hug he's ever gotten. But I also know that with separation like this comes a form of grief, and that being emotional right now is a normal part of that process. That doesn't mean I have to like it, though :P

Love hurts

Matt leaves for three months on Thursday (tomorrow). It hadn't really hit me until a couple of hours ago that I would not see him for a long time. We both cried together for a bit, and I think we got most of it out of our systems. To help him pass the time a bit and help to curb his homesickness, I made a notebook for him. On each page I put a picture and wrote some of my random thoughts, made some puzzles for him, or just a weird and funny drawing. I also count down how many days he has left on each page. It's not much, but I know he'll appreciate it. I did get that job with Best Buy, and I have my first orientation day on the 24th of this month. That will really help to pass the time for me. My sisters are coming out to visit for a week over Thanksgiving, and Tony was hinting today that he and Chris need a vacation. I hope they decide to come to Hawaii :)

It's the most wonderful time of the year

That's right, it's football season again! As I've mentioned before, I really enjoy football season because of fantasy football. This year I am in three leagues - one from back home and three free ones that I found online. My first week was a good one - I won all three games. I'm not sure if my teams are strong enough to keep it up all season, but it's fun to watch.

I also follow college football a bit, mainly the Badgers. It kind of stinks, though, because in the rare chance that the Badgers are on TV, I have to watch at like 7am, but that's ok. That's what the internet is for!

Road trip!

I'm excited about an upcoming road trip. Originally, Matt and I were going to meet my parents in Las Vegas while we were on our way from Los Angeles to Colorado to pick up our stuff there after Matt's done in the Navy. We have made a slight revision. It dawned on me that it's just going to be me and Matt moving all of our stuff by ourselves once we reach Florida, and my mom had mentioned that she wasn't all that keen on going to Vegas again.

So I had a brainstorm. I called and asked my mom if they would be willing to drive from Wisconsin to Florida with us and help us move and get settled and stuff. I have to say that I was surprised at her enthusiasm! Anyway, that is now the plan and it should be as much fun as driving for 20 hours can be :)

He's home!

So yesterday as I was about to go to bed at noon (I'd been up for quite a while) I got an email from Matt saying that he'd be ready to come home around lunchtime! I was so happy and went to pick him up. He's home now for the next week and a half, then he's off to sea for three months. I'm so happy to have him home and we are both going to make the most of time that we have together.

I have my fourth interview with Best Buy, and I'm guessing that this is the final one because a lady called me yesterday asking me about the references that I had provided her. I am expecting to walk out of there with a job today. Finally.

It's just not the same...

Tonight I decided to treat myself to some ice cream. So I went to my favorite place, Coldstone Creamery, and ordered one of my favorite dishes. However, as I was sitting there alone in the mall eating it, I found that it just isn't enjoyable alone. Usually Matt and I share a dish, and it's just not the same without him to talk to while we eat. Instead, it was just me and my thoughts, which are quite boring to me. So, I decided that I'll skip the ice cream from now on and just stick with what doesn't depress me - staying in and either watching TV or playing some video games :)

Today's top five

I thought I'd revive my top five lists. Today's top five is the top five questions I get asked when people find out I'm from Wisconsin:

5. Did you grow up on a dairy farm? Answer I give them: no, but I did live on a farm and I did work at a dairy farm in high school. If I don't feel like explaining, I just say 'yes.'

4. So you're used to the cold? Answer I give them: yes, which is why I live in Hawaii.

3. What are you doing in Hawaii? Answer I give them: my husband is in the Navy. People seem surprised that I would move from Wisconsin to Hawaii, almost the same reaction that you would give someone who you found out moved from Hawaii to Wisconsin.

2. So you're a cheesehead, huh? Answer I give them: *sigh* yes. Darn those stupid foam hats.

The number one question I get when people find out I'm from Wisconsin....*drum roll*...

1. So you must be a Packers fan? Answer: it's hard not to be growing up in Wisconsin.

To summarize, people in Hawaii assume that all people from Wisconsin live in igloos on dairy farms, stay in Wisconsin, run around wearing stupid foam cheesehead hats and are Packers fanatics.

Happy birthday, Matt!

I can't believe it - you're 17 already and you're about to start your senior year of high school. I think that your birthday is possibly the most special to our family because it's the day that our family became whole. I know it might sound a little cliche, but it's true. I'm really proud of you and the way that you have grown up. You're a real character and you always manage to make all of us smile. I love you and hope that you're having a good day!

Give me a break

I found this article on ESPN.com. I think baseball teams have bigger things to worry about than this. I thought this was a bit ridiculous.

"Milk does a body good, but it didn't do good for one batboy.
On a dare, a Florida Marlins batboy tried to drink a gallon of milk in under an hour without throwing up. But not only did the batboy not succeed in the challenge, his mere attempt cost him his job for six games, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.
The Marlins suspended the unidentified batboy for the team's upcoming six-game homestand against the Cardinals and Mets from Aug. 28 through Sept. 4 for accepting the dare Sunday from Dodgers pitcher (and former Marlin) Brad Penny.
Penny offered the batboy $500 if he could drink a gallon of milk in less than an hour before Sunday's game without throwing up. Penny told the paper the boy drank the milk and didn't throw up, but didn't finish the gallon in the allotted time frame to win the dare.
"It's kind of ridiculous that you get a 10-game suspension for steroids and a six-game suspension for milk," Penny told the Herald.
''It's ridiculous that they worry about stuff like that. It shows they [the Marlins organization] don't know anything about the game. That kind of stuff goes on everywhere. It didn't affect the way he worked, the way he did his job.''

The sun sucks, Solarcaine is our friend

Ok, so last you heard, Matt was in poor shape (sunburn wise) and I was actually doing fairly well. Scratch that. For the first two days, Matt could hardly walk because his legs were burned so badly. However, he is almost back to normal, which is good because he's going to be at sea for the next two weeks starting tomorrow. I, on the other hand, have worsened.

My sunburn keeps getting a deeper shade of red/purple/white (in some spots) and has gone from annoying pain to "frickin' A that hurts" to "I haven't slept in 48 hours". My face is blotchy and red not in a uniform way, but noooo, only in some spots so I look like some sort of mutated leopard. I've got blisters on only one shoulder, and that nice deep, dark red/purple outline with an almost white center on the other shoulder/arm. The tops of my hands are really bad, too, and my left hand is swollen and blistered. I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring in two days. This is all just great since I have an interview with Best Buy tomorrow morning.

Ah yes, such is what we get for thinking we could enjoy noontime on the beach. We have decided that the next time we decide to do the beach, we're going to go much closer to dusk.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done

Today Matt and I went to a beach on the military's version of a playground. We found a really nice beach on Bellows Air Force Station. The view was stunning, with water varying shades of blue and the skies as blue to match. We could see the island of Molokai from our perch on the beach. I took lots of pictures, which I will post sooner than later. The sand was perfect - silky smooth and fine, but that means that it gets everywhere. The beach would have gotten a 5 out of 5 in my book, but the water wasn't clear due to the texture of the sand.

