Sam's Blogspot Debut

I'm sure you've heard that we got another pup a few months ago. Though he and I definitely still adjusting to one another, I thought it was time to give him some love on the blog...





:)
And of course, you already know Baxter.



Happy mom? ;)

"I just want to be as good a person as my dog thinks I am"
-Unknown

Merry Christmas!

So

Erik finally told me where he hid (re: keeps) the batteries, so now I can show you Baxters Halloweenie shirt. You can't see it too well, because he hates having his picture made, but it's a skeleton and the red spot is a little red heart. He was so cute, too bad he had to be a jerk and ruin it...

Okay, and now some pictures you are probably more interested in:

Erik called last night. I expected nothing less. Heh. He's been very busy, but he's doing well, which is great. He said that the other day the local mayor took a few guys to tour some old ruins as a going away gift to the unit that is leaving. The area he is in is a very historic, very holy area (of course, isn't all of it? Hah!) so I think this was an excellent opportunity for him. Here are some pictures from their excursion.

So the above picture is of a spiral minaret and the building below it is a mosque which was built in about 850 AD. The minaret (from what I read about it) is believed by some to pre-date the mosque.

An Uninvited Guest

A few months ago (well, we still lived in Lawton, so I'd say 6 or 8 months ago) Erik came proudly into the bedroom as I was getting ready for work and announced that Baxter is a "ratter". It seems he and Erik had been outside taking out the trash when Erik moved a piece of cardboard and uncovered a mouse. Baxter chased it down, pawed at it, dismembered it and then barked at Erik as if to say "Okay dad, I got it!". I was seriously grossed out, but Erik was pleased. So Baxters a ratter. He pees himself when he's displeased with things, but he can chew up a rat. Whatever.

You know what he isn't? A gecko-er. This evening after dinner with Melissa and her family at a restaurant we have dubbed "Itallian Deliciousness" (because we didn't know it's name for so long) I was minding my business watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 on TiVo when I noticed a fleck of green on the wall between the book cases. It was a gecko. I don't know how it got in or when, but it was in and I was NOT pleased. Melissa had dealt with this problem already so I called her to find out what one does with a gecko in their home (why does this crap always happen when our husbands are away?!). So I moved out the bookcase, and he went behind the chair. I moved out the chair and we went toward the bookcase. So I got a tupperware and tried to catch him, all the while squealing like a little girl (I'm sure) so then he started going toward the door and I didn't know how to guide him so I started spraying at him with spider killer to make him go the other way (I tried not to hit him, just scare him into going out the door). Finally he took the hint (AFTER getting into the window sill and turning white to blend in with the blinds) and got next to the door so I was able to scoop him out with my tupperware lid. All the while Baxter just sat on the couch, I don't even know if he woke up to see what the hell was going on. And Melissa is laughing her butt off, of course.

I'm going to be extra cautious about leaving the screen door cracked, now. I suspect its the gecko that likes to hang out, upside down on the screen - but I don't have much to base that on.

So anyway, now I'm certain to have nightmares about geckos. Erik should get a kick out of that little story when he calls...

The job interview went well, they're interviewing 3 people and they have 2 slots so my chances are good. The job sounds fun, but its DEFINITELY not as laid back as City National, and that was part of what I loved about working there. At CNB I was allowed to pen my own correspondance if I so chose (which I often did) at BOH it is strictly against policy to write your own - infact, if you do, you have to have it approved by legal, marketing, and your supervisors supervisor. The real kicker though, is that as a policy no vacations are allowed in November or December. That means I couldn't go home for Christmas, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've done Christmas alone before, and it's not that great of a time. On the other hand, who am I to make a big deal about being here for Christmas when our soldiers are spending every other Christmas away from home. Wow, I just thought about that... Although I'd hate to be alone at Christmas, it could be worse...

Food for thought... Anyway, I'm off to bed.

A Glimpse Into The Future

You may or may not know that Erik is gone this week to the Big Island (the longest we've been apart since we got married *collective sigh*) and I noticed that many of the ladies at the coffee (including myself) had our phones out on our laps the whole time, hoping for a short "hey, how are you?" phone call from our guy and I realized... it's coming. And it's coming faster than I'd like. It, in this case, is the d-word. As I was driving home I thought about going home to an empty house and all the pots I had to unload from the backseat (I went to the PX before the coffee, I'm trying to grow things in my off time!) and how I'd wait until tomorrow so I didn't do it in the dark. I'm not ready to live alone yet, I'm still to skiddish. I have a few more chances to get used to it before he's gone for a year. It'll be easier when I have a job too. Enough about that.

Baxter misses Erik too. Last night we were watching TV on the couch and I said "Baxter where's daddy?!" and his ears perked up, then a car door slammed across the street and Bax bolted to the front door and stood there waiting for Erik to come in... Poor little guy. I'll have to be careful not to torture him while Erik is gone. :)

So the girls and I are looking forward to Friday for the Sex and the City movie. Boy oh boy, I'm beyond stoked. We are going to go have dinner and drinks then head to the theater. After it's over, it could be time to go get Erik! I feel bad for the girls though, Rich and Nate won't be home for 10ish more days.

Oh, and I locked myself out of the house on Monday and had to walk over to the neighbors (in my PJ's) and borrow his phone. 2 hours and a hefty chunk of change later I got into my house. Boo.

Baxter gets a bath

When it was bathtime at our old house, Bax got his bath in our bathtub. But here, our house has a sink in the garage. Baxter now has his own bathtub (because what else are we going to use a sink in the garage for?)









Did I mention he pretty much *hates* bath time?

The Spice Fairy paid us a visit!

Last week sometime I was on the phone with my mother-in-law and we were talking about the fact that my spices were old so I tossed most of them when we left OK and when we got here I forgot to buy more (and I continue to forget because I'm only reminded when I reach for something in the cabinet that isn't there!) And she suggested I check out this website that Andrea (Erik's sister) gets her spices from. And of course, I forgot to do that too.

....days pass...

So I went out shopping with the girls today (because that's what unemployed people do, right?) and when I came home there was a Penzeys (thats the spice company) box on my door step with an unsigned note that says "Heard you needed some help stocking your spice cabinet, these should help you out" and in this box is like (and I'm not exaggerating!) 35 different types of spices! I'm so stoked! Granted, my cooking skills are moderate at best, but this makes me want to get into the kitchen and whip up a feast!

I'm not sure who the Spice Fairy is, but I'll let you know when I find out. I have some ideas...

_____

So anyway, as you can see, we made it to Hawaii in one piece - Baxter too. We're missing a few things, but nothing with sentimental value, so that's a plus. The moms have both asked for pics of the place, so I'll post a few when the house looks decent enough to have pictures taken of it and I think I'll send out an email with our new address and a link to this blog to keep everyone updated while we gear up for the next deployment *sigh*. Maybe this way I'll stick to my resolution of being a more frequent blogger!

Until next time!

_____

Here is why I'm retarded (today's example):
As I was telling Erik about our "spicy" surprise (hah!) I looked at the return label and said "This gift sent to you by: Andrea J********"... and I paused. How did I miss that before? Anyway, thanks Andrea! SUCH a thoughtful gift!