Bad and Awesome

Has anyone else seen the new series on A & E, Hoarders? It is bad and by bad I mean totally freaking awesome!!! It a reality show in which they show two different hoarders in each episode. The show brings in "organization experts" and in some cases psychologist in to help these people get rid of all of their junk and organize their house or apartment.

In one episode is a man that has a small one room apartment is just filled with trash, empty McD's cups, plastic bottles, newspapers ect. Another lady has a house full of junk she has picked up at thrift stores. And yet another lady has a problem with keeping rotten and expired food.

I have already started DVRing this show. We were watching it earlier and the hubs and I were in total disbelief that people actually lived like that.

I'm not sure why I like this show so much because I am exactly the opposite. If I don't use something, I see no need to keep it. But if you haven't seen this show I recommed watching, maybe not if you have a weak stomach though.

New Look

I got my virtual makeover. Yeaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! I'm super excited. Now maybe I won't be such a virtual lame-o. I love the colors and I love my new blog title.

Christina at Sugar Sweet Thoughts made my layout for me. To see her design page click here. She is awesome!



I will be changing my address in about a week. I'll find you back but you will have to readd me. I'm going to shoot for my new address being www.imwatchingairplanes.blogspot.com. Its available now.

Going to get my military ID today. Super pumped about that too.

Make Over!!!

My blog is getting a make over tomorrow. New title. New blog design, which I love to pieces. You will all love it too. A very talented designer/friend of mine made it for me. I'm also going to use a new picture of me and start going by my name, Steph instead of Mrs. R. So, don't worry, its not an impostor. It will still be me.

Very soon I will also be changing my address. I will find all of the blogs back that I follow if I have to but you will have to re-add me. It will be fun. I will let you all know before I do so.

Random Happenings

School started last night for me. I have Sociology on Tuesday nights from 7 to 9:45 and Comp. II on Monday nights from 6:15 to 9. I had Sociology last night. It seems a little weird to me. I like to be prepared for class and skim over what we are going to talk about before class. Last night we went over the first chapter. Obviously I didn't have time to skim it before class. The teacher talks so fast it was hard to take any notes but she does have the notes posted online. I will have to write a research paper for both of my classes. Booh! I'll just be glad when I get all of my pre-reqs out of the way and can start taking classes I like.

I still need to fill out my financial aid stuff for school but after looking at it once, I'm wondering if I am smart enough to fill it out.

Another reason why we never told the army we were married is because I had descent insurance at work. Well that's about to change. Starting September 1st my insurance is going to officially suck ass and be very pricey. Matt doesn't go to his Reserves unit untill the end of October. We definately need to get me on some type of Army insurance before then. I called the Guard unit here in town today and Srg. So and So is supposed to be getting me some numbers and stuff. Sounds like I will have to go to Springfield and register in DEERS.

I've been stoked about getting a military ID since before we were married. It will just be cool. We don't live close to a base so I doubt I'll get to use it much unless I get carded for beer or something.

We are having a house warming party labor day weekend. Both of us have big families so we are having it on Saturday and Sunday from noon to midnightish. I haven't started freaking out about it yet.

Well that's about all I know right now. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!!

What's on my iPod?

I love music. Good music. Music that takes talent to make. I play guitar so I can appreciate true talent.

I'm gonna start doing "What's on my iPod" where I will talk about a band that I have been listening to recently. It could be a band that I have liked a long time or a band that I just started listening to or a band that I'm going to see in concert soon. I might do it every week. I might not.

For my first edition of "What's on my iPod" I am featuring Back Porch Mary.

Back Porch Mary is a Texas Country band from Austin, Texas. To read an essay I wrote for school about what exactly Texas Country is click here.

This band puts on amazing show. The guitar player from Back Porch Mary will often kneel and/or play the guitar above his head and behind his back. The bass player plays a stand-up bass during some songs and will even lay on the floor and play his bass.

We first saw them in St. Louis when they opened for Cross Canadian Ragweed. This was the night before Matt had to go back to Iraq after his R & R. This was where we were introduced to them. When we were on our way out of the venue we ran into the guitar player and he was a cool, down-to-earth guy.