We arrived at the beach around 10:30 or so and stay until 2:30. I am a nice shade of pink, and if I were a steak, I'd say I'm medium-rare. I would be much worse off if it wasn't for Matt ensuring that I was covered in sunscreen all day. The irony is that while he was adamant in my sunscreen use, he missed quite a bit on himself, and on the steak-scale, he is medium-well. I feel sorry for him.

We had a good time playing in the water and playing catch with our softball gloves on the beach. Matt had a good time making a sand fortress, and I think you'll enjoy the pictures I got of the process. We had bought sodas and sandwiches before we left and ate on the beach. All in all, it was a fun day.

Now, however, I must get back to my paper writing. Ugh.

Happy birthday, Mom!

Hi Mom!

Happy birthday and stuff! I hope that you have a nice, relaxing day and do whatever it is that you want to do. I bought you something online, but I'm retarded and sent it to my home address instead of yours. I'll mail it out as soon as I get it :)

I wrote a really nice long thing last year that made you cry, and it's kind of hard to follow that. The best I've got this year is that I love you and I appreciate everything that you've done for me and our whole family over the years. We'd be lost without you.

:)

Movie review - Wedding Crashers

Tonight Matt and I went and saw the Wedding Crashers. I had read quite a bit about it in Enterntainment Weekly, and all of the critics were saying that it was one of the funniest movies that has come out in a long time. I hate going into movies with high hopes, but this one didn't disappoint. There are some scenes that are uproariously funny. One scene inparticular was so funny that we couldn't really hear what they were saying after a while because the people in the movie were laughing so hard - and there weren't that many people in the theater. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it was the funniest movie I've ever seen, but it is definitely worth renting or watching when it comes out.

Philosophy

I think therefor I am...to be or not to be...but what is the nature of being?

These are all questions that I used to think about a lot. Now that I am in a philosophy class and I'm reading about all of this type of thinking, I thought I'd really get into it. I'm not. In fact, I don't like it at all. The reading is hard and gives me a headache.

Maybe I've let my mind get lazy. Perhaps I have bound myself to the reality that we know and I'm just less willing to question that now. My theory, however, is that I just don't give a rats butt what the nature of being is anymore. I'm not planning on being a philosopher or a scientist of any type, so some things I've just come to accept as how they are and that's that. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a thinker, I just like to focus my mental energy on things that actually matter to me :)

The White Stripes

It's not very often that I discover a new band that I really get into. By "into," I mean that I immediately like every one of their songs that I hear. I have read tidbits in different magazines on websites about this band, The White Stripes, and how new and refreshing they are. But I had never taken the time to download any of their stuff until tonight (I had homework to do, so of course I was doing something else.)

This band is one that I think will appeal to a very broad range of people. It is a duo - brother and sister I believe - and they trade off as lead singers. This gives them at least two very distinct sounds. There are some songs that sound very very Zepplin and others that sound a little more non-accoustic folksy. It's really hard to put them into a specific genre. In fact, that was the worst thing about this band - what folder to I put their MP3s into?

Check them out, you might like them. :)

Hmm...

Tonight I was lying on the couch watching TV, petting one of my cats when I happened to glance out the patio door when I saw, over the mountains, a light that moved very quickly. It wasn't the normal type of movement from an airplane, as it moved very very quickly. It couldn't have been a meteor because it didn't fall, instead it went upwards and disappeared. I dismissed it as my mind playing tricks on me because one of the odd side effects of my medication is sometimes I see flashes of light. Then, a couple of hours later, I saw the same thing again, only in a different spot. This time, it was brighter and declined instead of going up. I know that this time it wasn't my mind playing tricks on me because it was very defined.

I'm not a firm believer in UFOs and aliens and stuff, but I certainly don't think that we are the only life in the universe. What was it that I saw tonight? There is a lot of military stuff around here, so I suppose it could have been some sort of test planes or something. I guess I'll never know...

Laptop with an attitude

I bought my laptop two years ago and thought it was great. It was one of the top of the line models of its time, and even two years later, its specifications are impressive. However, a little over a year ago, it started acting up. It would reboot every time I tried to play a game that involved more than solitaire. Then it would continue to reboot, forcing me to turn it off and let it rest for a while. This problem has continued, and a couple of days ago I decided that I had had enough.

Matt's laptop broke several months ago, and he wants a laptop to take with him on deployment. I decided that it was going to be cheaper to try and fix my laptop than buy a new one. My first thought was that it was overheating, because this is a classic symptom of overheating. So I bought it a special fan. Same problem. Then I bought it a new RAM chip, figuring that this HAD to be the problem. I got the chip, replaced the old ones, and the same problem still happened. Then I decided it was a Windows problem so I reformatted the thing. Same problem.

I finally broke down and called Best Buy, the place I bought it, and asked how long I have left on my service plan. I was told that I still have a year on it, which is great. All I have to do is take it into Best Buy and they'll either fix it or give me a new one. Good thing they just opened a new store here.

Now here was my crucial mistake. I called Best Buy with the laptop in the room. You see, it heard me on the phone talking about taking it in to get fixed. It didn't like that idea, and now it's suddenly not doing what it has every single time I've tried to play a game on it for the last year. It is working perfectly all of the sudden, even though I didn't do anything to fix it. I'm very glad that I tested it first tonight before taking it in. "I swear Mr. Best Buy guy, it does it EVERY TIME. I don't know why it's suddenly working now."

Anyway, I've spent the night trying to get it to reboot like it used to, but it won't. I hate computers >:/

FINALLY FINISHED

Hooray all of my final papers are done! Now I get to relax for the rest of the day and start three new classes tomorrow. Yippee. I am proud of myself for getting them done, and I'm very happy with the way my science and organizational behavior papers ended up. My religions paper really reflects my general disinterest in my subject, but it should be good enough to get me an 'A' in the class.

Not much else is new here. I've been watching the X Games on ESPN, which I really enjoy. I like watching all of the punks fall on their faces once in a while while attempting insane tricks and stuff. That's really about all I've been up to lately. However, last night Matt and I went to Hawaii's largest mall, the Ala Moana mall. It is HUGE. We stopped at Borders and bought some books and then went to Waikiki beach, found a tree to sit under, looking at the beach, and read for a bit. That was a nice change.

Two down...

It's crunch time here in my world, and as usual, I am doing fairly good work under pressure. I am very pleased with how my Environmental Science and Organizational Theory papers have turned out. I have my religions paper left, and I think that it will be the most difficult to write. However, I have four days to write it yet, but I have set small goals for myself. I am going to write half of it tomorrow and the other half on Friday. On Saturday, I will finish my Power Point presentation for the science class. On Sunday, I will turn them all in and relax for a day before I start three more classes on Monday.

