The Goldsmith

If you've ever been to Bahrain, the odds are pretty good you've been to the Manama Souk.  The first time I went was in (gulp!) December 2002.  (Just a few months after the 9/11 attacks.)  The United States Navy has been in Bahrain since the late 1940's, but due to cultural differences and general common sense, I (read: any female) was not allowed to go anywhere without a "liberty buddy."  There is no way I ever would've found the souk without a liberty buddy, given the lovely, honest taxi cab drivers that Bahrain is so well known for... unless you can convince them you're a Brit, Aussie, or Canadian.  Good luck with that- the British presence in Bahrain predates the U.S., and they also see tons of Australians and Canadians in a multitude of capacities...  I guess you could just make friends with an expat or local and let them do the talking.

Manama changed a lot since that first visit.  There are lots of protests and demonstrations that gather in the area around the souk entrance in the evenings.  Since I prefer to shop alone and could easily go weeks without seeing the sun thanks to my workaholic working hours, I didn't make that many trips to the souk while I lived there.  I did enjoy my time in the souk though.  Love the noise and the bartering and wandering around slightly lost...  By the way, vendors can tell when you're lost.  But, I digress.

On my first trip to the souk, I bought gold jewelry.  Gold prices were low and I had money burning a hole in my pocket for the first time in my life.  I'd show you a picture of what I bought, but it was all stolen from my home in Hawaii, a few summers ago.  

This time, my search was not for finished jewelry, but for supplies.  There are some very beautiful stones in this part of the world, and you can still get some very good deals if you shop around a bit. 

Just some of the Yemeni agate I brought back!

A childhood visit to Yosemite sparked a lifelong interest in stones... and it goes hand in hand with making jewelry.  In all honesty, I don't wear a lot of jewelry.  If I had money when traveling, I'd buy jewelry that was either characteristic of the region, and that marked something special in my own life like a promotion or milestone birthday.  So now that my skill level is high enough to make my own jewelry, I decided to shop the souk for supplies.  A co-worker mentioned he found "a guy" in the Gold Souk with a lot of "really cool old coins and stuff with a couple of rocks like [I] was looking for."  So one day after work, we went.  Um.  The entire front display of the store was strands of beads and stones.  There was one small tray of interesting but not valuable coins.

There was an old man minding the store who offered me some tea, which I took.  (It's considered rude not to- I wish someone had told me that during my first trip!)  After chatting a bit, I asked him if he had any cabochons.  He showed me jewelry with cabochons.  I said I wanted to see plain cabochons so I could make jewelry.  He said, "Sure, I make for you."  I said, "Ok, you make for me one, but I want to practice too."  And then he lit up... "You make too?"  Out came the satchels of rocks.  I had to laugh.  If you're a crafter, you have a stash- the stash that stays in the box under the table or in the closet until you meet someone else with the same hobby... and that's when the stash comes out! 

As it turns out, the old man is a goldsmith... his family has been doing this for generations, and his work is displayed in the Royal Palace and the National Museum.  He also mills and rolls his own wire and sheet, which is just AMAZING.  So even though his English was not great and my Arabic is almost non-existent, we drank tea and looked through his collection for hours over the next several weeks.  I brought him a few of my beach glass pieces, and he was  thrilled because none of his daughters learned metal smithing.  Much of what we talked about needed pictures and demonstration due to the language barrier, but he was nice enough to help me solve some of my more difficult challenges in design.  

Near the end of my time, I picked out my favorite stone and asked him to make me a pendant.  He asked me what style, I told him pick what he thought was nice.  This is the finished product.  I typically wear VERY simple, small jewelry.  But I absolutely LOVE this piece.  The work is exquisite.  Well worth every dinar, and something I will always treasure.

Please visit our Etsy store for Hawaiian beach glass jewelry, limited edition artisan jewelry and more!

Interesting Blog: 100 Days of Rejection

A major aspect of being a military spouse is having to change jobs whenever your active duty spouse gets Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Orders.  I'll be perfectly blunt - this summer, I had to quit a 6 figure job that I enjoyed in order to keep the family together.  It really sucked because I knew there were no comparable jobs for the highly specialized type of work that I (used to) do in the area we now live and I'm essentially unemployable thanks to my Reserve obligation.  (Even seasonal retail jobs were out of the question with my departure date being prior to Christmas!)  I could have pitched a fit and insisted my husband take a crappy set of orders in Hawaii or stayed behind in Hawaii with the kids until I either mobilized or found something in Virginia Beach (we also own a small house here), but if you've ever prayed for an answer and come away with a response that wasn't the one you were hoping to hear, then you'll understand why it wasn't a difficult for me to accept that it was time to leave that job even though I didn't want to.