Back Porch Mary plays September 26th at the fairgrounds at the Flat Land Jam. Neither hell or high water could keep us from going.

To see a Back Porch Mary video click here.

(Can someone please tell me how to upload a video on here from youtube? Please and thank you)

Stay tuned for the next edition of "What's on my iPod?"

MSIBTY Jane

One thing that is on my top ten list of most annoying things is people who always have a story better than yours or have to tell a story that relates to yours. You know what I mean? Say your telling a story about how you fell down the steps leaving your house. (This did not happen.) Then this person who I will call My story is better than your story Jane (MSIBTYS Jane) cuts you off and starts talking about a time they fell down leaving the house.

This type of behavior/communication has always annoyed the shit out of me. When it really started annoying me the most was when my grandma was suffering and slowly dieing from cancer. MSIBTYS Janes would ask me how she was doing only to end up telling me about how when their grandma/dad/cousin/dog had cancer blah blah blah.

Their are a couple of MSIBTYS Janes that I have the pleasure of dealing with. This morning MSIBTYS Jane #1 and MSIBTYS Jane #2 were having a conversation. It was one of the funniest/annoying conversations I have ever heard. Jane #1 one spout off a few sentences about her story and Jane #2 would cut her off and tell a couple sentences of her story. This went on for about ten minutes. By the time it was over I was sitting with my head in my hands praying for it to stop.

I try my hardest not to be a MSIBTYS Jane. Sometimes after a few alcoholic beverages I would say I could try a little harder. But for the most part, unless you ask me about my experiences with such and such, I will not be a MSIBTY Jane.

Family Pics

Of course the first thing mom wanted to do when Matt came home was get our family pictures taken. We were all told that if we were good she would take us all to the bar and buy us a drink.

The whole family





The girls



The boys



The hubs and I





LP and Ab



Mom and Dad




My seester and I



We got to go to the bar.

Staying Busy... missing my lover

I drove Matt to the airport yesterday for most likely the last time ever. He had to go back to Ft. Lewis and finish his paperwork and hopefully get his DD214. This thing must be printed on gold paper. We need it for practically everything. I need it for financial aid. He needs to try to get a better job. He wants to get veterans license plates and he needs it for that.

It was hard to say good bye like it usually is. I just keep telling myself that this will be the last time until he leaves once in awhile for the Reserves. I miss him. I'm not whining about it because three nights apart doesn't even compare to being in Iraq for fifteen months.

I slept on the couch last night. I don't have anyone to bother or reach the top shelf for me. But I'm going to make the most of the time apart.

My to-do list:

dishes
put together Matt's TV stand thinger for in his toy room (or at least try)
put the patio furniture back on the deck (Matt stained it Friday)
Vacuum
Dust
Clean all the baseboards
Water all outside plants
Feed the varmints (oh... we named our squirrel Gilbert)
Clean bathroom floors
Clean hardwood floors
Laundry(working on it)
Wash our sheets and pillowcases
Do financial aid stuff online
Resume for my hubs
Resume for me (hey never know when I'll need one)
Paint my nails and toenails

This should keep me busy and keep me from missing him too bad. Well I guess I better get out of my pj's, put my contacts in, and get busy.

Oh and could someone please tell me how to do that strikethrough thing? I would be totally cool if I knew how to.

Life is Great!!!

Today started off like any normal Friday morning. I was a little late to work but not too bad. It was normal until I checked our online banking.

Let me give you a little background info here. When Matt and I got married we thought he would only be at Ft. Lewis for about 6 months. I didn't want to move there and lose my job and he didn't want to have to get an apartment and leave the barracks. So he never told the Army we were married.

Well then he ended up having to be there an extra 22 weeks, which was like 5 more months. Maybe if we would have know that when we got married I would have moved there or he would have let the barracks while I stayed home but I can't say for sure.

Well when he was doing his paperwork to get the hell out of there he finally told them we were married so that they would start paying him his BAH for the next two months while he is technically just on leave.

So back to this morning. I was checking our online banking and noticed a 5 (five) figure deposit. I called the bank and they said it was from the Army. Matt did some investigating and found out that they had back paid us for BAH for the whole time we were married (11 months). Not only did they back pay us but they back paid us for the rate in the state of Washington, not Illinois. Washington's is about $400 a month more.

