Time To Make A Change

I have decided to kick my own butt into gear and get myself healthier and fit!  Here is my plan (at least my rough draft...I am sure I will make changes as I think of them):

Quit smoking (last cigarette was June 2, 2012...yeah)
Pack my lunch every day for work
Go to the gym Monday/Wednesday/Friday for strength training
Run at least five days a week (Monday through Friday is ideal)
Cut back on the junk food
Keep track of my calories and exercise using the Lose It app on my phone and/or Nook Color

I generally work Wednesday through Sunday.  On Wednesdays, I will plan on running in the morning before work and then driving STRAIGHT to the gym after work to do my strength training.  On Fridays I work half days right now so I will drive straight to the gym, do my strength training and then do my run.  However if I start my run after I workout, I will just leave from the gym because every route that I have created has me running pass my gym.  I could make that my start/end point.

Besides wanting to get into better shape and be healthier, I want to work towards running a half marathon.  I do not want to do it for time, I just want to be able to complete one.  I want to be able to run the whole thing without stopping.  Even if I have to slow my pace just to be able to complete it, I will!  I have signed myself up for another 5K...and it is a color run!  It is August 12, 2012 at 9am in Seattle.  I know two people who have also signed up.  I cannot wait!  It is going to be a blast.  Now as for the half marathon, I am thinking that I will either aim for the half in Eugene or the Rock and Roll half in Seattle next Summer.

I plan on at least starting the running before work thing tomorrow morning so I am going to hit the sack and try and get some sleep!  Until next time!

What Is The Coolest Thing You Ever Did For $25?

This airplane right here is quite possibly the coolest plane that I have ever seen.  This caravan used to come up from Shelton, WA on certain weekends during the summer so we could support all the crazy people who want to jump out of airplanes up here.  That open space you can see just behind the wing...yep...that is where the skydivers jump out of!  I will do that one day and I am hoping that it will be one day in August!

This last week I was going to see an old friend that I have not seen in a few years.  He lives and works down in the Olympia area.  That is almost two hours away.  I had worked on some choreography for Zumba with a friend of mine in the morning and it ran longer than I think we both had anticipated but we nailed it by the time we left!  My original intention was to go home, shower and then head to my dad's house to hang out with my sisters and nephews until my friend got off work and then head down to see him.  By the time I was ready to walk out the door, my friend was supposed to be getting off work at any time so I just started driving.

I managed to make it through Seattle and Tacoma with very little traffic (yeah).  I was getting closer to Olympia and had planned to just find a Starbucks and read my Nook until I heard from him.  Unfortunately, I am just a few miles away and get a text message saying that he had to cancel.  I was totally bummed...mainly because if I turned around and headed home just then, I would have been stuck in traffic for probably four or five hours to get through Tacoma and Seattle or Tacoma, Renton and Bellevue (depending on which direction I went).

I found a gas station and sent a text message to the pilot of the plane pictured above.  He has become a really good friend of mine.  I asked him what he was up to and he said that there was not anything going on so I decided Hell I just drove 1 hour and 45 minutes...I can drive another half hour.  I headed out to Shelton and found Skydive Kapowsin and he was not lying...it was quite and not busy at all.  He showed me around for a little while and then the weather opened long enough for them to put together a load and he asked if I wanted to go for a ride.

Seriously?!  Of course I did!  I paid and he got me all fixed up and into the plane.  Everybody gets in and we take off.  Now let me remind you that until a couple weeks ago, I had only flown commercially or in a Coast Guard helicopter but was taken for a flight in a Cessna 152.  We fly higher and higher until we suddenly break out of the clouds.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  Blue skies, sun shining, the top of Mount Rainier was visible too!  It took my breath away.  I honestly think I had a smile plastered on my face the whole time.  I will say it again but I do not want to be a pilot.  I have too much fun looking out the window and prefer to just be along for the ride.

I watched these crazy people jump out of the plane and when they were all out and clear of the plane, he just dove!  He said that we were going to descend at half the speed of free fall (which is 10,000 feet/minute).  It was better than a roller coaster!  It was the most exhilarating feeling!  It really is the coolest thing I have ever done in an airplane and the BEST $25 I have ever spent!  If that is how awesome it felt to fly down, I cannot wait to actually do a tandem!  I am planning to go on a Tuesday in August.  If anyone wants to go, let me know!  Now I want to know what is the coolest thing you ever did for $25.  Leave me a comment!  Can anyone top mine?

Until next time!

