[the vet's office called. the trama was too much on his poor body]
nov 2007.
you were such a cute little precocious kitten. you filled the void in my soul that couldn't be filled with a fetus. you heard me rant and rave and always wanted me. no judging.
may 2011.
i will miss you my sweet
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The week's have came and went since our trip to the states. I look at the calendar and wonder HOW time has flown by. I catch up on my bits and pieces of blogs via my lovely halfbroken iPhone as I zoom from patient to patient at the hospital and than let procrastination get the best of me and forget to go back and post fabulous bits of sparkling commentary. We even banished the mother-in-law for two weeks! [Alright she's housesitting and finally back Saturday but she feels banished I'm sure.] Yet I seem to have less free time than before the vacation.
What do we do when life as us by the balls and we need a siesta break? I suggest reading funny smartass blog posts until you pee your pants or until I do it for you. Why? Because reading is fun and laughing is a fullbody cardio exercise! See you can have your cake and eat it too.
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you will always be the peanut butter to my jelly ...
the tomato in my BLT ...
the cheese to my macaroni ...
smooshes and hugs!!!
i'm glad that i've known you 12 minutes longer than you've known me.
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Day 16
08:05 am PST: Did we really get any sleep? By gracious it didn't feel like it. That may be the mojitos talking. That be be the cushy bed we catnapped on. Headed to hubby's long time h.s. BFF'S house to play with a 2-week-old baby and a hyperactive 3-year-old boy. I'm going to need more caffeine.
10:15 pm PST: We laughed, watched way too much sports network, nibbled on food, patrolled a local library, spent more money at another store, got wrung out by the 3-year-old and collapsed onto the tallest airmatress I've laid eyes on. For the first time this trip am exceptionally greatful to see a munchkin hit the hay early so we can get an extra minutes sleep.
Day 17
09:15 am PST. Met with the best surprise. Checked into the one and only hotel of our entire trip at Portland EARLY. We were under an assumption we would have to leave our packed car in the lot and take the MAXX (train transit) into the city to investigate the sites, sounds and smells for part of the day before getting to actually see the room. Much to our delight we were incorrect and were ability to freshen up a bit before playing tourist for the day. The agenda included meeting up with two of my closest girlfriends from the pre-military days, as well as picking up baby sister from the airport and having a late night of girls chat time before embarking to the folks for Easter weekend.
12:25 pm PST. Bobbing along on the MAXX. Forgot how much fun mass transit in a large city can be. We weren't having to drive, navigate or give each other directions. And the one thing we remembered on this road trip is how much we love back seat driving each other crazy. And how cramped small vehicles can be.
02:05 pm PST. Ironies 1 and 2: Ate at a simple and classy restaurant in downtown which turned out to be of the same chain as that we eat in at Germany. That turned out to be funny and yet more delicious than I imagined. Looked out the window of Macaroni Grill to see the giant sign screaming H&M across the street. H&M has a huge retail chain here in Europe. the classier version of Old Navy. Thus Irony 2.
05:28 pm PST. thwapthwapthwapthwap. "Hurry up Honey! I'm glad NIKE let's you run on their little treadmill to try out the shoes but can't you pick a pair already I'm HUNGRY!" (As if my stomach gets to decide things. It would if it were actually if my blood sugar had anything to do with it.) "Darla!" My friend gasped in shock. "That man has followed you around for the last 6 hours, in and out of stores, held you bags and didn't complain at all! I'd give my left arm if my boy did that for me!" She had a point and I left him be.
10:45 pm PST. I left hubby lounging around with a book and a tv remote as I jumped the shuttle to the airport to pick up baby sister from the airport and get a round of mugging, loving and omygoodnessitssogoodtoseeyou smushiness. Love her! Love the fact that the older we get the closer we all get.
Day 18
08:15 am PST. The three of us enjoyed the benefit of three cold showers. MrD thought we were yanking his chain about the lack of temperature after his gym time. No really baby, sis and I enjoyed whining our way through the coolest showers we'd had at any hotel. At least we get a fairly rested 6 hours of sleep.