Do I feel guilty about this? Hell no. He put his life on the line and we were away from each other for 3 years and had to pay for countless trips back and forth. We have also both worked very hard and saved everything we could while we were apart. Was a surprised? Hell yes. I almost spit my coffee onto the computer screen.

Bye Bye credit card bill that all the traveling and furniture made us rack up.

Bye Bye car payment.

Hello 42" TV that the hubs has been drooling over.

Life is great!!!

Poor Ozzy

I took Ozzy to the vet this morning to be neutered. It was a sad morning. We both cried a little. He wouldn't kiss me goodbye. He hates the vet. I made sure to tell him that it was daddy's idea and not mine.

I get scared when he has to be knocked out. I cried when I took him there to get his teeth cleaned.

I hope his personality doesn't change too much. I love the little guy just how he is.

Poor little booger. I wonder if its too late to go pick him up and tell them to forget it.

My Varmints

I feed the squirrels and the birds and the hummingbirds because I can. Hubby calls them my varmints. The business I work for is a lawn and garden and pet supply distributer so I can feed them for practically nothing.

The birds are greedy bastards and eat about one feeder full a day and they been pooping on the deck. Not the "thank you" I was expecting. I stopped filling the feeder everyday.

I got a hummingbird feeder the other day and the hummingbirds found the feeder the same day we put it up. They are so pretty.

I have only seen a squirrel running away one time. But we caught one in the act earlier today. He looks quite healthy.



I like my varmints.

Grumpy McGrumperson

Quitting smoking sucks!!! Not just a little but a whole lot. I'm doing fairly well. I have been rationing myself cigerettes. 9 Tuesday. 8 Wednesday. 7 Thursday. And 6 today. 5 Tomorrow. 4 Sunday. 3 Monday.... Yeah you get the picture.

The only problem is I am grouchy as hell. Even little things make me mad. I wish I could bitch about work on here but I'm just not that stupid. I'm afraid someone from here would stumble across it and I would get it trouble. If you would like to know how it is pissing me off, email me. I would love to vent.

Ozzy is getting his balls cut off on Tuesday. I feel horrible about that but he is not adjusting well to the move. He is 7 and I think its cruel as hell to do this but if it will help it will be worth it. Its either that or he will be living in the garage.

So... I'm just gonna sit here and chew gum and be grouchy.

Bye bye summer school

I had my final last night. I got a 98% on it. I needed a 58% to keep my A in the class. My teacher asked me after I was done if I had even learned anything in the class. I did, a little.

In the fall I am taking Comp II and Sociology. I'm trying to take everything I can at night and at the off-campus facility that is close to where we live. I don't think I'm interested or motivated enough to take online classes.

At the rate I'm going I will be done smoking by next weekend. I'm chewing a lot of gum. I don't even really like gum because I have had a reoccuring dream for at least a year that I'm chewing a mouthful of gum and its stuck all over my teeth and gums and I can't get it off.

What's your favorite gum?

Having Matt home is great!!!

Yesterday I had to go back to work and Matt was home with Ozzy. He's not going back to work for about three weeks. He has to go back to Ft. Lewis on the 15th to sign out or in or something and finish his paperwork. While I was at work he put the rest of his stuff away, dealt with the Direct TV installer, cleaned my car inside and out, vacuumed the carpets, swept, and swifered the hardwood and watered my plants. Oh and cleaned the gutters out.

I had school last night and while I was there he cooked dinner. Today he is going to Wal-Mart. I made him a list. I asked if I needed to write "cheap" in front of everything. I don't believe he is a very good bargain shopper.

I could get used to not having to do everything. He even took the trash out this morning without having to be told to do so.

Last night at school we got our grades and reviewed for the final. My final is Wednesday and as long as I get a 60% on it I will get an A in the class. I'll probably study a little but not too much. After tomorrow I will be done with school for almost 3 weeks so that will be nice. Next summer I don't think I'll be taking any classes. Summer school is not cool.

I am also quitting smoking. Not trying. I'm doing it. I have never tried before because I never wanted to quit. We wanna have a baby and I'm not gonna be smoking when I'm prego. I'm not trying to judge just saying its not for me.