Day 31: Why Do You Blog?

Originally, I started this blog as just an online journal.  I have had an online journal before but I did not share it with anyone because it was just my little area to vent.  I am an open book.  I will answer any question thrown at me.  I am not ashamed of my past nor do I have any regrets at all.  I share whatever I may be thinking and/or feeling at the given moment.  I try to refrain from using names but if I feel like I need to use a name then I will change it to protect the innocent or the jackhole (however the story goes right?!).  I try to just be me in my writing and not who I think I should be most of the time.  I mean why should I be anyone other than myself?  I ramble on about nothing at times.  I post pictures (not many yet but I will be working on it).  I share things that I feel will have an affect on anyone who reads it.  I want someone to feel something after reading some of my blogs.  I want you to laugh or cry with me.  I want you get a sense of what I went through or am going through.  I have blogged about sensitive topics (like here) and really silly ones (like here).  I have posted videos to express how I was feeling (like here).  I blog about the things that I am passionate about (i.e. ZUMBA).  I have blogged about some of my success (like here).

Now that I have completed this 31 Day Blog Challenge (granted I did not blog every day but made several posts on a single day), I am just going to continue to blog and hope that people read and are touched by what I write!  Until next time!

Day 30: What Is In Your Makeup Bag?

 I do not actually own a makeup bag.  I should probably invest in one at some point but as I do not travel much or have the need really for one, this works just fine!  This picture here on the left is my "start up" kit that I purchased about four years (and $300+) ago.  The "Get Started" box contained my powder foundation, bronzer, blush, mineral veil (kind of like a sealer to keep the makeup put), the foundation brush, fine touch up brush, blush/bronzer

brush and a shampoo cleaner for my brushes.  The eye shadow box contains 17 different colors and came with eye primer (to keep the shadow in place and it really does not come off until washed!), a small shadow brush and two colors of lip gloss.  When I purchased all of this, I also bought four additional eye shadows because they were the ones that the girl used on me to show me how the makeup is applied and I also bought the eyeliner brush, the one for my brow bone, a blending brush and a smaller brush to use to make more dramatic lines around the lash line.  I also just recently bought an actual eye shadow brush.  I also have an eyelash brush/eyebrow brush, an eyelash curler (because a friend of mine several years ago said she would smack me if she ever caught me wearing mascara without curling my lashes first), and three different mascaras (water proof, lash blast and one with a hint of purple).  I also have to add that I use their face wash and moisturizer because it truly does keep my skin looking and feeling great!

Until next time!

Day 29: Where Have You Traveled?

I have traveled most of the states, courtesy of the Coast Guard.  To be honest, I have set foot in over half of the continental United States (no Alaska, yes Hawaii).  What is more exciting about that is that I drove most of them.  I have been able to see some of the most beautiful parts of this country that way!

Besides traveling around this country, I have had the amazing opportunity to travel to other countries.  I spent a week in Cancun, Mexico for my Senior Trip.  I had so much fun!  My roommate was one of my best friends and we went out every night and partied until dawn!

I spent a few days in Victoria, B.C., Canada.  I went with my bestie and a few of my Coastie buddies!  We were treated like crap to be honest.  The first night that the five of us were together, one of the guys had passed out so four of us went out to a club.  My girl and I were dancing on this box/stand thing with one of my friends while the other had gone to grab something to drink.  While we were dancing, this jackhole comes over, grabs my guy friend's foot and pulls and just about knocked him over.  Had he been drunk, things would have gone a lot worse.  We walked away and then the punk that started crap with us got us thrown out by a bouncer.  That is the only place I have ever been kicked out of!

Before both of those trips, I was a worldly traveler!  I was 18 when I went to Mexico and I was 20 when I went to Victoria.  The first time I went ANYWHERE was with my mom, sisters and my grandmother.  We flew from Seattle to Vancouver, Canada and then to Frankfurt, Germany.  We spent a couple of weeks in Germany with some day trips to Austria and Switzerland.  I was eight years old!  The next time I went, I was 16 and I went with my cousin and our grandmother.  This time we flew from Seattle to Denmark to Germany.  We went to Austria and Switzerland...France was in the cards but when we got to our stop before France, we found out that our trip had been cancelled.  We took a look at the schedule to see what other tours were available and we decided that we were going to leave for Venice, Italy in the very early morning hours the next day.

I have a lot more traveling that I want to do.  I want to see Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Rio...OMG...so many more places!

Until next time!