Usually I am fairly excited about starting new classes, but I'm just ready to be done with school now. My next three classes are Philosophy, Economics and International Business. I know that they are all going to involve even more paper writing, which does not thrill me at all. However, I only have one class left after these three before I get my associate's degree in Business Administration. Then I go on for another two years to get my bachelor's. /sigh

Sad news

Matt called home the other day and found out some bad news about his mom. She has been fighting breast cancer for a few years now, and she has been through numerous treatments, both radiation and chemotherapy. After the most recent treatment, which ended only months ago, they thought that they had gotten it all. She went in to have her hip checked this week, and they discovered that the cancer has reappeared. It is in her bones and her lungs. Unfortunately, they are unsure whether or not treatment will be successful. From what Matt told me, they have given her a timeframe of no more than a year.

I have never been good in situations like this. I'm never sure what to say or do. Matt seems to be dealing with it fairly well, and he said that his whole family is doing well considering. I'm really not even sure what more to write about it. It saddens me - I hate to see this happen to anyone, much less a family member.

Movie review - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Last night Matt and I went to see the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was prepared to be disappointed, because I really like the old one. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining it was. There are elements of the original movie as well as the book, but there are enough changes to make it seem like an entirely new movie.

Johnny Depp does a great job with Willy Wonka, and makes him one of the weirdest characters I've seen. Entertainment Weekly said that he reminds them of a strange cross-dressing 19th century vampire with an effeminate voice, and they're onto something. All in all, I'd recommend this movie to anyone. You'll definitely get some good chuckles out of it, and enjoy the new and improved Oompa Loompas :)

He's home!

Yay, Matt's home! There's always a little period of readjustment after he gets back from a longer underway. We're not used to being around each other. He's used to being around the guys from work, and I'm used to having all of my time to myself. It doesn't usually take more than a few hours to get used to being together, though. It's so nice to have him home again. He's only home for a couple of weeks, then he's out again for a couple of weeks, then he's in for a few more, then he's gone for three months. We'll make the most of the time that we have together, though.

I've finally started on one of my papers, and I should have it pretty much finished by the end of tonight. I'm in a fairly productive mode right now, so I will probably start on the next one tomorrow. It feels good to be getting them done.

Bank error in your favor!

A couple of weeks ago, I was balancing the checkbook, and when I logged onto my bank site, I noticed a problem. There was $22,000 there that wasn't supposed to be. Upon further investigation, we discovered that the Navy had deposited the money into our account by mistake. Matt reported it, and they still haven't done anything about it. I put the money into our big savings account, because I figured that we may as well earn interest on it. I am treating it like it's not there in my check register, but it's fun to look at my savings balance online with an extra $22k in it. :)

Oh crap!

I am such a klutz. I was cleaning the bathroom and was using a bucket with some bleach in it, and I moved the bucket to the bedroom for a minute. I went back in to get something off the dresser, and tripped over the bucket. Now there is a very large bleached spot on the carpet. I have tried to think about ways to fix it, thinking as drastic as cutting out the piece of the carpet and replacing it with some of the extra carpet from a roll in the closet. I think this might make things worse, though, so I might try my idea in the back of the closet first. Yeah, it's that bad.

The power of Google

I just spent five hours doing research for my three papers, and I think I've got just about everything I need to start writing. That's going to happen a different day, though. I am working on three papers. For my science project, I am writing a paper on the country of Haiti, specifically the detrimental effects of deforestation on their food and water supplies. Yeah, it's as fun as it sounds.

For my religions class, I'm writing a paper on Buddhism, with a heavy focus on how Western society has both changed and not changed it. I was supposed to do an interview with someone of Buddhist faith in-person, but I copped out and sent my interview questions to a minister here in Hawaii. She is working on her responses and I expect to have them by the end of the week.

I am writing a paper on Intel for my business management class. This is the one that I had the most difficulty in finding resources. I need to focus on the business management aspect of the company. Try typing "Intel" in Google and see what you get - not what I needed. So it took me an hour or so to find the right thing to search for, but once I found the right phrase (which ended up being "intel employee management") I found more resources than I can possibly use.

Once again, Google came through for me. Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error, but I firmly believe that there is nothing that I can't find through Google.

My name

I talked to my dad over the weekend, and he brought up the fact that I didn't change my name to Matt's name when we got married. I could tell that he might hold some traditional views on the subject, so I thought I'd explain why I decided not to change my name to Matt's last name.

The answer is really quite simple - I am my father's daughter. I am a Gillingham, through and through, and I am proud to be a Gillingham. My name is a reminder to me of the people that share the same blood as me, and a lot of the same physical features as well. It reminds me that humor is one of the most important parts of life (if you know the Gillinghams, you know what I mean,) and it's ok to just be goofy sometimes. I changed my name once, and I always felt weird about it. It was like I changed a big part of who I was, like I had abandoned a part of me.

Deciding not to change my name had nothing to do with not wanting to deal with the hassle of getting new IDs or calling the multiple places that I do business with. Instead, it's because I am a Gillingham.

I'm getting old

Today I officially moved out of my mid-twenties and entered my late twenties. I'm starting to feel old. It really doesn't bother me, though, because I'm in a point in my life right now where I'm really quite content with things. We've all heard the phrase "your biological clock is ticking." Sometimes I think about that as it pertains to having kids.

Matt and I are both undecided on whether or not we want to have kids. Until he's done with school, it doesn't really fit into our plans. Even then, if he goes into the Air Force, we might move around a lot and stuff, but financially, we'll be much better suited then to have a kid. This is all assuming that we can even have kids, which I've been told is a slim chance for me.

Since I probably can't have kids, we have discussed the option of adoption eventually. I like this route, although it can be expensive and legal hassles are always no fun. I would personally like to be a foster parent later in our lives, at a point when we're settled and financially set.

I'm not sure how I jumped from my birthday to having kids, but whatever. Anyway, thanks Mom for the card(s) and for the posts on the message board. It's good to see that you're catching on! Oh yeah, and thanks for giving birth to me :)

Other people

There are some things that it seems that "other people" always do, and that you live your life and don't give it much thought. Then today I realized that I have the privelage of being one of those "other people." I got to leave the life that I knew and move to a somewhat exotic place. If I want to take a walk on one of the most famous beaches in the world, I do. If I want to sit and listen to the ocean under the moonlight at 2:00 in the morning, I do.

My purpose here is not to brag or rub it into anyone's face, it's to show how much I appreciate how lucky I am to be free to do these things and to be, if only for a relatively short time, one of those "other people." I know that my time is almost up, and before too long I'm going to be back in the ranks of the workforce, living from paycheck to paycheck again.

