Happy Birthday to me

So Yesterday was Birthday day. I nearly skimmed by all of work without them knowing. Grant it, I have been there about 2 weeks.. and I have mentioned it once, to the one man manager who simply said, well you should of asked for it off. In which I responded, eh, I didn't think about it..

Which is true, didn't think about it til a few days ago, which is when 'it' kicked in. The 'it's my birthday week, so....' 1. its ok to order a bit more than I really planned on 2. it's ok to order that skirt I passed on last time it was on sale, but is back.

Leaving me to answer to the husband as to why packages will be showing up on the door step at the end of this week/beginning of next.. and where did the money come from....

whoops.

The good part about that is that he does help curtail unnecessary spending... however, I am a girl, girls buy more little things than boys... and this boy likes to buy one or two really really nice things and call it good...

big difference there...

We did slip out for a birthday drink last night, but being that Kristopher FINALLY starts school today, and I have a work meeting at 7:15... we passed on any big dinner plans, and will do that another day this week.

Florida is good, I miss people and little bits of Oregon. But Florida is warm, warms you to the bone. So its really enjoyable - minus the run in with the snake Kristopher had in a kayak, which we later found out was a Water Moccasin - which is poisonous, and will chase you down.... apparently Kristopher smacked this one good enough it didn't know which way to go.... besides that, its been great.

Beach days, river days, garden planted, lots of fruits and veggies and bbq grilling, and quality time spent together... can't beat that.

Now, I know you are asking, what will my next year of life include... well I would like to think it would be working towards a Masters for 1. and a Promotion to an Assistant Manager position for 2.

3. I am thinking I may try and set up an Etsy shop, rather that directly sell Stamp-in' Up down here in Florida. So I may tackle this in time for Christmas orders possibly... I should anyways.

Ok, off to get some chores done before heading to this work meeting, then it'll be time to enjoy the day off... after tying up a few loose ends around the house. got to love week-day week-ends.

routine...

Humans are creatures of habit. And habits have a lot to do with routine. And when you move, all that routine has two things happen... 

1. if you have any kind of routine going, it get jumbled up and complicated, requiring the most dedicated soul to keep it on the tracks. 

2. You have a fresh wide open schedule once you get settled... you can begin new habits, new routines... 

I need to start running, I have no excuse - its mild temperatures/warmish, DRY, and our store hours are much more reasonable. I feel like 'blah', and yes I am using that as a describing word. And I know its an easy fix - but it has to become routine.

My lovely friend Kristen has the extra motivation of her own wedding coming up, and being medically cleared and put together enough to be able to build up her running again, and here I am, fully capable and healthy - feeling like 'blah' and talking about it... ( yes I realize I could be out walking or running currently and am not) 

So, tomorrow it begins. Today is my Friday of a 7 day work week (no sad feelings, I did have nearly 2 week off before that) Tomorrow is my Saturday, tomorrow I run. 

And then, we look more into graduate certificate programs and Master's degrees... because I should have done it a year ago, and the should of done it a year ago will turn into next year I should of done it two years ago if I don't do it now. So, two inquires about online masters programs/graduate certificates that can transfer to masters are sent off... and tomorrow I will do a few more, and then we will see how that goes... because I need to just start... 

Start those new routines, start new habits. 

Too long

Well hello there!

It has been few weeks and much has happened.

 First off I am in Florida. It is warm, sunny, bright. I unlike the husband have successful adapted without involving a sun burn so far.

We made it across the country in one piece, with the only casualties being a bottle of rice wine vinegar, red food coloring, and the trailer ending up with a dent in it (the first two being small, impressive in scent and ability to spread, but realistically inexpensive issues) the trailer is being fixed, and my marriage is still intact (the biggest concern/joke of the trip)

We arrived to a wonderful house to unpack and get settled, and it was filthy! So we pretty much cleaned as we unpacked, everything from the carpets to the walls, to the inside and tops of cabinets, the washing machine and do not even get me started on the dishwasher. I has left me with the conclusion that the previous tenants fell into one of three categories. 1. Have built up the worlds greatest immune system 2. They are dead 3. They are zombies..... I really have no other realistic understanding of how they managed in such filth.

All is clean, unpacked, pictures hung and.....We got a new sofa! We are big kids now! Lol.. The bachelor pad looking living room is coming along, now only the man chair remains, which will work.

We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary with dinner and exchanging paper gifts, and mostly spending time together.

I started at the new store on Tuesday and it is absolutely wonderful! I can not even begin to explain some of the night and day differences I have seen only 5 days in, but so unimaginably thankful for it.

I will be sure to start taking some pictures to share with you all.... We have gotten a chance to go kayaking once, it wasn't even really a nice day and the water was warm and enjoyable!

Enough for now, time to get ready for work, but more soon, bc there is plenty more to discuss ;)

On the road again

So much is happening!

So the last month has been a stress case among the best I have ever experienced. Near anxiety attack status, but never hit it. Kristopher had a battery of test that required a passing score of 85 or above (all in good reasoning, because in the real world it's kinda life or death). Well he passed the final one last week, so we are officially going to Florida!

I was able to secure  a position with Verizon within a half hour of where we will be living, so. I'm in the midst of scheduling the time off through MetLife (apparently the only way to get time off no pay through Verizon).

I have the kitchen packed, and I am finding all sorts of ways to avoid finishing and much as I want to be done with it too.

Stampin Up is going well, I signed up a demonstrator last month, and she is excited to get going, nervous, but excited. The new color change came out for the year, and I am pleased with the changes and reshuffling. I am impatiently waiting for the new catalog release, which will launch with a sneak peak in the next week, but not soon enough. I did get the Big Shot before sale-a-bration ended, and am enjoying to new exploration into dye cutting.