I tried just quitting cold turkey yesterday but that didn't work out so well. But I believe soon (like a week or two), I'll be done. I really want to quit. Its harder than I thought though. I might try the acupuncture thing. I'll keep you all posted and if I start bitching more, that may be why.

Our trip

Thursday morning Matt had to sign out of the barracks at 9:00. I stayed at the hotel and showered and packed all of our things into our bags. He got back to the room about 9:15 and took a quick shower and we were on our way. We stopped at the Haji mart (won’t miss that place) and fueled up and hit the trip set on the car. I started out driving and drove and drove and drove. We stopped in Wallace Idaho at some point and got some ice cream. This is one of the most beautiful places I have every seen. I love this area of Idaho and if we were rich I would build a cabin on top of a big mountain and live there in the summer.

Matt drove for a bit while I took a nap. We planned on stopping in Missoula, Montana because Matt’s friend from the Army is living there now. We could have drove farther than there but oh well. We ate dinner with him and his girlfriend at Hooters. He’s kind of a well how do I put this nicely…. well an idiot basically. Nice guy but not the sharpest tool in the shed. He was ignorant to the waitress. He wanted to buy our dinner but when it was tip time I made sure to let him know that I would be doing the tipping. At one point we went outside to smoke a cig with them and he pulls a revolver out of his car to show Matt. Um hello… can you just be whipping out guns in the middle of a city. Maybe in Montana. I don’t know but it scared the shit out of me so I went back inside. I have a record. I’m not going to be getting into trouble for stupid crap.

So we said good-bye and went to the hotel and I looked up when Sturgis bike weekend was because we had been seeing a bunch of motorcycles. It started Sunday. This was Thursday night. We figured we could make it through Sturgis tomorrow and it would be ok. On Friday morning we were on the road by 7:45 a.m. and didn’t get out of Montana until around 5. Let me tell you, that state is freaking huge. Not just a little big. Enormous. Gigantic. Looonnnnggg. We took a 2 lane highway “shortcut” towards the end of Montana and were in Wyoming for like 10 minutes and then crossed into South Dakota. We got to Sturgis around 6. We stopped there and got some gas and munchies and kept driving. About 9:30 we decided we were ready to stop. So we were 3.5 hours from Sturgis. We stopped at a town called Chamberlain or something and every hotel was full except one and they wanted $180. No thanks. Garmin referred us to a hotel that about 25 miles south of the interstate. Called there and they had a room. So we took another 2-lane highway south to this hotel. We got there about 11:00 because we messed around trying to find a hotel for so long.

The hotel was ok. Nothing to brag about. At least they had a bed for us. Saturday morning we were on the road by 7:30. We were bound and determined to make it home Saturday night. Since we were south of the interstate we took another 2-lane highway to the I-29, which we needed to get to anyways. On these 2-lane highways the speed limit is 65 and there was no construction, unlike the interstate. So it probably actually saved us a little time to go off our route. Still seeing lots of motorcycles. Iowa is boring. I think I slept a little. Missouri took forever too. And Kansas City does suck. Lots of construction and crazy drivers. We must have saw 25 cops in Missouri. I didn’t slow down though. Whatever. Crossing into Illinois was awesome. Best trip across the Mississippi River ever.

When we were within 15 miles from our house we saw a rainbow, which to me, was a very symbolic thing. I had a little tear in my eye. Matt loved the house.

Things to note about our journey

· It is 2260 miles from Seattle to where we live.
· Matt drove 6 or 7 hours out of 33.
· Matt gets nervous driving through bigger cities.
· I pee a lot
· Garmin doesn’t like bathroom breaks.
· Garmin doesn’t always know the quickest route.
· Maps are a good back up
· Truckers will let you know if there is a cop ahead.
· I would rather drive through the mountains than cornfields.

So glad to be home!!!

Home at last

We made it home. We don't have the Internet yet. I'll be able to write about our adventure tomorrow at work but for now here are a few more pictures.

Montana...




Wyoming


South Dakota


Iowa


Missouri


Illinois... this was about 15 miles from our house.