Day 28: What Are You Looking Forward To?

I am not quite sure what it is that I am looking forward to but here is a rough list!

I am looking forward to:
...eliminating my credit card debt.
...building up my savings account.
...building up my checking account.
...being able to live on my own.
...going on a vacation.
...my high school reunion.
...finding someone who will make me happy.
...finishing my bachelor's degree.
...getting my master's.
...becoming a profiler.
...travelling.
...picking out my first puppy.
...having a family some day.
...jumping out of an airplane.
...getting my Zumba Sentao license in a couple of weeks.

Until next time!

Day 27: Post Your Favorite Recipe

I cannot pick between three recipes so here is all three!

Asparagus "Fries"
Ingredients:
Asparagus bunch
Cooking Spray (veggie/canola/olive oil...which ever you want)
Sea Salt
(Any spices that you want but I use the following)
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*.  Cut or snap off the bottoms of the asparagus (it is just about inedible).  Place asparagus into a gallon size Ziploc bag.  Lightly spray with the oil...just barely to coat.  Add as much or as little of the spices that you want to use.  I start with a generous portion of black pepper and garlic powder.  Using the bag unzipped, coat the asparagus as evenly as you can.  Then I add just enough cayenne pepper to  add the amount of heat that I like.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Lay the asparagus out in a single layer and sprinkle with sea salt!  Bake in the oven until the asparagus tips are at your desired crispness.  Enjoy hot out of the oven!

Caramel Apple Salad
Ingredients:
Granny Smith Apples
Snickers Bars
Cool Whip
(Note:  There are not any measurements.  You should figure one apple per person and one King sized Snickers bar for every two apples and as much Cool Whip as you want.)

Directions:
Put Snickers bars in the freezer until almost frozen.  Place thawed out Cool Whip into serving bowl.  Leave the peel on the apples and cut into bite-sized pieces. Quickly toss apples into water with a little bit of lemon juice just to avoid them turning brown, drain and add to Cool Whip.  Once apples are cut up, take Snickers out of the freezer and place in a Ziploc bag.  Using a mallet or hammer, crush the Snickers into smaller bite-size pieces.  Add to the apples and Cool Whip and mix together.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve or serve immediately!

I also like to take and drizzle caramel sauce over the top just for a little something extra!

Oven-Fried Pork Chops (Better Homes and Garden cook book)
Ingredients:
4 Pork Loin chops (about 3/4" thick)
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Herb-Seasoned stuffing mix, finely crushed
(I use a little more butter because it does not coat the bottom of the pan.  I use a food processor to finely crush the stuffing mix and sometimes I will use Pork flavored instead of the Herb.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425*.  Trim the fat from the pork chops.  Pour butter into a 13x9x2 baking pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom.  In a shallow dish combine egg, milk, and pepper.  Place stuffing mix in another shallow dish.  Dip the pork chops into the egg mixture.  Coat both sides with stuffing mix and place in the prepared pan.  (This is where I add a little cayenne pepper to mine because I like the heat.)  Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Turn the pork chops over and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until the internal temperature is 160* and the juices run clear.

I make my yummy mashed potatoes and maybe a salad and a roll!

Enjoy!

Until next time!

Day 26: An Old Photo Of You

I could not pick between these two pictures but they are a couple of the oldest ones that I have on my external hard drive.  The top picture was taken in Houston after Hurricane Katrina.  I am blonde which means that it was November or December because I went blonde after my shoulder surgery in early November 2005.  I was living with my friend Tracy and we were getting ready to go out dancing that night...hence the low cut top and the boobs practically out on display!  What can I say?  I was 21 and very tiny and was flaunting what I had!

The bottom picture was taken in Boot Camp sometime between August 20, 2002 and October 11, 2002.  It was a Sunday when this picture was taken.  I know this because of the uniform.  It looks like I was either reading or writing a letter home.

Until next time!

If This Is How My Week Has Started, I Do Not Want To See How It Will End!

I have had a week from hell.  I know for a fact that I have said this before...and probably on several occasions thinking that it truly was the week from hell but as this is MY Tuesday coming to an end, I cannot help but think about how shitty yesterday and today have been and how bad I really do NOT want to see how the rest of my week is going to play out.