They are interviewing candidates for my old job this week, and since it was such a unique job, anyone who knows me professionally could guess it was my job and some folks who were interested in the job gave me a call or email.  Needless to say, I did my best to help anyone who asked without compromising the integrity of the interview process.  (IE I did not contact the hiring panel with any recommendations, but I did let them know who I was speaking with.  I also did not disclose interview questions or discuss other candidates that I knew were applying.)  In the end, I have nothing to do with the experience or qualifications of the candidates anyway, and I would be doing the same type of "homework" if I could even get an interview around here.

The interesting thing is that while everyone asked me what the worst part of the job was, only one person asked me what I liked most about it.  Explaining the worst part of the job was easy- I often got tagged with all the random stuff other people in the office didn't want to deal with.  (You know, the "other duties as assigned" clause.)  It made me feel like the boss didn't think I had enough work to do and that what I did wasn't as important as what everyone else was doing.  Explaining the best part was harder- my job was essentially to figure out unique, common sense, no-cost solutions to cover our capability gaps by trading favors with other organizations.  It's really rewarding to get a crazy request and figure out how to make it work.  (In retrospect, I guess that's why I got all the crap jobs, but hey- whatever.  Just because I like independent problem solving does NOT mean I should have to deal with the pain in the ass work that other people don't want to deal with.)  And that's why I "get" the lady in this video.  It's fun to get those unique requests and make them happen.  I loved my job the most when I was free to actually do my job.

Just as interesting as the Krispy Kreme lady who wouldn't say no to the crazy customer, is the guy making the video.  He decided to film himself doing "100 Days of Rejection Therapy" and blog about it.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I have been turned down for at least that many jobs since leaving active duty in 2008.  (I've been offered and accepted 2, and been offered/low balled/turned down maybe about 3-4.)  Most of the time I don't get a response at all, and if I do get something, it's rarely more specific other than, "You are qualified but not the best qualified," or some non-committal BS.  I used to take it personally but not so much anymore.  (I actually just got one of the automated rejection letters this week for a job with duties I had previously held and gotten an award for doing!)  It's not that I'm applying to jobs I'm not qualified to do.  I just don't have any friends who are in a position to help me professionally here because of the specialized nature of my experience and other people do.  Fortunately, I have some savings and I've been able to replace a portion of my income through part time hours via Etsy.

What's interesting about the videos is that while on the first couple of days he's really shy about asking for stuff and getting turned down, now that he's in week 2, he's starting to kind of wheel and deal/bargain a little bit, trying to turn "no" into "yes."  Lately, I've been resentful of having to leave the career field that I enjoyed, but maybe it's time to stop taking the job hunt so seriously/personally and start looking for the hidden opportunities.

Please visit our Etsy store for double infinity jewelry and all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Moving to Hawaii with Dogs - Emergencies

Cover via AmazonWe have a 4-legged house guest this weekend.  His human mommy and daddy are in the process of PCSing from Japan to Hawaii, so he and his furry brother were dropped off at the MWR Kennel in Halawa on their way to the Mainland for leave in transit.  The kennel requires an on-island emergency contact.  We've boarded our dogs there several times and never needed to use it, so I volunteered to be the emergency contact for my friend's dogs.  The dogs were in the kennel for less than a week (out of the month) when one of them (let's call him Lucky) needed emergency surgery for gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) or bloat/torsion.  (This is what eventually kills Marley in "Marley and Me".)   Fortunately, the prognosis for GDV is pretty good these days and Lucky (a yellow lab like Marley) is stretched out and snoring on the couch (our dogs are not allowed on the furniture but we're giving Lucky a bye since he's had a rough week).  In case you were wondering what happens if your dog has an emergency while you're PCSing to Hawaii, here's how it went for us.