And he's gone again

I dropped Matt off at his pier yesterday morning. He's gone for two weeks again. I never like seeing him go, but I know that he has to, so there's no reason getting upset about it. I manage to keep myself busy with school and various video games. I have three big papers coming up that I need to start working on. Knowing me, I will wait until the week that they are due. I hope I don't do that again, it's really stressful.

History

One of my assignments today was to do a Power Point presentation on Judaism, which included a section on the Holocaust. That got me to thinking about history and stuff. For most people today, World War II is just history, something that happened a long time ago that doesn't really affect us today. For my grandparents, it was a part of their life and will probably always be. The same goes for the Vietnam war - for me and my siblings, it's just history, but for my parents, it will always be more than that. Hopefully, for the kids that haven't been born yet, the war on terror will just be history.

My sick cat

I have a sick cat. Buffy let me know Tuesday night that she is not feeling well by peeing on my bed. Fortunately, I was not in it at the time, but instead working on my computer. I didn't see this happen, but smelled it shortly afterwards. I immediately blamed Nite, and was chasing her around the house when I went back into the bedroom and caught Buffy doing it again!

I stripped the sheets and off and threw them in the washer, and noticed that the matress pad was bloody. This was when I realized that Buffy was sick, and this was her way of telling me. I spent the rest of the night following her around the apartment with a bucket of bleach and a can of Resolve, because she continued to leave bloody drops everywhere. I called the vet first thing in the morning and took her in. She has a urinary tract infection, and they gave me some amoxicillan to give her twice a day (that's fun, I have to force it down her throat.)

Yesterday all seemed well, then this morning I was rudely awakened to a pile of cat puke next to my head. Once again, the smell of bleach fills the bedroom. She better get over this quick.

School update

I am in week 5 of my fourth block of classes, and although I started out full-force, I am right back where I usually am by this time. I only read what I need to in order to complete the assignments, and I have generally lost interest in the idea of school and am more focused on simply completing my degree. I still strive to get an A in all of my classes, but I only do just enough to get that A. I haven't started on my final papers yet, and if history has a say in it, I won't until the week they're due. This is bad because I have three of them due.

However, I did read one entire chapter for my science class because it was interesting. It was a chapter on renewable energy sources and went in depth in the subjects of solar and hydrogen power. I think that my next car will probably be a hybrid (one that uses both a battery and conventional fuel). This might be a little more expensive initially, but with the continued rise in gas costs, it will save far more money than I will spend up front. I also will strongly consider solar power when we buy a house. The same concept applies - more money up front, but we will save in the long run.

The best seats in the house

Tonight Matt and I went to the fireworks at Pearl Harbor. We went to the pier that his sub is parked at. There were very few people there, which we both like, and we found great seats at the end of the pier directly across the water from the barge where they were launching the fireworks. We had the best seats in the house. From where we were sitting, not only could we see the Pearl Harbor fireworks, but if we looked to our right, we could also see the fireworks from Hickham Air Force Base, which is adjacent to Pearl Harbor.

We were so close to the fireworks that the "big boomers" filled our entire field of vision. To see all of those we had to physically move our heads. It was also fun getting to see the duds and misfires. We were treated to a good show, and one can't help during the show to think about how lucky you are to be watching it in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I was impressed and I feel patriotic now. It makes Matt's leaving tomorrow morning for 5 days a little less bad.

Slowness

I've noticed that my site has been taking a long time to load lately. I think it's related to Blogger, but I'm not sure how to fix it. Hopefully, it will fix itself soon.

We don't have a whole lot planned for the 4th. We're going to go for a moonlight stroll on one of our favorite beaches tonight and then watch the fireworks from the Navy base overlooking Pearl Harbor. I haven't gone to watch fireworks for years, and it's something I always liked, so it should be a good time.

Tentative schedule for us

Matt and I sat down and put together a tentative schedule from December until after he's done with the Navy. We have pretty much decided that we're going to live in Atlanta. He wants to go to school at Georgia Tech (eventually) and I have been to Atlanta and liked it. A big city suits us well because we would like to utilize public transportation when possible.

Anyway, here is our tentative schedule:

Dec 9-17 - Australia
Dec 19-27 - Wisconsin
Dec 27-Jan 3 - Colorado
Jan 3- Back home in Hawaii
Feb 6-Feb 20 - Island hopping (visiting three other Hawaiian islands)
Mar 20 - Leave Hawaii for good
Mar 20-Apr 10 - Stay in Atlanta with the cats (board them) and find an apartment
Apr 10 - Fly to Los Angeles to pick up the car then drive to Las Vegas
Apr 10-13 - Las Vegas with my parents
Apr 13-18 - Stay in Colorado while picking up our stuff
Apr 18-19 - Drive to Wisconsin to pick up the rest of my stuff
Apr 19-23 - Stay in Wisconsin
Apr 23-24 - Drive home to Atlanta

Still plugging away

I'm still working hard on my website, specifically my keepsakes section. I've had to scan loads of images and then edit them all using Photoshop and then put them up onto a web site and then publish them. It's a lot of hard work, but it's fun at the same time.

So today marks the first anniversary of my coming out here, so we're celebrating by getting married. Nope, I'm not kidding. We have considered ourselves married for a while now, so we're just making it official so I can be formally recognized by the Navy and stuff. We're both pretty excited about it. It's a very quiet thing with just Matt and me, I don't want anyone to feel bad because they weren't invited. We'll probably have a couple of big parties later on and stuff. :)

Message boards!

I am in a creative mode tonight. I've created a message board for all of my family and friends, so if you are a regular to this site, which I know some of you are, please feel free to post on the boards! One thing that is missing from this blog is the ability to really candidly have discussions with all of you, and message boards are great for that.

Please feel free to still comment on my posts, though!

The return of the top five

On my old site, one of the few good things that I had was my top five for the week. I'm going to bring that back. I'm also undertaking a large amount of content for the pictures and a new section which I'm calling "keepsakes." Stay tuned for massive updating. :)

My trip through the twilight zone

Matt's boat left today for a couple of days, which meant that I dropped him off at work early this morning so I could have the car while he's gone. This is something that we've done many times before, and I consider myself fairly familiar with the Navy base, so you can imagine my surprise at what happened after I dropped him off.

There are several different ways to get on and off of the base, but usually only one gate is open during after hours (this was around 4am) so I headed to that gate. I went the way that we came in, but when I got to the gate, there were traffic cones diverting traffic another direction. I went the only way that I could, and before I knew it, I was driving down a very straight road for what felt like miles. I eventually reached a dead end and realized that I had gone the wrong way. I made a u-turn and managed to get off the base.

I followed the signs to Aiea (our city) and was surprised when the freeway seemed to keep looping around. This was, I had thought, a way that I had gone many times before, but I had no clue where I was. To add to my anxiety, I was really really low on gas with no money to fill it up. I kept following the signs, and drove for about 15 minutes following the signs on the freeway. Eventually I found a spot that I recognized and made my way home. It was weird. :)

Hair

Why do we have hair in certain places of our body? I understand that the hair on our head keeps heat from escaping because the majority of the heat that we lose is through our head. I understand that eyebrows and eyelashes keep sweat and other particles out of our eyes. I know that nose and ear hair act as filters. But why do we have hair under our arms or on our legs?