Tuesday night I cannot sleep to save my life.  Seriously!  I tried closing my eyes and just laying there, willing myself to fall asleep and my eyes just kept popping open!  It was not until about 2:30am when they finally slammed shut...only having to open when the alarm went off about FOUR HOURS LATER.  I got up and felt pretty awake but by about 8:30am when it was time for me to leave for work, I had a horrendous headache.  Nothing worked!  I took Alieve.  I ate food.  I drank coffee (and lots of it).  I even broke down and drank a sugar free Red Bull (which is not that bad to be perfectly honest and HELLO...10 calories for an 8 oz can verses 220...Ladies and Gents I believe we have found ourselves a winner!).  It worked...but for only a couple of minutes after downing it and then the headache was back even worse.

The best way I have found to describe this headache (besides border-line migraine) is like this:  "Someone out there in the world got SHIT FACED last night and is walking around 100% fine...because they managed to pass on THEIR hangover to ME!"  Even my eyeballs hurt...opened and closed...I was just utterly miserable.  The only thing I wanted to do all day was come home, take a hot shower and crawl into my bed and just sleep and sleep and sleep the day away...but that was not an option.

I had been asked out for dinner last night.  I wanted to go home so bad but I also did not want to cancel because I was really excited to go.  I am glad that I went too!  I had a lot of fun and we were by the water and it was beautiful!  I will be going back there with my camera on a beautiful day and take pictures!  Maybe even ride the ferry and go exploring...

Okay so yesterday may have sucked total ass but last night was pretty great.  I was actually almost asleep by this time last night (with the help of three Tylenol PMs...side note...I cannot wait for Excedrin to be released back onto the market...I need Excedrin PM, Max Strength and Migraine like NOBODY'S business)!  I woke up this morning headache free!  I was so happy.  I thought that meant that today was going to be a good day.  Except for the fact that I did not get up to my alarm when I originally intended to so I missed out on my shower (never fret...I showered when I got home from work)...and remembered that I forgot to stop at the Vitamin Shoppe and get some more of my favorite Oh Yeah! Protein bars (Peanut Butter Caramel...I am telling you...AMAZING) so I had nothing for breakfast.

My stomach started screaming at me around 11:30am Feed me something other than coffee you moron!  I tried to tell it to stay calm...lunch would be in two hours and I would feed it something amazing!  I really wanted soup all day.  It was not really that cold out but it just felt like a "soup" kind of day.  Since I do not know where really good soup is in Snohomish, I figured that I would drive up to Subway and get my usual (6" Veggie Delight with a single serving of American cheese...it usually comes with a double serving...every single veggie they have and that is it...not mayo or mustard or anything) and maybe a cup of soup and just sit down and relax and enjoy my hour long lunch.  Boy was I wrong!

1:45pm rolled around and I asked if there was anything else that needed to be done before I could take my lunch.  Normally I get a "No...go ahead." but today I was told I had to wait until the tail boom was removed from one of our helicopters.  I was in shock.  I was starving and teetering on the edge of BITCH mode.  About two hours later, I was finally allowed to take my lunch but was told to only take a half hour.  You know what that means?  Healthy lunch 7-11 lunch!  All hope was lost when I took that first bite out of the Quarter Pounder Big Bite hot dog and any redemption was gone when I ate those Hostess cupcakes (both cupcakes were one serving so I enjoyed them).  I also snacked on some pepperoni sticks and Chili Cheese Frito's.  I tend to make very poor food choices when I am angry and in BITCH mode.

I tried to avoid people all day because I did not want to wound anyone with my mood.  It has been known to happen and I find it best to only communicate when absolutely necessary and to keep it short when I am that way.  I am so far from pleasant it is ridiculous and generally I am pretty nice...for the most part...but I get mean and nasty and not on purpose.  I am sorry if I bit anyone's head off today...it was not intentional!

Now it is bed time!  Until next time!

Day 25: Your 5 Favorite Blogs

While I have subscribed to almost 20 blogs now (such a short list...I know), here are a few of my favorites!

Brittany Gibbons:  Barefoot Foodie
Lisa Arch:  Flawless Mom
Holly Fierro:  The Many Adventures of Hef (she's a really good friend of mine!)
Heather Haley:  A Raw Recovery (also a really good friend of mine!)
Emma:  OutMUMbered

Happy Reading!
Until next time!

Day 24: Your Favorite Childhood Book

I do not think I had just one favorite book as a kid.

My first grade teacher, Mrs. Jan Martin (I throw in her first name because my fourth grade teacher was Mrs. Hilda Martin), gave every student in her class "Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" for Christmas.  That was December 1990 (crud...did I just date myself...like I really care)!

I also remember there being a fight over who was able to check out "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" (1, 2, and 3) from the school library.