If your dog is in quarantine, they have a vet clinic on site... it's rigged for routine checkups, administering the rest of the rabies vaccinations, etc.  I am pretty sure they can also handle minor illnesses and injuries on site, but I am not sure they can handle emergency surgeries because the vet is not always there.  (My dogs had to stay there for a month in 2006 when we moved here from Virginia.)  The quarantine section is close to but run separately from the MWR Kennel.  (Quarantine is run by the State of Hawaii Dept of Agriculture, the MWR Kennel is run by the Army's MWR program out of Schofield.)  If your pet is at the MWR Kennel, they will call the emergency on-island contact (this may be you if you're staying in a hotel without your dog) for anything not life threatening but still requiring medical attention.  (IE, minor injuries, illness, etc)   The closest full service vet clinic that is open to the general public is over in Pearl City.  (There are some smaller clinics, but the major one is VCA Pearl City, which also has 24 hr emergency services.  It is always VERY busy, but they are also very good and will take new patients, walk ins, and emergencies.  They also take treatment authorizations over the phone.  If you are over on the Windward side- ie MCAS Kaneohe Bay, then VCA Kaneohe also offers 24/7 emergency care.  I should point out that VCA tends to be more expensive than the smaller clinics, but if you don't have an established vet, they will take your pet and they are equipped to handle most emergencies.)

Unfortunately, I don't have my cell phone or internet access at work and my office phone number got messed up so I missed the initial call that one of the dogs was in trouble.  Furthermore, once a dog is bloating, you really have to get them into surgery ASAP.  So although I was able to respond an hour after the initial phone calls, the folks at the MWR Kennel already brought him over to VCA Pearl City.  (German Shepherds and other "deep chested" dogs are also susceptible to GDV so bloat scares the living daylights out of me.)  Since this happened on a Wednesday afternoon, he was held in the hospital for observation until Friday afternoon.  (This is when I picked him up...)   If I wasn't able to take Lucky in for the weekend, the vet would've kept him until Monday afternoon, since the post-op standard is close observation for 4 days and the kennel is not manned 24/7.  We're bringing Lucky back to the kennel on Monday since we both work full time.  (He's on 5 different meds for the next week and he'll be more closely monitored at the kennel.  Not to mention, his doggie brother is waiting for him there.)

If Lucky needed to go back to the vet to have a follow up (ie remove stitches), then it would be on me as the emergency contact to pick him up from the kennel and get him to the vet.  Doesn't really bother me- I love big dogs and he's pretty tame for a yellow lab.  (If I flaked out and the dog really needed to get to the vet, I have no doubt that the folks at the kennel would figure out a way to get him there, but the preference is to have the emergency contact take care of it.)

But what do you do if you're PCSing to Hawaii and don't know anyone willing to be an emergency contact for your pets?  Whatever you do, do NOT just throw some bogus contact on there.  Lucky's human dad is a college classmate of mine that I haven't seen since college, so it's not like we're super close although I think he's a nice guy and consider him a friend... the only way I knew he needed an emergency POC was by a Facebook status asking for help.   People are generally willing to help others, but won't know you need help unless you ask!  If you don't know someone, maybe one of your friends does.  If that doesn't work, ask your sponsor to find one for you.  If that doesn't work, then ask the senior enlisted advisor, command master chief, or top, whatever it's called for your service, and ask them for help.  Every unit has a crazy dog or cat person.  They'll know who it is.  Sometimes it's someone who loves animals but can't commit to having a pet full time.

And in case you were wondering, my dogs seem to enjoy going to the MWR Kennel.  For what it's worth, the people there never seem to remember who I am, but they remember my dogs.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Re-opening for now...

Hi folks,

Most of you are probably already aware of this, but I happen to have another "part time job."  That is, I'm a reservist.  As part of that gig, I had orders to leave for Afghanistan this weekend.  But with current events being what they are, my orders got cancelled, which is a very good thing because my husband is due to rotate this summer... and while the intent was to stay in Hawaii, the lovely Navy found him a job in Virginia.  So we'll be moving to Hampton Roads this summer.

Meanwhile, we're prepping this house to be rented, trying to convince my tenants in Virginia Beach to leave, finding schools for the kids, and I'm looking for another job.  As you can imagine, it's a little crazy.  

I had actually put the shop in "vacation mode," which is Etsy speak for closing temporarily, in preparation for my mobilization, however, I decided to reopen to see how much inventory we could get rid of before moving.  Unfortunately, I just don't have time for custom orders or special trips to the post office so for now I'm suspending my hand made sterling rings and international orders.  Hopefully the transition will be easy enough that once we've set up shop in Virginia, I'll be able to resume both services.