I've also been reading about evolution in my science class and I have a theory. We have evolved into a species that no longer needs hair to keep warm - we've invented other ways to tackle this problem. So, that being said, perhaps baldness is evolution in progress! Maybe in 1,000 years, everyone will be bald. Just my odd thought for the day.

Movie reviews - Batman Begins and Lords of Dogtown

We saw Lords of Dogtown a couple of weeks ago, but I just forgot to post about it. It was ok, it's about a group of young southern California surfer kids who revolutionize skateboarding. I was hoping to see a little more action than character development, but I guess that's the way it goes. This was one of those movies where the previews mislead you and you get little of what's shown in the preview and a lot of other stuff.

We saw Batman Begins tonight. I thought this was the best of the Batman movies. It is visually awesome, yet it makes Batman and Bruce Wayne seem more real and less superhero. It felt really long, though, and they could have cut some stuff out of the beginning to shorten it up a bit. All in all, I give it a B+.

The quest for the perfect pillow

I like to be comfortable when I sleep. I think that some of my back problems might be related to the way that I sleep. My favored position is this strange twisted thing that might aggrevate my back, but at the same time, it seems to be the only comfortable position I can find.

That being said, I have been looking for a good pillow for a while now. Back around Thanksgiving, I bought a couple of mid-range priced pillows at Sears. They were good for a while, but kind of flattened over time. Recently, I really splurged and bought both Matt and I memory foam pillows. They look relatively flat, but after one night's sleep, we found that the width certainly does not make the pillow.

These pillows are great! They take your head and cradle it, and as soon as you switch positions, it's back to its original shape. We are both pretty happy. Matt says "they're not spectacular, I give them a 'B'." Geez, what a hard customer to please.

Right idea, bad time

Last night Matt and I went to a show to see a band that I really like - Senses Fail. It's rare that any good bands come to Hawaii, so I was excited. Everything just seemed to go wrong.

I had been awake for well over 24 hours when we arrived and I hadn't eaten all day. As a result, I was already on edge. We looked for parking for 30 minutes and eventually made our way in. We got there early and stood in line for an hour or so. We had some good conversations about things like nuclear power and other nerdy stuff. We finally got into the venue, which was an outdoor thing, but in a fairly small space. We didn't have any cash, and figure that we'd just find an ATM. We asked where one was, and it was about 5 feet on the outside of the entrance. So, I went up to the guard guy and asked him if I could just get some cash quick. He said that there were no reentries and that I could either get the cash and not come back in, or not get the cash. Add one to my edginess. As a result, we couldn't drink or buy shirts or anything.

There were no seats or anything, but we managed to find a place to sit on a concrete block. We couldn't really see the stage, but we had a nice view of the tour ships coming in and out of the harbor. We listened to the first two opening bands, which were moderately okay, one we had seen open for another band and didn't really like them then. But we had fun making fun of their music and people watching. Then Matt went to find me a soda while I saved our cement block.

While Matt was gone, a security guard came along and kicked me off the block, saying that there was too much traffic gathering along the fence. I gave him a really nasty look and he apologized but said I had to move. I did and was really starting to boil at this point. Then, as soon as I got off, other people started to sit on the block, he kicked them off. This happened five times before he gave up. Now I was boiling. Matt came back and said that they didn't have Mountain Dew. I kind of exploded at this point and sent him to get a Coke instead.

He was gone for what felt like 30 minutes (didn't have a watch) so I went to look for him. It took me about 5 minutes to weave my way through the crowd to get about 100 feet. I didn't see him, so I worked my way back. My mood was lightened quite a bit when a guy came up to me, and seeing my Brewers shirt and hat, asked me if I was from WI. He was from Madison, too, so we talked for a bit.

Matt made his way back with a Coke and we watched (listened is more like it) to Senses Fail. They were alright, but the accoustics in the place were less than ideal. After they played, we went home and didn't stick around to see the last band. All in all, it was an interesting night if nothing else. :)

My lack of posting

I haven't been posting much lately, and I haven't really been doing much of anything outside of school and a new video game that I bought - Civilization III. It's really addictive, but it has pissed me off tonight because I can't destroy the Romans in the third mission. So, I'll probably give up on it for a while and switch back to a more productive life. :)

Reading

This new block of classes is significantly more challenging than my last three. The subjects are things that I don't know a whole lot about, so I am forced to read the textbooks. And it's a lot of reading. This first week alone I've had 7 chapters to read. It's interesting stuff, which makes it a bit more bareable. I was looking over my final projects, and I don't have to write one 2000 word essay, I have to write three. For my religions class, I also have to attend a religious ceremony of a faith different than mine and interview someone within that church. This takes me way out of my comfort zone, but I guess that's a good thing.

For the first time while attending this online school, I really feel like I'm learning stuff. The science class is also very interesting. I'm reading all about overpopulation and the negative effects of pollution and stuff. My organization theory class is a lot of stuff that I know and know quite well, but it is kind of fun being in a forum with people with different types of management experience. We've already had some good discussions.

Upcoming tour dates

Here is a tentative schedule of my upcoming tour dates (travel schedule :)

Early to mid December - Australia
December 18 or 19 - December 27th-ish - Wisconsin
December 27th-January 7th-ish - Colorado
Then back home.

It's going to be a busy December, but it should be fun. The cats are going to hate me because I'm boarding them. :)

School's out!

Well, for about 12 hours anyway. I finished both of my final projects, and I figure I did both well enough to get me solid A's in the classes. Definitely not my best work, but I really don't care as long as I get an A in the class. I start my next three classes tomorrow, and I'm ready for the change.

I had to ground myself from EQ2 until I got the projects done, though. I'm glad I did or I'd still be trying to write the first words on my paper.

The paper that won't write itself

My fourth block of classes ends this Sunday, which means that my final projects are due. One of my projects is a 2500 word paper analyzing the influences of rase as it relates to my community. Here's the problem - I don't give a rats butt about race. It's just not something that I think about, except in this class when I've been forced to. I want to instead write a paper about how I think that race is something that we should be able to put behind us now, instead of dwelling on it and how many mistakes we have made as a nation in this area. I do believe that it is important to be aware of cultural differences and study history, but not keep beating it into the ground.

However, I don't think that my instructor would appreciate that or give me a good grade. I will most likely end up writing about being a white minority in the state of Hawaii, which I will have a hard time coming up with even 500 words on, much less 2500. I might also compare and contrast this with the community that I am more familiar with, Wisconsin. That should take me up to 700 words. Wish me luck.