Then there was my favorite American Girl Molly.  I still have the book series for her and love to read them!

And my list would not be complete without the famous teen (girl) book series by Ann M. Martin...The Baby Sitters Club.

Until next time!

What Is Your Ideal Date?

The title of this post is a question that I was asked last week.  I gave the answers of the only things I have ever known for dates.  It included dinner, drinks, coffee, etc...maybe see a local band.  I try very hard not to be girly because I really hate being girly.  I do not think like a girl most of the time but after giving it some thought, I have a few other ideas.

I love the stars.  I would like to have a picnic by a river or stream or lake, far away from city lights where we can have a light dinner and then just lay back and look at the stars.  Find constellations and just talk.

I love the water.  Any type of water but I really love the ocean.

I love to walk around and I could take a cup of coffee or tea and walk around a city and just admire the city lights or make it up onto the roof of a garage or something and see the lights from higher up and just admire the beauty all around!

Until next time!

Day 23: Your Dream Job

My dream job is to be a profiler for the FBI.  I am currently working towards my BA in Psychology and would like to get my MA in Applied Behavior Analysis.  I want to get into the minds of killers and figure out who they are and why they are doing what they are doing.  If you have ever watched an episode of "Criminal Minds" on CBS, then you know what I want to do.

The type of medical discharge that I got from the Coast Guard included a code.  This code keeps me from EVER entering a branch of the military.  Because of my injury and discharge, I do not even know if I would be able to become an agent...and I am too terrified that the answer is no to even ask.

I would love to live in Washington, D.C. and work at FBI Headquarters.  I really teared up when I walked by this amazing and beautiful building in 2007.  I saw men and women walking out of the building and I just wanted to ask them all sorts of questions but I figured that even if I had shown them my active duty military ID that I had (because I was there for my medical board and was still active duty), they would still think of me as a freak and they were probably agents and would have thought I was suspicious.

From time to time, I check out the FBI website, look at the Terrorist list, Most Wanted, Kidnapped Children, Missing persons, and try to locate the physical requirements to become an agent.  Needless to say if I have to do a pull up then I am screwed because I have been able to build up the strength in my shoulder to do push ups but I have NEVER had the upper body strength to do a pull up.

Until next time!

Day 22: Best Thing To Happen This Year

If we are going by this calendar year of 2012, I do not think really anything has happened that would classify as the best thing to happen.  If we go by what has happened in the last 365 days then I have had a few things.

My divorce was finalized (YEAH)!!!
I moved back home to Washington!
I got a job at a flight school working around airplanes and helicopters.
I have met a ton of amazing people while working at the airfield and have made some good friends.

Those are a few of the best things that have happened to me this year!

Until next time!

Day 21: Your 10 Favorite Foods

This list is in absolutely no particular order and is always subject to change at any given moment...depending on my mood.

1. Haagen Dazs White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle ice cream
2. Pringles
3. Tim's Cascade Jalapeno chips
4. Tim's Cascade Coney Island (discontinued...but I still love them)
5. Beef Soft Taco from Taco Time...or tacos in general
6. Mashed potatoes
7. Dill pickles
8. Daiquiri Ice ice cream from Baskin and Robbins
9. Asparagus fries (that I bake in the oven)
10. Oven "Fried" Pork Loin chops (with my twist on the recipe)

Both recipes for asparagus fries and oven fried pork chops will come in a few days for a post in this challenge!

Until next time!

Day 20: A Difficult Time In Your Life

Unfortunately I have had a few difficult times in my life and I believe that I have actually blogged about them. Here are the links to those blogs:

I was sexually harassed and never reported it.

My struggle with my weight.

I was not sure if I could handle my divorce.

I do not have children but I was pregnant.

These are four of the posts that I found that really document my struggles.  I know there is one more but I cannot remember what it was called but it was about how I was treated by my ex husband and two of my ex boyfriends.  I would say enjoy the posts but they are not necessarily pleasant.

Until next time!

I Went Flying!

After over nine months of working at Harvey Airfield and watching planes take off and land every day, I finally got to go up in a Cessna 152.  I have to admit...I was nervous.  I have never been in an aircraft that small before but I had total faith in my pilot.  All of our pilots at the flight school are awesome.  I trust all of them.  The pilot that I flew with today is the first one to actually make good on his word!  All of the pilots have said that they would take me flying but he was the first one to say he would love to take me flying and then took me!