01:15 pm PST. Drove our way through the windy Government Pass to catch glimpses of the snow covered Mt Hood. Arrived home at the folks for a giant sistersmooshface hug. The kids were ramped and running circles around grandpa who was ceremoniously handed PSPs as we left him and the boy with the kids and headed out for a girls afternoon of pedicures, impromptu shopping and picking up my wedding rings that were fixed for the first time in 12 months.
11:15 pm PST. Almost fell asleep playing a late night batch of cribbage after tucking children into bed. Full day planned on Day 19 aka Saturday.
Day 19
Loaded up the family and spent the day at Smith Rock in central Oregon. A fantastic climbers mecca with trails galore and plenty of opportunity to expend energy, try and not break Daddy's new titanium hip, and let hubby stretch his arthritic joints. Took a bazzillion photos or was it a bazzillion and one. Eventually I'll get them sorted out and share I'm sure. We had a blast and the kids had a blast and the husband only had to rescue me once or twice from the precarious ledges I put myself on. Even if Daddy tells me a gazillion times just because I can get up there doesn't mean I can get down. That's why I have a husband!
Day 20 aka Easter Sunday
We all dressed in matching dresses and cardigans for a cute family photo before we bundled baby sister back into her returntoaiport shuttle. It was a beautiful visit even if only for like a-minute-and-a-half. (I'm all about the runon sentences this post! I'm a bit blurry around the edges. Sue me.) The rest of us scooted off to church to listen to the tinkly strains of music and a neat little sermon by the parentals
Day 21
04:15am PST: The blurry light of dawn found us loading up the car and heading back to the airport we initially arrived in. Even with the flight being awake prior to 5am is not what I consider to be a good time. With a fond farewell my parents deposited us and our full luggage at the terminal.
First flight note: Somehow we managed to be the last seat on the plane. Hubby's knee is nearly brushing the door to the bathroom. At least the plane only seats 60 and the single stewardess has a pleasant enough demeanor and the turbulence was relatively painless.
First layover in Salt Lake City: God bless Dick Clark's diner. It was nice to sit down to a filling breakfast and a book while killing a few hours before our next departure.
Second flight note: The good news is the plane is twice as large as the last one. The bad news is we once again are the last seat on the flight, with our backs against the bulkhead. Our entire row is already anxious about the 39-45 minute layovers that will greet us in Detroit. It's going to take that long for our plane to empty, let alone the hike across the Detroit airport.
Second layover in Detroit: Realized right off the bat the cute ballet flats I was wearing, although cute for lounging, were exceedingly terrible to run in as we hoofed it down 30 gates to be the last passengers to board the international flight. Really enjoyed the security clearance of 8 bulky bored customs agents bearing down on us. The cocky man with the east coast accent almost seemed dissapointed when I let the air out of his 'why are you going to Germany??' sails with 'I live there, we are military.' He sardonically handed back the passport and waved us both along.
Final flight: Score. We were booked in the first row behind first class. We got twice the leg room as the rest of the flight and could actually stretch out legs against a bulkhead. Sadly we started twitching half way through the flight finally just done with traveling in any way shape or form. The hubby snuggled into me around odarkthirty with a little more than 4 hours left in our flight and strongly encouraged me into a short nap. It helped a tad but I was more than itching to be done.
DAY 22
Final flight note: 08:15a German time. With red blurry eyes we stumbled arms of luggage through the tarmac to await our friend and volunteer taxi driver. The vacation was finally and sadly almost over, at least the traveling leg of it. Foreign soil never looked so bittersweet and inviting all at the same time. One year of the tour down, 3 to go. Let's hope they all go this quickly.
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pardon the lengthy post ... days 7 to day 16 on very little sleep and one too many mojitos. regular postings won't resume until after easter when we return from our jaunt through the greater oregon spread.
Day 7
Spent lovely girl time with the twin aunts. Much too hubby's delight he was neglectfully left out of a PFC excursion. Much to his dismay he missed out on the girly shopping trip where money was donated to Marshall's, TJ Maxx and Target. Methinks he didn't want to see his aunties picking through granny panties.