More on fears

Here are some fears that I looked up on the Internet. I couldn't find any of the fears that I listed in my previous post, but I did find these rather odd or amusing:

Barophobia- Fear of gravity.
Cathisophobia- Fear of sitting.
Chronophobia- Fear of time.
Epistemophobia- Fear of knowledge.
Geniophobia- Fear of chins.
Geumaphobia or Geumophobia- Fear of taste.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words.
Levophobia- Fear of things to the left side of the body.
Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
Phobophobia- Fear of phobias.
Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking.
Zemmiphobia- Fear of the great mole rat.

Here's where I found them, there's a lot more there. http://www.phobialist.com/

Fears

Everyone has one or two fears. Most people have at least one fairly common fear, like heights or needles or something. I'm not sure why I started thinking about this, but I did. Here are a few of my fears:

I, like many people, have a slight fear of heights. This has dissipated quite a bit since living on the 22nd floor of a building, however. I can now go out onto the balcony and look over with ease. However, once in a while I will get jumpy and have the sudden desire to hit the floor and hug it. I simply back into the apartment at that point.

I have, however, some fears that I think are a little less common. For example, I am afraid of wetting the bed. It's funny, because it's not like I was a bedwetter as a kid, and I haven't done so in a long long time. But I will often wake myself up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom with the specific thought in mind that I don't want to wet the bed. It's weird, I know.

I am also really afraid of breaking a bone. After breaking my ankle, this is something I never want to have to go through again. The pain was horrible, and if I even hear the (fake) sound of bones breaking on TV, my skin crawls and I cringe.

I am also a little nervous of deep water. I wouldn't go so far as to state that it's a full-blown fear. I don't mean swimming pool deep, I am talking about 100+ feet deep in a lake or ocean. I think the fear is of what might be swimming below me that I can't see.

Another fear that I have is driving over bridges. I am ok in the passenger seat, but if I actually have to drive, I grip the steering wheel tight and tend not to look anywhere else but in front of me. The worst bridge I've ever driven is in Milwaukee on I-94, the one that goes past Miller Park. There's just something about driving and looking down at the tops of smoke stacks that creeps me out.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share. :)

Today's hike - Maunawili Falls

My legs have finally returned to a normal feeling (as opposed to the wet-noodle feel I had after my last hike) so Matt and I decided to hit another trail. We bought a trail guide and picked one that appeared to be a bit easier than the last hike we did.

I'm not so sure that it was necessarily easier. Although it was a little shorter than the last hike we did, and nearly half the altitude gain (400 feet compared to 900 feet on the last hike,) there were some factors that I thought made this one a bit more challenging. However, it was equally if not more rewarding.

This trail was on the east side of the island, which I mentioned before is the tropical side of the island. It was over 90 degrees today, and the east side is considerably more humid than the rest of the island. This hike was also in a valley, which means that there wasn't much of a breeze at all. We did climb up into the mountains a bit, and there was a slight breeze at the higher altitudes. This hike also involved "fording", crossing for those of us not skilled in the ways of hiking vocabulary, a stream several times. This might sound fun and easy, but it's not. The rocks are very slippery, and rubber soled shoes like to slip right off of the moss-covered rocks.

However, even though I was huffing and puffing by the time we got to the end of the trail, it became clear why the hike was worth it - a beautiful waterfall! There were kids climbing the falls and jumping off the top into the falls below. (Tony, this waterfall wasn't near the "wow" value of the one we saw in PR, though.) We sat for about half an hour (on rocks) with our bare feet dangling in the very cold water. We couldn't really figure out why the water was so cold, but after about 10 minutes, our feet were numb. It felt great and really helped to make the return trip easier. This hike, unlike the last one, was not a loop, meaning that we took the same trail back as we took going in. This was a good thing, because a lot of the hike to the falls was uphill.

I got some great pictures that I will try to post sooner than later. I have posted the pictures from our last hike already, so check them out!

This is a first

Matt and I ordered a new futon. We could have either bought a low-end couch or a high-end futon. We went with the futon, and I am very happy with it. We currently only have a love seat, which is not big enough to lay out on while watching TV.

Anyway, it was delivered today. The delivery guy asked me to meet him downstairs. He looked at me and said "you like the Brewers, huh?" I had a Brewers shirt and a Brewers cap on. We proceeded to talk baseball for the next twenty minutes or so. He is the first person in this state that has even admitted that they've heard of the Brewers. A few people have commented on Milwaukee, but never baseball. He lived in Arizona for a while, and used to watch the Brewers in spring training. The Arizona Diamondbacks are his favorite team, though. He used to play ball a lot and I got to hear about a time that he was taken out by a guy sliding into second base, then he was hit by a pitch in the head in the same game, and he quit baseball after that game.

Customer service in Hawaii leaves a lot to be desired, but this guy has helped to restore my faith. Hawaiians are always intersting to talk to, though.

It's over

So Carrie is the next American Idol. It was still a big victory for the rockers. At least we can say that we tried to get Bo the victory, right Mom?

Ok, so now that American Idol is done, I have to try to find other stuff to post about.......

Well, maybe I'll have more luck tomorrow :P

I voted

For the first time this season, I made my vote on American Idol. Well, I didn't just vote once, I voted 30 times for Bo. Being in Hawaii has its advantages, because the phone lines here are open well past those of the mainland. That combined with the 3 different numbers means that I got through nearly every time. It only took me about 10 minutes to vote 30 times.

I didn't vote for him because I thought he did a better job. I didn't care for this week's show much at all. I voted for Bo simply because I like him better and I want him to win. :)

Movie review - Star Wars 3

Wow. Go see it.

In order to keep from spoiling this movie for anyone who has been thinking of seeing it, I will just make a few general statements about the movie. Being in the position that we are, which is already seeing the first three Star Wars many years ago and anticipating the arrival of the next three, this movie was awesome. I felt as though I was witnessing a piece of history on the screen, not just a movie. That might sound a bit extreme, but if you go and see this, you will understand what I mean.

Go see it. That's about all I can say right now, I'm near speechless!!

A day at the beach

On Saturday, Matt and I set out intending on going snorkeling. We first stopped at the Navy Exchange, which is the Navy's big mall. We bought snorkeling equipment and a boogie board. We headed to Kailua Beach, which is on the east side of the island. The east and west sides of the island are really two completely different things. The east side is much more tropical, and it rains far more over there. The reasoning behind this has something to do with trade winds.

We got to the beach, but the waves were a little too high for snorkeling. Luckily, we had bought the boogie board, but we quickly found out that the waves weren't quite big enough for that, either. It still made messing around in the ocean a little more fun. After a couple of hours of swimming, we found another local Mexican place and enjoyed a good dinner. I really liked the fried ice cream at the end of the meal.

On our way home, we drove through the mountains and were in awe of the waterfalls on both sides of us. It had just rained in that area, so we were really given a treat of the waterfalls and rainbows. It was just like what you might see on postcards!