I really had a lot of fun.  It reaffirmed my feelings though.  I do not want to be a pilot.  I prefer to just fly because I get too distracted looking out the window.  He asked if I wanted to try flying it and I said nope.  I was good just looking out the window!  I brought my camera with me but I did not take any pictures because I was too busy just looking!  I am very glad that I got to go!  I am feeling a little inspired and might write some poetry for a bit!

Until next time!

Day 19: What Do You Collect?

Oh lord...I would not say that I collect random things but some of them kind of are random.  I have a rock.  It is round and flat...the perfect skipping stone but I will never know because I will not throw it.  I have a collection of stickers also.  When I was younger I used to go to the machines at the grocery store and get the big smiley face stickers.  I have quite a few of them...plus one that I swear looks like Jesse...the old MTV VJ...the skinny bean pole of a guy.  I have some Paul Frank hologram stickers.  I have almost every Britney Spears sticker in the, like, four series that they put out.

I have a ton of stuffed animals.  Teddy bears, puppies, Ty Beanie babies, tigers, etc.

Shoes...I mean I am a girl!

Cook books!  I love finding old cook books at antique stores.  I have found several hand written recipes and recipes from newspapers and magazines.  It is so awesome.

Books in general...I love books!

DVDs...

I am sure that there is something that I am missing but I am not sure...with all of my stuff in boxes I do not really know what all I own anymore.

Alright...time to relax!  It is almost 10pm on a Friday night and I am in my pjs and ready to crawl into bed and watch TV.

Until next time!

Day 18: The Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

The title of my blog is "UNTIL NEXT TIME".  I felt that as I got more comfortable with my blogging, I would be taking readers on an adventure...my life!  Sometimes I feel like I am just rambling on and on and think after I  click "Publish" Who the hell is going to want to read this?  Or I have moments when I know what I want to say and it just cannot seem to come out right at all...or I get side tracked and start writing about something completely off my original topic...which happens a lot...I really do think that I have a mild case of ADD...or as my mom and I call it the "Oh shiny" disease!

I try to reach into my memory and pull out stories that I think would interest people to read.  I have written about horrible things that have happened to me in hopes that others who read my story will find comfort if they are in the same situation.  I hope to bring laughter and joy.

Everyone's life is an adventure and we should live it like such!  So I end each of my posts with until next time so that you always know that there is more to my adventure and that I will share it with you!  Now...as it is customary...I will sign off so...

Until next time!

Day 17: What Is Your Most Proud Moment?

I think my most proud moment was, and still is, graduating from boot camp.  I remember so much so clearly (insert dreamy memory-lane music here).

The date is Monday August 19, 2002.  My parents had dropped me off at the hotel in Renton the night before because I had to be at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in Seattle before the lower butt crack of dawn...as in before the sun even begins to think about coming up...and it is still really dark outside.  There was last minute medical stuff that we had to do and since Coast Guard boot camp is in Cape May, New Jersey, we got to swear in on Monday.

We did not sleep at all that night.  I was sharing a room with a girl who was supposed to be rooming with her friend but they somehow got split up.  They tried to get me to move but I said I did not know anyone and that we could all share the room if it was okay so I could get to know them.  We caught a glimpse of this really cute guy and invited him up where I was the lucky one who got to make out with this super hot Army recruit...all night (and that is literally all we did...get your minds out of the gutter)!

4am came way to fast and we were on the bus to the airport.  Hottie Army guy sat next to me on our first flight to Chicago.  He slept the whole way and no matter how hard I tried and how exhausted I was, I could not sleep.  I think that was primarily because I was stuck in a middle seat.  Not just any middle seat either.  It was one of those planes were there are like 10 or 11 seats in a row and the row is split up as:

Window-Seat-Seat-Seat-Isle-Seat-Seat-Seat-Seat-Seat-Isle-Seat-Seat-Seat-Window

I was in the middle section of that row in the middle seat.  I am strictly a window seat flyer.  I feel like I will physically be ill if I do not sit near the window...even if it is a night flight.  Something about the comfort of being able to look out the window and knowing I will see the earth before we crash that keeps me calm.  That and my creative juices start flowing and I cannot even begin to count the number of poems that I have written while flying because of something I saw in the clouds or the mountains or the Midwest plains.  I need to be able to see out.

