A busy 2008

2008 was a hectic year for me. I visited the following states for work: Connecticut, Massechussettes, South Carolina, Florida (all over the state, many times), Tennessee, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Colorado. For the record, I had to go back and look at a log, I couldn't remember all of them and most of it is a blur now. I figured it out and I spent about 60 days away from home.

On a personal level, Matt and I spent about 4 months apart (not including the work time) while he was doing his internship at Lockheed Martin. We are both excited about his upcoming opportunities with the United Space Alliance and his potential career in mission control. It was great to have Tracy living near us for half the year. It was also a nice surprise to be able to stay at Mom's while I was working on a job and to have Matt help me out. I also got to spend a couple of days with Matt's family. I never know when I'm going to get to see you all, so I'll take it when I can get it.

Next year is probably not going to be any less busy. I've got at least one trip planned for January (North Carolina) and there will be many more, I'm sure.

Christmas in Florida

Not to brag or anything, but Christmas in Florida is wonderful. I had Wedensday and Thursday off, so Matt and I went for a walk on the beach on Wednesday afternoon. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. The sky was clear and bright blue, the temperature was around 75-80 and there was a nice breeze.

Believe it or not, this is probably the first time I've actually been in the water since we've been in Daytona Beach. I had my share of beach in Hawaii, and the beaches here just don't quite measure up. But it was fun to try to rescue jellyfish that had beached themselves.

Anyway, happy holidays to all of you stuck back in the snow!

Bunny suicides

Apparently, bunnies aren't happy with their lives, and they are always looking for new and creative ways to off themselves. This is what I recently discovered when I bought my 2009 calendar. It's a cartoon by a guy named Andy Riley, and it's really funny. If you like the Far Side or Rubes, you'll probably like Bunny Suicides. I liked it so much that I ordered two books full of the cartoons. Here's one of my favorites that I've seen so far:

My first Packers game

Matt and I went to Jacksonville to see the Jaguars play the Packers. It was my first real NFL game (I don't think the Pro Bowl counts) and we had a really good time. We were way up in the stands, but I actually think that's a good thing. We were on the Packers bench side and were just about at the 50 yard line. We stayed the whole game. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. The best part was what you don't see on TV - the halftime show featured 6 paratroopers trying to hit the 50-yard line. It was really impressive!

Holidays are hit or miss

I'm finding that my mood for the holidays is really hit or miss each year. This year, it's definitely miss. All things Christmas are just annoying me, from songs on the radio to TV commercials to displays in stores. We haven't put up one holiday decoration this year. Matt might on his own, but I really don't care this year. Yeah, I'm a scrooge, but ask me if I care?!?

An actual use for phone books

Matt and I have too many old phone books sitting around. Last night we were watching the Discovery channel and saw one of our favorite shows, the Mythbusters. If you're not familiar with the show, they take urban myths and attempt to either prove or disprove them in a scientific manner. Last night's show had a particularly interesting myth - that if two phone books are interweaved (that is, taking the page of one, placing over a page of the other, etc) it is impossible to tear them apart.

Within minutes, Matt was on the floor with two phone books. On the show, it took two tanks and 8000 pounds of force to pull them apart. With about an eighth of the books interweaved, Matt and I couldn't pull them apart by playing tug of war. He eventually got them apart, but it's a fun little experiment and will give you something to do with the phone book!

Old age is setting in

I think I may have the beginnings of arthritis setting in on the middle finger of my right hand. For the last year or so, it's been getting sore after a day at the computer. Over the last month or so, it's been getting more sore more quickly. That finger is a bit bent out of shape to begin with and I can't really straighten it out naturally. Ah, I'm getting old.

Change is scary mmmmk

I've known I wasn't going to stay in Florida from the minute we got here. And I don't really want to stay in Florida forever, either. However, now that this chapter of my life is nearing its unavoidable conclusion, bet it this summer or next, I'm discovering how reluctant I am to change. It's a scary thought, being out in Houston without friends and without Matt while he returns to school. It's not like I haven't done it - I was in Hawaii for months at a time while he was at sea, but it feels different now. Maybe I've come to rely on other people as a part of my daily life. I really like the few friends I have here. I've never been good at conclusions, be it friendships, writing, or whatever, and I guess this will be no different.

For those of you from work that might be reading this series of blogs, I don't know when I'm leaving or what I plan to do yet, so please don't panic.

Tough decisions

Matt and I have a few difficult decisions to make in the first few months of the new year. He has received an offer from the United Space Alliance that he cannot turn down. They want him to do a co-op, meaning that he will work for them for about 6 months and then finish his senior year of school. When he's done, he's basically got a job in mission control in Houston locked. This is his dream job, so declining it is not an option.

That leaves us some difficult decisions. Starting this May, he'll move to Houston for an undetermined amount of time (we don't have all of the details yet). But we do know that he'll have to move back to Daytona Beach to finish his last year of school. Now, the question is whether I'll move to Houston with him or not. There are pros and cons to both sides. If I opt to stay in Daytona, I'll still have my job and friends. If I move to Houston right away, I'll be with him, but moving is a pain, I'd have to find another job, and I'd be on my own once he goes back to school.

I've rolled over this in my head a lot over the last week, and I'm no closer to deciding what I want to do. Once we know the full details of his co-op, then maybe the decision will be more clear. What to do?