Other than the fact that I got some water in my ear and I still can't hear out of it, it was a good day.

Reflecting

I've been watching the Wonder Years on DVD. It's a show about the pains of growing up and how things change. I don't think you can help but look back on your own childhood and experiences and think about how things have changed.

I will never say that I regret meeting Matt, and I won't say that I regret moving to Hawaii. Matt is one of the best things that could have happened for me. Moving to Hawaii, and my time here, has been an incredible experience that has made me grow a lot personally. I've matured even more than I could have thought. I've had to learn to rely on myself when Matt isn't around, something that I didn't think I could do. However, I wish that things didn't have to change the way that they have. I've changed some relationships that I was very happy with before. Tony and I still talk almost every day, and we are still the best of friends, but being so far apart has inevitably changed our friendship. My relationship with my brother has probably changed the most. I really wish that hadn't been the case. I miss being able to have him visit me on the weekends, and I am really missing seeing him grow up. I am sorry that I am not there to take him driving, to take him to see Star Wars, or just to hang out like we used to. I know that our relationship would have changed eventually anyway, but I feel like my moving away has rushed that process.

However, I do feel closer to my parents than I was before. Seeing the way that they have supported my decision to move here whole-heartedly really opened my eyes to what family is there for.

Don't mind me, I guess I'm just a little sentimental tonight. :)

The Bo Bice show...

...with special guests Carrie Underwood and Vonzell Solomon. If you missed this week's American Idol, you missed the best show thus far. And if you still think that Bo Bice can't sing, you're tone deaf. His a capella song gave me the chills. It was a perfect combination of excellent vocals, a very quiet stage, and perfect lighting. I didn't know the song, but I really don't think I needed to. When I first heard that he was going to do Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, I thought he was going to be in trouble. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he did. I didn't like the band's performance on Satisfaction, but I think Bo did well regardless.

Obviously, I think Bo is going on. As for the other two, I really am not sure who will advance. I didn't like Carrie's rendition of I Feel Like a Woman, but Crying was very good. I hate Dion Warwick, so I automatically didn't like Vonzell's first song. I didn't really like the last song, either, but R&B just isn't really my genre of choice. If I had to guess, I'd say that Vonzell is going home next week, leaving Carrie and Bo to duke it out in the final.

I didn't think I had it in me

Matt and I have vowed to become more physically active. We went for a walk twice this week, and we are eating much healthier than we used to. Today, we went hiking. We found a hiking trail at the top of a nearby mountain while driving around one day and made mental note of it. That was the trail we decided to hike today. I wish we would have done a little more research than that.

We started our afternoon by grabbing a sandwich at Subway (hey, if it worked for Jared...) and then stopped for a couple bottles of Propel fitness water. Armed with a backpack with the water, a camera, binoculars, and Matt's cell phone, we set off on our hike at 1:30. Since I am so horribly out of shape, the first part of the hike was naturally hard. The terrain throughout the entire trail was peppered with rocks and tree roots, so I couldn't exactly drag my feet. Each step involved stepping over something. In the beginning, the trail went uphill a ways, which was quite a challenge for me. I quickly became out of breath, but we trekked on.

The views were awesome. The first part of the trail faces the mountains, and the valleys below were full of nothing but trees and ferns. I've got some cool pictures that I will post sooner than later. Once we settled into a regular pace, which was a little faster than regular walking, I was ok. The trail leveled out a bit, once in a while dipping downhill or going uphill, but it mainly wound around the mountaintop. We came to a cool spot where we could see H3, the highway that runs high through the mountains, connecting the Pearl Harbor area with the East part of the island. There were many spots where logs were blocking the path and we had to climb over them. There were also sections of the trail, with no guardrails, where there was a rather steep drop on either side of you. Mentally, I had picked the side that looked less painful should I lose my balance and need to fall.

In the middle of the hike we also came across a piece (wing) of a WWII B-24J bomber that had crashed there in 1944. There was a sign posted above it, detailing that the rest of the wreckage was down in the gully, which is inaccessible. The cause of the crash was never determined. We both thought that was pretty cool. I have pictures of that, too.

After mostly non-stop hiking for two hours, I was starting to get a little tired. We saw a sign at the beginning of the trail that said it was a three hour hike, a 4.5 mile hike total. By this time, both of us were drenched in sweat (it was a nice day here, but still over 80 degrees), my feet, ankles, knees and back were starting to get really sore, and I just wanted to be done hiking. Then the worst happened - the trail turned all uphill!! I don't mean gradually uphill, either, it was a steep uphill climb over (and under) trees and rocks. So, for our last hour, we climbed uphill, with frequent rest stops for me, because by this time I was seriously huffing and puffing.

But eventually we made it out of the woods, and we're home now, and we both feel pretty darn good about completing the hike. However, we are going to buy a Hawaii hiking guide and try an easier trail next weekend. Tomorrow, we're going snorkeling. :)

Who are these guys?!?

So I've been keeping track of the Brewers' progress daily, and I am continually shocked by their performance. They are in second place!! Now, it helps that they are in the weakest division in baseball. That being said, they are the worst second place team by far, but still, they are over .500, a major feat for the Brewers in May. I am excited about Brewers baseball again. Go Brewers!

I got some pretty good news from school a few days ago. A bunch of my previous credits from Herzing College and MATC back in Madison transferred into my new school. That cuts the amount of time it is going to take to get my degree in half. I should have my associate's degree in a year, and my bachelor's a couple of years after that. Starting next term, I can also start taking three courses at a time. I'm looking forward to that as well.

This term is a bit more of a challenge, but I can still be pretty lazy. I'm looking forward to my next three classes - Religions of the World, Environmental Science and either Introduction to Philosophy or International Business.

Indecision

Tonight's American Idol was a tough one. I really can't predict who will get voted off anymore, because I'm not sure if people are voting based on performance or popularity. I would vote for Bo simply because he's my favorite, so I would have to assume that most other people do the same.

Anthony needed to be strong tonight in order to survive, and I thought he stepped up to the challenge. I found it ironic that Bo did Travis Tritt, because Matt has been saying since the beginning that he reminds him of Travis Tritt, and I have to agree. Vonzell was pretty solid tonight, as always. I would have thought that tonight would have been Carrie's night to shine since half of it was country, but she didn't do it at all for me. Why in the world did she decide to sing Sin Wagon? I didn't like her performance at all, and Anthony made her look pretty bad on the second song.

I have no idea who will be kicked, but go Bo!!!

Happy Mom's Day, Mom!

I'm sorry I'm not there to give you a hug on Mother's Day, so a virtual hug will have to do. I hope you have a great day and stuff :) I love you and miss you.

For the rest of you, don't forget to call your mom today and tell her that you love her :)

It's about time

It's about time that Scott is off American Idol. I have a major disadvantage being on Hawaii time, because I don't see the program until 5 hours after those of you in the Central Time zone. That means that Tony can tease me and tell me who gets voted off, although he hasn't been serious about it yet.

