How Did We Manage?

So today is the 5-year anniversary of our first date. We don't really count it, because we didn't go on another date for a month afterward, but that's a story for another time.

Anyway, our first date was over Labor Day weekend in 2004. And somehow, in spite whatever the heck life was throwing at us over the last few years, we've managed to always be together over Labor Day weekend (inadvertent though it might have been at the time). We've only ever spent 2 Christmases together, maybe a couple of birthdays and only half a wedding anniversary, but Labor Day weekend - that's our time. Until this year, anyway...

But it's okay because we always have next year! We should go to Maui...

"Not Much Longer Now"

wait
–verb (used without object)
1. to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens

Tomorrow begins the several weeks I have deliberately crammed full of things to keep me busy and make the days go fast as I count down to redeployment. Tomorrow, my great friend Carmen and her little ones come back from an extended trip to the mainland. Saturday is a meeting with my coffee group and a roller derby/dinner/after-party event with some girls from work. Sunday is up in the air but I think it involves mopping - and best of all, KATIE ARRIVES late in the day. Monday I'm off, and the weeks that follow hold about a million other things. And I'm thinking about reading Twilight again...

I suppose the truth is that while I hated having to say goodbye to Erik and spending the last year without him, it's been good for me. I've learned a lot (like how to mow the grass), I've done a lot and God knows I have stepped WAYYYY out of my comfort zone. And it's just a good feeling to know that when he has to leave again, it'll be okay. I was very nervous about this deployment because we weren't married during the first one, we hadn't ever lived together, we only knew separation - this time, I knew his absence would be much more noticeable. It's good to know that a deployment doesn't break our stride (too much).

I've been thinking about Ft. Drum lately. Melissa and I discussed this once, and we both have a very romanticized view of Drum and we think it's because we moved there solely to be nearer to our (now - and then in her case) husbands - the one thing we had waited on for so long. I recently realized that I don't think I'm going to have a whole romantic view of Hawaii. I feel more *me* here than I did there. I have a life here. I like it here. In New York, I was a girl who was waiting on a boy, waiting in limbo for my life to really get going. Here I don't feel like I'm waiting for something, I'm waiting on someone; but I don't know that I'd even classify it as waiting because by definition, I'm not "waiting". It's more like ... I'm saving his seat (I do NOT mean this in the negative way I feel like it could be interpreted!). I feel like I have this whole life built up around me, different from what it was before Erik left, and I'm sad that he couldn't be here while it was coming together but I really can't wait to share it with him. I've felt rather nomadic over the past 4 years or so, but I feel like I have a home base here now, and that's a great feeling. I hope that he can be here long enough to begin to feel this way too.

Today at work one of the ladies asked when Erik would be home. I was far too excited to say "not much longer now"...

Tune in this weekend for a special "anniversary" post.

Inspired by Jackie, I've decided to make a list of random things about my (semi)new state of residence:

1. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet. Vowels: A, E, I, O, U Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W.

• Bonus: There are never two consonants next to each other in a Hawaiian word, but vowels are often next to each other.
• Pronunciation tip: Try to enunciate all vowels and you should be in good shape, and remember, W sometimes equals V.

2. There is a privately owned island in this chain (Ni'ihau) that you either have to be born on or marry someone who was born on it to step foot on it (and if you're only allowed here by marriage you can only come on for a couple of weeks per year). It's crazy and cultist and they don't hardly have any TV channels.

• Only four of the votes cast on this island during the 2008 elections were for Barack Obama.

3. Hawaii has it's on time zone. 2 hours behind Pacific, 5 hours behind Eastern (during daylight savings, that is, because we don't observe here).

• It's okay to be late around here, it's expected, and it's called Aloha time. People also drive, and live "aloha". I really don't.

4. To that end, it's called the mainland. It's still part of America even though I really don't feel like it sometimes.
5. Each island is a county (except for Maui county has Lanai and Mo'olokai) and each county has a mayor to lead it.

• Mo'olokai has a leprosy settlement that dates from the 1900's and people still live on it.

6. Honolulu has the only royal palace in the United States.

• Brittan owns a small chunk of the Big Island - just large enough for a monument to Captain Cook.

7. Hawaii is the largest state from east to west - counting the ocean...
8. The state fish is the humuhumunukunukuapua'a (Pronunciation: hoo moo hoo moo noo koo noo koo ap oo ah'ah. Now say it fast.)
9. When people are giving you directions, they like to use the words "Mauka" (which means toward the way of the mountains) and "Makai" (which means toward the way of the ocean).
10. Hawaii has nearly 1,500 confirmed cases of swine flu but the state government has opted to stop reporting the facts because tourism is already bad enough. *shudder* Also, recently a naval ship docked here with at least 69 confirmed cases. Yay...

It's Been A Long December

If I've said it once in the last week, I've said it ten times. I have "senioritis" regarding this deployment. Last Saturday a bunch of us got together to make homecoming banners for each of the batteries in the BN and for the (single soldiers) barracks. Since then, I swear, I have NOT been able to focus on ANYTHING. I can finally see the light at the end of this tunnel and the closer it gets the more worthless I become. And we still have awhile...

Interestingly, this is the same "light at the end of the tunnel" picture I used last time I saw a light at the end of the deployment tunnel - pre extension.... Hopefully I don't have to break it out for a few years after this go-round.

My schedule for the next several weeks is filling up fast and that's probably for the best. I remember the last several weeks of Erik's last deployment and they seemed to last longer than the other 16 months combined - can't have that happen again!

In other news... Well, I have no other news because I can't focus on anything. I'm giving myself until Friday to stop acting like I have mush for brains, I have day-long meeting that day and I'm probably going to have to appear productive.

EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

Team Edward

I've been MIA because I was drawn in by a book series and I could think of little else until I had devoured every word of every line on every page. Honest to goodness people, I read about 2,300 pages in about 10 days, while working (at least) 40 hours a week. I don't think I read that much in college... At one point, I gave serious consideration to calling in sick so I could finish one of the books. Then I rented the movie of the first book and watched it 4 times in as many days so I decided I needed to own it. I've watched it at least 3 times since buying it 2 weeks ago.

Did I mention the series was written for teenage girls? That's right, I'm obsessed with Twilight. And I'm not ashamed. I can't believe I didn't read this sooner! I fought off the recommendations thinking "How am I, a reasonably intelligent person, going to believe this girl falls in love with a vampire?" Well, let me tell you, I believe it now!

I have several countdowns going on in my life currently, and I'd be lying if I said one of them wasn't a count down to the second movie coming out in theaters. Luckily, the movie comes out the day of our ball after Erik gets home so I don't feel one bit bad about starting my week long Thanksgiving vacation a day early so I can go see it. How lucky Erik is that he'll be home in time for this!

So there you have it. I'm 14 years old.