Anyway, thanks for your support and for bearing with the constant roller coaster that is my life!  ;)

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Caleta Cifuncho

I think most of my friends already know this, but my first ship ran aground.  Hard.  As in, stuck on a mountain in a foreign country, needed to ballast, wait for high tide, and get a tow boat...  I guess the good thing is we weren't stuck on the reef outside of Waikiki in view of our home port and wrecking the coral reef for days.  Not that it was a fun time by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely a learning experience that I am grateful for.  Then again, it's easy to feel thankful when the entire crew somehow made it through unscathed.

LMC in Cifuncho Bay

Considering the damage sustained by the ship, it is a miracle that no one was seriously injured and a true testament to the crew that she didn't sink.  Trust me.  I spent hundreds of hours learning every tank, valve, and piece of engineering equipment on that rust bucket.  People gave me lots of shit about how badly the ship was damaged and I laughed along because I didn't want to argue with someone who wasn't there, but the truth is, it's really not funny if you know how close we actually were to sustaining catastrophic personnel casualties.  It feels odd to say that was over a decade ago.  I can't get over how young we were back then.

Us, on the LMC, in Cifuncho Bay

Exactly one month after we ran aground, the USS Cole was attacked.   They were not as fortunate.  I've met people with permanent head and other injuries, unable to return to serving at sea due to the attack... and they considered themselves lucky compared to those shipmates who didn't make it.  
Sometimes it seems like life is pretty random.  I used to feel extremely guilty about the fact that we didn't lose a single person when the Cole lost so many.  But as the years have gone by, that guilt is mostly replaced by gratitude.  Not because they were in harm's way and we weren't, but because we have all learned so much from their experience.  (And to a lesser degree, folks have learned from ours, although we are mostly a tale of what not to do.)

LMC the following year.  Target practice.

When we were stranded in Cifuncho Bay, we thought that was more or less the worst thing that could happen in the Navy.  9/11 occurred one day shy of the anniversary of the LMC grounding.  By then, we'd all moved on to new assignments and I was on a completely different ship in a completely different capacity, suddenly getting ready as fast as we could to deploy when the call came.  Our expectations and perspective changed dramatically.   Now, I look back at those pictures in Cifuncho and smile wistfully because it all seems so innocent compared to what lay ahead.

Remembering the lessons of the past is not the same as living in the past.  Sometimes mistakes don't erase very cleanly, but that's okay too.  We choose to be thankful or resentful for where life takes us. 

************************************************************************************

The Navy Hymn

   Eternal Father, Strong to save,
  Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
  Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
  Its own appointed limits keep;
  O hear us when we cry to thee,
  for those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and power!
  Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
  From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
  Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
  Thus evermore shall rise to Thee.
  Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

And when at length her course is run,
   Her work for home and country done,
   Of all the souls that in her sailed
   Let not one life in thee have failed;
   But hear from heaven our sailor's cry,
   And grant eternal life on high!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Name that Aircraft!

Near the main gate at Kaneohe Bay, there are static displays of old Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, along with a personnel carrier (I think), bulldozer, and some sort of howitzer/artillery. There is also a scaled down replica of the Iwo Jima Memorial. Since there is no dedicated parking lot, it's easy to drive on by thinking you aren't supposed to stop there... but we park either by the Pass and ID office, the Lodge/CBQ, or the Marine Mart and walk, depending on which side of the street we want to take a look at.

This one used to fly out of Barbers Point Naval Air Station, back in the day.

Today, we parked on the "Navy" side (right hand as you enter the base). I call it this because the Navy aircraft are on this side... the other side of the street has more things displayed, which is more than appropriate since Kaneohe Bay is a Marine Corps Air Station.   There's plenty of grass between the  displays and the road (so you're not constantly paranoid that a little one might run into traffic), and placards that explain what you're looking at.

Thought I should include the token Marine Air fighter.  :)

Both of my kids love airplanes.  They don't really care that these aircraft have been retired forever.  You can walk around them, check them out, walk under them, point to the various parts of the plane and discuss what they do, where the weapons are mounted, etc.

This one has been out of service longer than I've been in the service... even counting my days as a midshipman!