I did try to vote last night for Bo, but I gave up after 30 minutes of trying to get through. I'm glad he was safe, though, or I would have felt really bad. I thought he stood out from the rest of the group last night, and anyone who has said that he can't really sing should have been proven otherwise last night after Stand By Me.

Traffic noise

I hope that I never have to live near a freeway again. It is really loud. Most of the time we don't notice it. However, if we're trying to watch TV or listen to some music or something, we have to shut the windows or patio door. The problem with this is that it is really hot here right now, and it only gets worse when we shut up the apartment. Oh well. :)

Movie review - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

If you haven't read this series of books, which I haven't, I don't really recommend this movie. Matt loved it, since he has read the books. I, on the other hand, had no clue what was going on throughout most of it. It had it's funny points, but it reminded me of a less funny version of Spaceballs. There was simply too much going on to remember what the core plot was. I really can't even tell you what it was about. I wanted to leave half way through it, but I knew Matt was enjoying it so I just kind of spaced out through the rest of it. A bunch of guys from Matt's boat joined us as well, and they all seemed to enjoy it. I'm guessing they must have read the books, too.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Tonight Matt and I are going to see the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. We saw a preview for this movie when we went to see Be Cool. We were both really excited about this movie. I just think it looks really funny and cool, but Matt has read this series of books. It'll be interesting to have two completely different perspectives going into this movie. I haven't really looked forward to seeing a movie on its opening night for a long time. I'll let you know how the movie is tomorrow. :)

The past few nights I have gone to bed at "normal people time" and woken up the same time that Matt does (6am) every morning. It feels very strange to be up during the morning. School is going well, this term is more challenging than the last, which I like. The instructors are much more critical and challenge me a bit, although it is still too easy for me to be lazy and not really need to put much effort into my work. Oh well, maybe next term will get even tougher, because I am going to be taking three classes at once instead of two.

Mr. Teflon??

How in the world does Scott keep surviving on American Idol? It's obvious by his reactions each week that he thinks that he is the one deserving to go, and the judges think the same. He must have a cult following with super fast dialing fingers or something. I think Constantine sucked last week and was going to end up going in the next week or two anyway, but I think Anthony and Scott should have gone before him.

Paula's reaction while he was singing his last song was really funny to me. She was consoling his mom like he had just died or something. Anyway, at least Bo and Vonzell are still in the competition. Vocally, I think Vonzell is the best, but Bo is still my favorite.

Weird sport broadcasts

Yesterday morning I was flipping through the hundreds of channels we have on TV and noticed that there was nothing on. I was bored, though, so I ended up watching juggling competitions on ESPN2. ESPN2 has the best weird sports you could hope to find on TV. Pool is a regular, dog shows, equestrian (ugh), frisbee golf, and other weird stuff are not uncommon.

Along the TV watching lines, I ordered Ducktales and the Wonder Years on DVD recently. I received the entire series of both for under $70. They are from a bootleg web site, but I've got to say that this guy does professional work. The quality is great and he did a great job organizing the data on the DVDs. I know it might not be morally right to buy bootleg stuff, but if the studio that originally made them isn't producing them on DVD, of course I'm going to go and get what I want elsewhere.

Two new music reviews

If I were the type of person that bought CDs, I would definitely buy two new CDs that have recently come out. This is big for me, because new music rarely appeals to me, and I rarely ever have the urge to buy a CD. Of course, I just get everything and anything music related online, but the thought is there.

The first that I would recommend is Greenday's new CD, American Idiot. At first, I hated a couple of songs from this CD because the Madison radio stations over played them way too much. I hate it when radio stations wreck perfectly good songs like that. Anyway, the rest of the CD seems to be somewhat politically charged, and Greenday seems to be trying to make some kind of a statement with the title track. Otherwise, the music is a good mix of popish punk and ballads. One of my favorite tracks of the album thus far is "Give Me Novacaine."

On a totally different genre is Tim McGraw's newest CD, Live Like You Were Dying. Even if you are not a fan of country, this CD has something for you. He seems to attempt to cross over into a popish realm with some of his strong lyrics. The title track makes you think, and most of the rest of the album does the same. There are some hidden gems that will probably never hit the radio, such as Angry All the Time and Kill Myself.

Anyway, check them out, I enjoyed them. :)

Back strengthening

I have determined that most of the problem with my back is that it is weak and I baby it. I have also noticed, with Matt's help, that my posture is horrible. So, I have begun to take steps to try and strenghten my back. I am starting slow. Each day, for a set amount of time, I consciously sit up as straight as I can. I started at an hour, and I'm up to 1.5 hours at a time now. It BURNS. The rest of my body aches all the time now - my neck, upper back, hips, thighs, calves, even my arms. But I know in the long run, I am making my lower back stronger, which will let me start to whip myself back into shape physically.

I have also taken some other steps in regards to my diet. Matt and I were both eating out far too much, so on our whiteboard on the fridge, we have two sets of checkboxes - one for eating out and the other for going out for ice cream. We are allowed to do each twice a month. We've already hit our quota for going out to eat. I have also made a new rule for myself at dinner. I eat one helping, then wait 20 minutes. If I'm still hungry after that, I will allow myself another helping. I heard somewhere that it takes your stomach 20 minutes to relay to your brain when you are full. So far, it's working. I rarely ever eat two helpings now.

They might be small steps, but I've got to start somewhere!

Crappy theme weeks

Whoever is picking these theme weeks on American Idol needs to be fired. There have been a few shows that I have fast forwarded through the majority of, and this week was another one of them. I know that some people out there probably like 70s dance music, but not I. When I heard the theme for this week, I thought that Bo was doomed, but he was ironically one of the best of the evening. I bet he had to search long and hard through that song book, though, to find one song that fit his style. It seems like the past few weeks have been geared against some of the more popular singers like Bo, Constantine, and Carrie.

I thought that Anwar finally came out with a performance that we should expect to see from him, and Vonzell is becoming the one to beat in my opinion. She keeps coming out with stronger performances, although I do still like Bo better. Scott continues to be (surprisingly) consistent.

My guesses for the bottom three this week are Anthony, Constantine and Scott. Who knows, though. :)

Good old Brewers

As I sit here in my Milwaukee Brewers fisherman's hat, I am not surprised to see that Brewers are beginning to look like their usual selves this season. I must admit that I was a bit excited by the way that they started the season, but this seems to happen to me every year - I get all excited, then they suck through most of the season, then they have a good streak at the end of the year, but it's too late.

We got some potentially bad news yesterday. Matt learned that his boat is being deployed two months earlier than scheduled, September 15th. He heard a rumor that he is scheduled to be out for half of the deployment, three months. That would suck big time. He hasn't confirmed this yet, and he thinks he might be able to talk his way out of it. We'll see how this turns out.