Enjoyed an uneventful evening full of the History Rednek channel. There was Pickin, Farmin, Swamp Loggin, Crab Catchin and Brawlin. It was a beauty of a thing. We head to tear ourselves away from the glory of our family folk and grab some shuteye before another day on the road. I wanted to have some racous monkey love with a pistol toting fool who was pulling big logs with his itty bitty boat.
Day 8
09:30 am P.S.T.: Left out later than expected but couldn't deny the need for sleep. Have to meet my parentals for lunch and a small shopping excursion before our dinner date.
12:15 am P.S.T.: Only fifteen minutes late for lunch. After some minor squabbling enjoyed some rare Oregon fast food and an even rarer Target excursion with my mother. The boys were sent to the arcade with some quarters. They unfortunately met up with us before we were done in Target but couldn't blame girls for some trying.
17:38 pm P.S.T. Met up with my long neglected and only girl cousin on my mom's side, her husband, two kids, parents and a cousin and his wife for dinner. It was a beautiful and much needed thing. My uncle lapped up my husband like a shiny toy. It was so cool to here one generation soak up all the military news and foreign tips like a shiny toy. It's so cool to me that after such a lengthy marriage and such a small time with the family that they've accepted both of us into their respective homes like blood without a second thought. Our families are amazing.
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As I sit alone in my single dad friend's living room with my feet propped on his glass coffee table, his sleeping children downstairs and Arcarde Fire playing in the background I just have to take a deep sigh. After sketching out the last few days of our travels for the vacation blog series, now that I can actually catch my breath to do so, I am in fact not. Instead I am enjoying Sanctuary. A little refuge in the midst of loving, mugging, fooding, driving, napping and a little controlled chaos. Make that mostly a lot of controlled chaos. Does that make it actually 'controlled' chaos or perhaps uncontrolled chaos? Regardless the husband is helping previously mentioned friend do his nightly duties at his laundromat business while I get caught up on some sleep and keep an eye on his 7 and 12 year old kids. A little part of me feels terrible that my husband will not be so lucky in the sleep department. I do not however feel so bad as to stay up with him and deprive myself. That would be silly. A girl cannot always run on redbull and chocolate alone.
We are day something into this gig. Most of the quick multi-meal days are nearly done. And by multi-meal I do refer to wake up at one house, breakfast date somewhere else, chatting and a lunch afternoon date followed by dinner in yet another location and sometimes sleeping in a new bed. Yegads! A bit mind boggling I know. As much as you wouldn't think so we are having a wonderful time and getting some great, although too short, quality time with everyone. The husband and I are getting along swimmingly and quite astonishingly so for our longest marital roadtrip and vacation to date. By now at least one bicker would've turned into a spitting clawing match of some variety. God bless his terribly patient soul. I just might still love his pants off.
One of the coolest blessings that has been happening again and again is that all the different family meet-n-greets have gone off far better than expected and I think some healings have been going on in some of the households. They are able to enjoy themselves on a more personal one-on-one or three couple environments versus the normal 3-to-4 dozen member get together and I think they are remembering that they do all miss our close family gatherins when their parents (my grandparents) were alive. It doesn't all have to be like children throwing rocks on the playground, skinning knees, pulling hair and making other babies cry. It can be shared family photos, updates on the kinfolk and a good ole fashion pinochle ass whoopin. Can someone please pass me some melt?
I am a bit amped up and hyper about tomorrow. We are going to attend our single friends 4-cast play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf R-rated style. The theatre producing it does normal blah sets, or so he explained and this is getting epic reviews of raw gritty voyeristic reality. It is also our first play to attend which is also exciting in and of itself. I love experiencing 'firsts' together. My current struggle is to find the perfect shirt to wear. That is ironic since I have 3 full suitcases of clothes but still ... it's a girl thing. The perfect outfit for an event is like the ultimate camoflauge.
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Totally unrelated and random tip of the day for all you online music listeners who appreciate the likes of pandora and simliar web radio platforms BLIP fm. Customizable and awesome. I stalk MIghty Girl Maggie a bit I know. Just another cool gadget I need to assimilate into the new blog.