We arrive in Philly and are directed to the USO where we line up and get shipped off in buses to Cape May.  We pull through the gates at TRACEN (Training Center) Cape May and weave around until we pull up to the indoc hall.  A Company Commander (CC) boards the bus and proceeds to yell something at us.  All I can think about is how my recruiter told me this would happen and that they were going to tell us we had ten seconds to get off the bus, grab our bag and get in formation.  All of this was said by the CC.

I was on the first set of buses to arrive.  That meant I sat on a hard bench at a cafeteria style table for hours with my hands on my knees and my eyes on my Helmsman reading over: a) How to stand at the Position of Attention or b) The phonetic alphabet.  We were expected to know that even inside we were required to "sound-off" which is just their fancy term for yelling...and everything that came out of our mouth was supposed to follow this:  "SIR/MA'AM, SEAMAN RECRUIT (insert last name), REQUEST TO (insert request), SIR/MA'AM!"  We were also supposed to know the military terms for things like the bathroom and the drinking fountain (head and scuttlebutt...just so you know).

Over the next eight weeks I went through hell.  I had some good times and some not so good times which I will definitely have to post about.  I will try to remember everything I can from those weeks...a little teaser you ask?  My whole company was evicted from our Squad bays...Position of Attention and goose poop...do I have your attention?  I promise this post will come soon!

The day of graduation came.  October 11, 2002.  Standing in formation during the ceremony, which had to be held inside because the weather was nasty, I remember thinking about how proud I was.  I made it.  The moment I swore the oath I was in the military but it was not until I graduated that I was able to really call myself a Coastie.  I was proud of myself to making this decision and I was proud of my shipmates who made it through and I missed those who had left us.  I felt more pride and felt that I had accomplished more in those eight weeks than I had in the 12 years of school that I had just completed a few months prior to enlisting.

I have had proud moments since then but none that gave me that beaming pride!  I think a close second would have to be my decision to divorce my husband and move back home.  I only say that because in the almost year that I have been home, I have become alive and feel more like myself than I have felt in years!  I finally feel like I am me!  I think the third would be becoming a Zumba Fitness instructor and continuing to further my education with Zumba to help people and help them change their lives!  I have helped inspire students to become instructors and I cannot help but smile when I hear how much fun someone had (especially if it was their first class...and yes...there are still Zumba virgins out there...GASP...I know!) or how they love my energy and can see my passion which I always want to shine through in my moves!

Well, I still have one more post to catch up on so...

Until next time!

Day 16: What's Top Of Your Bucket List?

I am not quite sure what is at the top of my bucket list.  There are so many things that I want to do and places that I want to see.  I think skydiving would be at the top of my list.  Ever since I moved back up to Washington last summer and started working at Harvey Airfield in September, I have been watching crazy people climb into the caravan, take off, and then fall out of the plane and float back down to the Earth!

I catch myself watching the plane as it takes off, watch it as it climbs up higher and higher, then as the people jump out, they look like little dots just falling out of the plane, sometimes I think I can hear the sound of the parachutes opening.  They float down and the sound of the wind as they get closer to landing just sounds so amazing.

I think I will go with skydiving as the #1 on my bucket list...which as soon as I get my debt cut in at least half, I will be going!  Hopefully I can do it before the summer is over!

Day 15: Timeline Of Your Day

Timeline of my day on my days off are pretty relaxed.  I run errands...cannot sleep in to save my life.  Any appointments that need to be made are done on Mondays and Tuesdays.  On days when I have to work it is a little more structured!  I wake up in the morning and get to work at least a few minutes early.  I print out the flight schedule and head out to the line shack.  I take meter readings from the fuel tanks and take fuel samples from the tanks and the trucks.  I fuel any planes that flew the night before and I keep the planes fueled as the day goes on.  My day gets a little more crazy on nice days because I work Wednesday through Sunday when Skydive is flying and on the nice days I am having to refuel the caravan.  When I get off work I get myself home and pour myself into the shower and then I crawl into bed and crash!  Throw in washing a few planes into the mix of fueling and you kind of have my typical day at work.  The picture below is one of the caravans that comes up and flies for Skydive Snohomish during the summer and I took a few pics Sunday when he was here!

Silver Lining To Your Day

I took this picture in May.  The morning that I took this picture was kind of dreary.  It started off slightly foggy and really cloudy then the sun decided to burn through the clouds and bring out the brilliant blue sunshine!  It is just an inspirational picture that I really felt it necessary to share!  If you had to take this picture and create a story, what story would you tell?  Leave it in my comment section!

Day 14: If You Won The Lottery...