I don't see people laying out there, so I'm not sure you'd be allowed to spread out the picnic cloth and park yourself there for the afternoon, but it's an interesting way to kill an hour, tires the little ones out, keeps the older ones engaged, and it's free.  Can't beat that!

Tell me this is not the most pimped out helicopter you have ever seen.  Stunning work.

Five brownie points for each of the platforms you can name.  I only knew 2 without checking.  Another, I guessed correctly because it was similar enough to its replacement (which is about to be retired), and one, I had no clue since its replacement has also been retired for a number of years.


Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Hideaway Club at Barbers Point

Even though the Naval Air Station at Barber's Point is closed, there is still a small USCG Air Station... and there, we find the Hideaway Club.

This place has a really nice, beachy feel to it... sand volleyball court, horse shoe pit, basketball court, and pavilion for parties.  The parking lot is a little tight for larger events, but hey, it's not that big of a place anyway.  Great place to get together with other families on a Saturday afternoon.   There is plenty of space for the kids to run around and it's pretty easy to keep an eye on them.  The bathrooms are typically reasonably clean, too.

Just remember to bring your own food (which is totally allowed).  This place is not a restaurant.  The bar is fully stocked but the food offerings are  pretty limited and I am not a huge fan of frozen food cooked by bartenders between drink orders.

Now, this is a bit out of the way for me, so I don't really make it out here too often.  However, it is also the closest decent bar for folks who live out this way.  (So in case you were wondering whether or not to live in Ewa Beach, Kapolei, or Makakilo, consider whether or not you really feel like being that cut off from any sort of night life.)  It is also a military/MWR facility, so no worries about folks coming around to pick a fight with drunken soldiers/sailors.  (Which, I am sorry to say, would still be a possibility in parts of Ewa Beach and Kapolei.)  Getting back to the Hideaway Club, at night, this (being a bar) is not really place to bring the little ones. Most weekends there is a local band playing loud music and people are mostly here to hang out and drink. It's a mellow crowd most of the time, but still, you can typically count on one piss drunk idiot in every crowd of drinkers.

One thing that frequently is overlooked at Barber's Point is that there are still beach cottages and pavilions that you (if you happen to be eligible for MWR benefits) can rent... more or less right across the street from the Hideaway Club.  These seem to be less crowded than the ones at Bellows. 

How would you like to wake up to this?

Not too shabby.

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Stationed in Hawaii with Kids: Bellows Beach

Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend! We are off visiting relatives on Kauai, but here's one of our favorite family spots in the meantime. When stationed in Hawaii, the Commissary perk is really fantastic, but access to Bellows AFB is equally as fantastic.  I mean, really- I could tell you about it but this picture says it all and then some...

A lot of folks with smaller kids prefer the sheltered (and man-made) beach at Hickam or the coves (also man-made) at Ko'olina. But my son loves to boogie board and this beach is GREAT for that.

It's also great for cookouts, parties, there's a small campground down the road a bit, and a huge area for the kids to play in (which includes playground equipment).  There are generally 2-3 birthday parties with bouncy houses and the like every weekend.

So anyway, a lot of families are scared off of orders to Hawaii based on the schools and other concerns for the kids.  Hey, no place is perfect, you know, but this place is still pretty nice.  And there are opportunities to create some unique family experiences here.  I'm just saying.

And if you aren't military, there is public access to this beach on weekends.  So no more excuses!

Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Another Kind of Busy

The good news is that the hubster made it home in one piece and the household is starting to readjust back to the two-parent norm around here.  Our landscaping project is done (except for weeding and waiting for the grass to grow in).  I also received a LOT of supplies ordered with the intent to start building inventory for some craft fairs.  (LOL, I was trying to get them to arrive prior to his return, but oh well.)  Anyway, it should keep me busy for some time.

The bad news is that I haven't had time to blog for about a couple of weeks.  I promise all is well here.  Just busy.  We are running errands, getting our quality time in, and reconnecting.  The summer PCS season is also upon us and we are trying to catch up with old friends either before they depart or assist others who are arriving.

So I hope you don't mind terribly, but this space won't move very much for about another week or two as we come up with the "new normal" around here.  
  
Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Counting Down the Days

I swore I'd never use this phrase, but... back when I was a Midshipman, one of the things we had to memorize was called "The Days."  When asked for "The Days," you were supposed to automatically recite the number of days left until certain events.