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Day 1
Departure from Frankfurt [Berlin time zone]: 07:15 a.m. Arrival to airport due to advice of travel agent: 03:30 a.m. Time ticket counters open to check into flight: 05:15 a.m. Time zone changes to final destination: 9 hours. Estimated arrival time in Oregon: 03:45 p.m. Roughly calculated travel time including layovers: 19.5 to 20 hours.
5.5 hours over the Atlanic. 12:25 p.m. Berlin time. Unsure exact time in plane: Blessed be this plane ride is a lot longer than I remember. I'm sure lack of sleep and inability to get comfortable and fall asleep on the 10.5 hour ocean crossing has a bit to do with it. Good thing I brought my ear buds, yarn and crochet hook and I can doodle little scarves while watching endless movies.
8.5 hours in plane. Somewhere between the ocean/North Pole/Alaska and Canada. Too cross eyed to view the map on the far wall: How does he sleep anywhere? The flight attendents very cutely keep leaving me his snacks, meals and drinks. On a side note I'm not sure ricotta should be part of any kind of microwave speed meals. Tangy!
12:15 p.m. P.S.T.: Hallelujah, made it to Oregon. Not quite our final destination but I could've kissed thewaitress who brought us our first American juicy brewpub burgers and fries that we've devoured in a long time. The trick is to not face plant and pass out in them before climbing into the last puddle jumper for the parentals.
04:30 p.m. P.S.T.: Oh joy Mommy and Daddy! Haven't seen my parents in over a year. Was very excited to see how my dad's newly implanted titanium hip is treating him. Much to my delightful very little limpy and much improved gait and noticeble weight loss!
After a small detour to the jewelers to finally get my wedding rings repaired after nearly ripping them off my finger at work 10 months prior it was wonderful to throw myself onto their couch and watch some good old fashioned American commercials. All the bright flashy candy bar, toothpaste, automobiles, stock market and news bites are almost catatonic from our AFN that consists of a whopping 3 networks, 1 movie channel, 1 kids channel, 1 sports channel and 1 tv guide and only military focused info-commercials. Although meant to be helpful the neverending stream of gun safety, deployment supportive, sexual harassment, gambling addiction, domestic violence, park cleanliness, spouse supportive, gethealthyworkout! and cleanlinessisnexttogodliness bits. Yes I am easily amused.
Mr. D enjoyed a solid 14 hours of sleep my body resisted to a mere 10.
Day 2
Staying in small town Oregon is like stepping through a time warp. Towns like this expand in small subtle ways but generally change very little. The small mom-n-pops stores often stay the same. You pick up your milk at the corner mart and toothpaste at the dollar store. A round of 9 holes can be golfed in around 3 hours and you can walk from one end of town to the other in a couple of hours.
It was a very relaxing start to the madness and mayhem.
Day 3
Up and out at the preset travel time of 08:00 a.m. Very happily tucked our things into our own vehicle. Was very happy to think ahead and leave it with the parents when we shipped the other one to Germany. Made traveling much easier. Topped off the fluids and hit the road.
11:15 a.m. Crossed the highway into Washington state. Felt very deja'vuish to be traveling the exact same route we would travel regularly when we lived in WA. Same rolling hills. Same ridge after ridge of wind veins. Same windy cavernous border defining gorge. Same bridges. Same police vehicles, slow drivers and fast food stops. Almost didn't feel like a vacation from out of country. Almost felt like we were going home.
03:30 p.m. Tromped around our old stomping grounds. Embraced as many old co-workers, friends and family as we could. Delightedly crashed at our old neighbors and close friends abode. Forgot how much I loved being mugged by their two hyperactive kids and dog. Forgot how much I loved their cooking. Forgot how quickly my empty wine glass would be topped off by the sneaky bastard who lived there. Didn't forget how hilarious MrD could be when matching previous SB drink-for-drink. Didn't forget how awesome it could be to sneak away to bed after aforementioned's SB's wife and close friend did.