I am trying to figure out if I can pull off going to convention in July, most likely not, but I'd love to go and have heard so many good thing  about it. Birthday present anyone?!?

Shoe collection is expanding, and I am very excited to get to sunny Florida and get my run on, and have my husband in my kitchen cooking again.

We are coming up on our 1 year anniversary, how fast and crazy this year has been. It's been a struggle, and testing, but I am excited to finally be living in a house, together,  and start being married... Because in all honesty, we have learned a lot about being together while being apart, but that's not either of us prefer, and we both realize we thrive when we are together.

Hopefully we will be unpacked enough to celebrate in Florida before we start work there.

We will be doing a DITY move, which is some form of abbreviation for doing it ourselves. W may kill each other, moving from Oregon to Florida with a 20' Uhaul and an Interstate trailer behind it....it is going to be an adventure.

Kristopher left ft lee today and will be flying to Oregon next Thursday and then we should be heading out Saturday or Sunday.... So soon. And as they all are, moving is bittersweet. I have come to realize it is always easier to be the one leaving, then the one staying. I will miss Oregon, but we will have to see where life takes us, we make me back eventually, you never really know. I like Oregon, I yearn to be in California, but most of all, I want to be where my husband is.

Enough for now, because I really do need to finish packing, or my husband may just bury me here when he gets back and it's not ready to go. ; ) just kidding, but he wouldn't be happy

Waiting game

So I know what I signed up for... that we would be married and then apart for 9 months... that is turning into a year... and we are sooo close to that year, but I am getting restless, as I do on my days off... for it to be here, the day we are back in the same house, that I have him to wake up next to, to be excited about getting up and going outside and seeing the sun, going for a run, cooking breakfast lunch or dinner... harassing the dog, planning a honeymoon, but most of all - just being together...

2 months minus a day, we should already be in Florida, Kristopher will be reporting for duty to the new location, and hopefully I will have a few days to unpack before reporting to my new store for Verizon. Ruby will be enjoying a new home, hopefully with a backyard to play in.

So much to happen before then, but we are close, I suppose... its all relative, but I'm going to go with the fact that we have just over 15% of the time apart to go... (fitting we will be together for our anniversary.... I imagine somewhere in the mid-west, with an uhaul) -so romantic right?!?!

I'll take it though...

its hard being married and alone, but not, just in distance, short term distance is one thing... and I can not wait for this training to be over... I am so proud, so supportive, but so ready for it to be done.

People for the most part haven't asked how I do it, and I am greatful for that... because really, for now, it makes it worse. That they don't know how I do it, or that they couldn't.. i am sure they could, but its not easy, and a day at a time, making plans and staying busy and focused are the only ways to get through it.. and some days... its just a bad day... I haven't had many, but they are coming more often now than before, and more than I'd like.. but I am aware of what they are, so that makes it a bit easier to manage...

still I can't wait for them to be done

Updates

Ok,
   So although there a few regular readers, I have also realized friends are wondering what is happening with me, where am I moving, when I am moving, have I already done that.... well...

Here is the Update:

We got orders accompanied to South Korea (so that headache I went through, was done correctly)

The Mr. finished officers training school mid February. He did so well, they offered him a slot in EOD school (explosive ordinance disposal).

This means orders changed. He is working on the first part of the course at Ft. Lee, so no moving was necessary. Now he is going through lots of studying/learning/testing. His class of 17 will most likely dwindle down to a handful before this portion of the course is over. There are about 9-10 tests (I believe, don't quote me) that he must pass - passing being 85% +. If he does not pass one, he is done, if he does - he moves on to Florida come end of April/beginning of May.

I am working on getting a spot secured for Verizon in Fl. This is not impossible, but is stressful enough as it is, lets hope that falls into place sooner, rather than later - for my stress sanity.

I am collecting boxes to move in, and bought packing tape yesterday - it has to officially begin sometime.

I am trying to wrap up Stampin' Up this month, and squeeze out an event that could go for April - either here, or in Bend ; )

Karen - my roommate from Arcata, is moving to Portland!

Believe it or not, the irony in it happening as  I am leaving is bittersweet, however she called me a few weeks back (while I was in VA actually) to tell me the news. It was top secret until March, but it is really happening. She will be moving up here at the end of March. So the blessing is that I will have her here for about a month, a month I can use to enjoy our time together and I assume with her type A personality, she will be one to help pack and clean, despite if I tell her not to.

I may be planning a fund raising event with Stampin' Up products/cards for a co-workers church organization. I laid out costs/options to them and we will see how that goes. If it doesn't work for them, then I have the information for anyone else looking to do a fundraising event (sale-a-bration is truly the perfect time for such an event).

Enough for now - today is my day off before the work week takes off, and then I shall have more stress to deal with/enjoy. Lets hope the rest of the month goes smoothly - it was a fairly rough start.

Hello All

Not too much time to chat here, having a rough, stressful start to March, still trying to find a placement to transfer to Florida for work, Stampin Up is my mind saver, however I am too good at selling to myself. : )

Work was a terror yesterday - so lets hope that brings great wonderful things today....

I need to start assembling boxes... I think I will have to do that before I do anything else tomorrow on my Saturday....

Also, I need newspaper - so if you get them, or do at work or something.... please collect and let me know when I can come pick said newspapers up.

I am really really REALLY ready to be living with my husband again... I have done well since this long TDY strand of orders started, but I am fully ready to admit, it sucks...

Thats all for now...

Stamps/paper and ink are on their way to me, It's friday at work for me, and Ruby is adorable as always...

Sounds about right, Happy Monday all!