For example:
There are 14 days until Thanksgiving Leave
There are 22 days until Navy beats Army
There are 47 days until Christmas Leave
There are 152 days until Spring Break

And so on.

This was supposedly a coping mechanism to get through the year, so we wouldn't crack under the stress of deployments and other things once we hit The Fleet.  But these days, deployments aren't set in stone.  Even if you have orders, you know they're subject to changed based on a lot of different variables.  Ever wonder why there are so many "deployed dad suprises kids" videos?  Because the first time you tell your kid, "Mommy or Daddy will be home in 184 days" and it turns into "185," it's not so bad... but then it becomes "188,"  and then "186," and then "192."  And not only are you going nuts, but your kid is falling apart. 

When I was the deployed parent, I used to count paydays.  The number was smaller, which I found less depressing and easier to count.  This worked well for me, but the kids really don't see that.   So now that I'm the one home with the kids, here's what we count:

That's right, we count down bags of dog food.   In our house, one 35 pound bag of dog food lasts roughly 2 weeks, depending on how much we run the dogs.  Feeding the dogs is my 12 year old's job.  So each day, he scoops out two bowls closer to having his step-father back.  My 2 year old can see the food going down in the container, so it works pretty well for her, too.   And rather than focusing on a fixed number of days, this helps them visualize the "guesstimate" aspect that always comes with the end of deployment.

We are down to two bags of dog food left in this deployment. 

Thank goodness!


Please visit our Etsy store for all kinds of upcycled accessories and jewelry, created in Hawaii!

Where Were You: The Bin Laden Edition

This morning, I poisoned the weeds in the yard before the kids got up. Then I took some photos for listings and Skyped with the hubster.  Nothing all that spectacular.  The Boy finally got his butt out of bed to talk and I can tell he felt better.  The Princess misses her Daddy and changed into her Georgia Tech t-shirt after we were done.  It was a pretty normal day.  We were trying to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, when I saw the news.  The bottom of the screen read:

BIN LADEN KILLED
BODY IN US CUSTODY

And I thought, "What the heck does THAT mean?   How do you kill a body?  Did he detonate a suicide bomb on someone in US custody? How does that even happen and since when does Bin Laden push the button? And why does THAT preempt Extreme Makeovers: Home Edition?" 

The news people kept blathering on and on, but none of it made sense until someone said President Obama was about to make an announcement.  

And then I finally figured it out.  They meant, "Bin Ladin killed, COMMA, body in U.S. custody."  I promise, I'm not a moron.  I just haven't evolved into the whole intentionally-misspelled-speak-in-cool-acronym-no-punctuation English yet.  I was so excited, I nearly started crying.  I chased my son out of the shower to watch President Obama make the announcement, and then I called my parents. 

Changing the topic slightly, my "normal" day today is VERY different than my "normal" day on the morning of 9/11, that's for sure, although my kids are 9 years apart so my son was about the same age my daughter is now.  I think I've told that story on this blog before, so I won't go into a whole bunch of details now.  But I do wonder whatever became of my old upstairs neighbor who played this song way too darned loud, non-stop, in the weeks that followed:

 Um, yeah... not so much.The guy also watched internet porn a little too loud.I think maybe he was deaf.

Twelve Day Work Weeks

(or what it's like to be a reservist.)

Don't get me wrong, I like what I do. I even like my co-workers. It's just that between working full time, grad school one night a week, being a mom/wife/sister/daughter, and part-time single parent, it's exhausting.

But two weeks out of the year, it gets me out of the office.

And once in a while, there's an opportunity for additional job training to enhance my civilian career.

And a lot of my friends are doing it. :)

Maybe I am a lifer, after all.

Go Navy! Beat Army!

It's time for the Army-Navy game again!

Every year about this time, I tell the story about how my parents tried to explain the concept of the United States Naval Academy to my 16 year old self, while going through the college selection process.

Mom: Why are you throwing that away?
Me: There are uniforms on the cover.
Mom: But it's the Naval Academy!
Me: The what?
Mom: You've never heard of Annapolis?
Me: Sure, it's the state capitol of Maryland!
Dad: You know, the Army-Navy game... they're Navy...
Me: Huh? I always wondered how it was the Navy had a football team. I mean, how would they have try outs with everyone on ships? What does that have to do with Maryland?

You might say I had no idea what I was getting into. Haha. Ya think?