Day 4
09:15 a.m. missed the departure time by an hour because someone that rhymes with MrD thought he should tear about the airfilter before we left: Sadly tore ourselves away and tucked back into the car. The kids were a little dissapointed we weren't back for good. The adults as equally sad about the little redeavour being over. But the show must go on.
11:45 a.m. Arrived in the dusty plains of Hermiston Oregon. Stepping out at MrD's uncles horse ranch always feels like walking into an old western movie. If James Elliot or Jeff Bridges all chapped and vested up walked out of the barn I couldn't be less surprised. It's Hey Ya'll and HeeHaw. I always catch myself wanting to find the snuggest jeans and only boots I own before I remember I'm Not That Country. Luckily they are family and couldn't give a rat's ass how I'm dressed as long as I'm friendly and don't freak out over the dirt, dust, dog hair, horse manure, bottles of moonshine or countrified cooking. I have much better manners than that and always love the experiences there.
oh-dark-thirty: It always seems like time stands still at the HorsePlaza. Stray locals wander in at all hours of the day and night to ask questions and pick up bits of tack at the store. The property has a tack and supply mercantile along with being a horse ranch. His uncle is also the local farrier and known for having all the backwoods vet knowledge for birthing puppies and most things equine. For example as we enjoyed a night cap and watched the hunting channel he was on the phone with his girlfriend explaining how to lubricate her dogs vulva to ease the birthing canal for her corgie puppies. Now if that isn't highly entertaining I don't know what is.
I did enjoy digging through dusty photo tomes with his uncle and grandfather who've I've hardly spent much time with. I inherited one of the only photos of MrD's father in jail from the late 80s. It was a large piece of his childhood and a story that I'll leave off the blog for the time being. I feel like I have a piece of the holy grail from his past.
Day 5
On the road again. (That should be the name for this post.) To TWINS house. We were both so excited MrD almost duct taped me to the seat. The IHaventSeenTwinInForever energy is a hard thing to contain. I think Husband almost cried tears of joy when he deposited me and my luggage on her sidewalk for the night and hightailed it to his aunts.
Half passed a freckle and a quarter til a hair: We took the kids on a bike ride to the local park. Twin and I hammed it up with her camera phone until we laughed so hard we nearly fell off the park bench. I'm fairly certain I peed a little. Her older son remarked he hadn't seen her laugh that hard in quite awhile. It's a TwinThing son and we'd do it more but we suck at need to sync our clocks better for Skyping.
Spent the day just relaxing and farting around. Sometimes thats the best way to spend time together. We took some brilliant photos on her little snazzy phone that I have to post when I steal them from her in a few weeks.
Day 6
01:45 p.m. Put it off as long as possible. MrD wasn't there to ride herd on my watch. Off to the aunts house to meet up with him, luckily only an hour of driving between the two.
Was met with a fun surprise upon arrival. Husband his cousins were target practicing in the back field and the nephews were invited to join. The boys had an incredible experience and weren't terrible shots! Twin suprisingly blew the crap out of a target. I on the other hand managed to put the first bullet I fired out of the AR-15 through the teeny tiny fence about 10 feet above the target I was aiming at. Split that wire like it was a 25 foot target not a teensy expensive high tension wire. My second shot hit a tree to the right. I put the gun down and let the pros continue. I told them that I prefer a baseball bat, hockey stick or taser for my defensive needs. I swing like a pro and scream like a girl.
11:15 p.m. A lot of alcohol has been consumed, stories swapped, bonfires built and food consumed. With some relief I went to hunt down husband as our transportation was getting ready to head out to the other aunts house that we were staying at. (Mom-in-law has 4 sisters and all were together with extended family and friends. Luckily 3 live in same area which leaves lots of lodging opportunities.) After a huge kiss and hug from his cousin and tons of pleading from the young inebriated crowd I left my boy in their care and snuck out for some much needed rest and quiet time.
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Only a few days into our little road trip and the waves of nostalgia are tackling me like a linebacker. It's a bit bittersweet to travel the exact routes we did when we lived here before. From my parents house to our old base ... from the base to his uncles ... and across the state to my sisters and his aunts ... and south to our first county residence as a married and our youth ... and onwards to his sister. To walk into my work-homes that I had for 3-to-5 year segments and hug, kiss, catch up on work drama feels a little strange and not quite real and yet so right. I will admit that with some I have avoided because I didn't want to lay open those 'missyou' wounds with a dull knife. That emotional homesickness was just a tad too much so I just practiced a huge case of avoidance. (Old NR folk who this blog I will be popping my head into your shop a morning next week.) But as absence makes the heart grow fonder MrD and I are going out of our way to see some family and friends we haven't had the opportunity to see or to see one-on-one in a good three-plus years.
I attack with a camera. We hug and squeal and the omygawds and didn'tyoujustpokemethismorningonFB?'s just stumble out in waves. Than we tuck ourselves back into cars and I try to just remember the moment as being WONDERFUL and not terribly sad that it is an unknown time frame when we get to see them again.
My current post is being written from one of my best friends, and 1/2 of the coolest people we met in Spokane', couches. It felt so good to spend the night here. The kids are naturally bummed that we aren't STAYING. Why aren't you coming back??!! But on the flip side they are wanting to drop the kids with grandparents and book tickets to come visit pronto! That would be a dream and will be my happy thought as I stalk via FB.
Tip to the TWIN: Coming your way shortly! See you in 48 hours!! Tip to the baby sister: see you in 13ish days at the airport! Might want to bring some football pads, I see some familytacklin' about to commence.
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As I run around under the mantle of what-where-why-who-omygoodnessdontmiss the plane little sister sent me the awesomest bit of advice:
Under the ugly monster that is stress remember that you are an amazing woman who is very loved by a great many people & things will work out fine in the end
And just for the record I'm torn between 20% excited and 85% anxious and 15% anxious and 96% excited.
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This upcoming vacation may be the death of me yet.
As previously mentioned we have a 24-day marathan whirlwind to the west coast in a few short weeks. This will be our longest roadtrip together and longest time frame that we've been away from home. The MIL is staying home with the cat. They will be good housekeepers together. Neither of which handle the jetlag well. So it's off to the states for husband and I. At the moment I am super grateful and appreciative that the little punk has bullied, cajoled and reminded me to get our ducks in a row on the this one. However, I haven't the slighest doubt that a lot of nagging and whining on my part will commence once back in Oregon. My social anxiety disorder will be rearing it's ugly head like a 3-year-old pinging off the walls while hyped up on caffeine and sorely lacking sleep. It's going to be a zinger.
LIsts are droll. We love lists like nom nom skittles. In this case the list is how you get to read all the gory details of The Trip to Beat All Trips.
24 days, 22 nights
13 different cities
3 different countries
2 different states
10 different hotels/motels/friends spare rooms
3 different cars (our own, sister's and parental's)
numerous slobbery hugs, kisses and pokes by nephews and nieces
numerous siblings, spouses, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and extended family members
48 different lunch and dinner dates
our first couple's date night at a local community play our friend will be starring in
our first couple's fishing excursion with an uncle and grandfather-in-law
sister/mother girls afternoon date
multiple boys golfing trips
a ginormous gas bill
numerous miles on the road
a plane ride that includes: 5 layovers, 10 different hours of time change, 3 country stops, customs, 10k-plus miles and a stop in Amsterdam
the desire to not put on a hefty fifteen-to-twenty pounds with all the American cuisine luxeries
excitement about being able to order giant American breakfast spreads at almost any restaurant at any time fo the day
American 24-7 diners
way too few hours for way too many family
a magical key to unlock the tiny box Twin and Buckwheat will repeatedly try sticking me into
trying to pack efficienctlyy and take major tips from MIghtyGirl to take the minimal amout of clothes and one suitcase per adult for the entire rigamarol
memories and joys from the ability to have an annual pilgrimage to see family: worth all the laughter and tears
I think we may be a little certifiable. I'd love to split the trip evenly between the three sisters and my parents and enjoy rest. I wouldn't have it any other way. Really.
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