Oh my goodness!  I have thought about this!  Even gotten very close to purchasing a lottery ticket just in case.  If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is eliminate my credit card debt.  That is $3200 that I would not have to worry about.  I would pay for a year of car insurance so that would be another bill I could eliminate for awhile.  I would move into my own apartment and get it completely furnished.  I would take a nice long vacation.

I am thinking someplace on a warm beach.  Bikini, drink in hand, sun shining, maybe a hot guy by my side...or two (hey...you cannot blame a girl for some wishful thinking right?)!  Just laying in the sand all day long with not a single care in the world at least for a few weeks!

I love to travel and there are places all over the world that I would love to go to.  Rome, Paris, Milan, Cairo, Rio, Belize, Moscow, Dubai, I mean the list can just go on and on and on!

Let us not forget that I love Harry Potter and would definitely go to the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida.

I think that is all that I can think of for now.  Until next time!

Day 13: What's Your Earliest Memory?

After much debating with a cognitive psych major who firmly believes that there is absolutely no way I could possibly have this memory, I know that I do.  She believes that you cannot remember anything before the age of like 4 but I do.  I only have snippets of memories.

The earliest memory I have was when I was almost a year and a half.  My mom was in the hospital after giving birth to my sister.  I was born May 1984 and she was born October 1986.  My memory is holding my dad's hand walking down the hallway of a hospital.  It is a very short memory but I still remember it.  There is not a picture of it.  This is not a story that has been told over and over again.

It Has Been A Week!

Last week seemed like it just dragged on and on and I remember calling it the week from hell but I honestly cannot remember why.  This week has been just exhausting.  I hung out with this cute guy on Monday night (I really hope to see him again) and then woke up Tuesday feeling a little under the weather.  That lasted until today.  I finally started to feel a little bit better today.  Being so tired this week though seemed to make the week drag.  I did manage to not smack my head on anything...until later this afternoon.

Yesterday was probably the worst so far (I still have two more days of work until my weekend starts).  I did not expect it to rain and went to work in tennis shoes only to have my socks soaking wet and walked around all day long hearing and feeling my feet go *squishy* *squishy* all day!  I literally peeled my socks off last night when I got home.  I spent most of the day inside waxing an airplane for a customer (and the plane is HUGE) and did not have to go outside much.  I did venture my way out to fuel some planes before I clocked out and my foot slipped off the clutch on the truck and it smashed into my shin.  It was that horrible kind of pain that instantly makes you want to cry and vomit at the same time.

I woke up this morning and was not sure if I was really feeling much better but I put on my brightly colored slap bracelet watch and walked out the door and felt like I could make it through the day!  Now I am super tired and I have to make my way to the store and get some arch supports for my blown out tennis shoes and get my butt in bed so I am rested for the Survivor Mud Run in the morning!  I drove out to Carnation and picked up mine and my mom's shirts and bibs.

Until next time!!!

Day 12: What's Inside Your Fridge?

I do not have my own fridge and I am not quite sure what is in the fridge anyway.  I know we have milk, water, butter, eggs, bread, a bottle of my wine, jello, yogurt, hot sauce, salad dressing, Laughing Cow cheese, veggies...not sure what else.

Out in the garage the fridge consists of beer, soda and liquor!  Now that is my kind of fridge.  I will post pictures later!

Day 11: List 15 of Your Favorite Things

This is in no particular order!

~ My iPod Classic
~ All of my Zumba material (clothes, CDs/DVDs, etc)
~ My Disney movies
~ My cook books
~ Just about any scented candle
~ Lighthouses
~ Star gazing
~ The smell and sight of the ocean
~ The sound/feel of my running shoes hitting the pavement
~ Chocolate
~ "Gilmore Girls"
~ The smell of fuel (I love my coffee cup that says "I Love The Smell Of Jet Fuel In The Morning")
~ The sound of the rain
~ The smell of a really cute guy
~ Road trips

Day 10: What's Your Best Physical Feature?

My best physical feature...that is a tough one because I am very critical of myself.

When I take the time, I can play up my eyes and make them look really nice.

My arms are getting pretty toned now that I have a physically demanding job.

I do find that my abs looks really good after I have spent a few days during the week running.

Overall though I would have to say that I love my legs...when they are not covered in bruises from work.

Day 9: What Are Your Worst Habits?

Playing catch up again!  My worst habits...the worse habit that I have is smoking.  I really do not smoke a whole lot.  I do not smoke at home at all.  I smoke in the car and a few at work but not really anywhere else.  I really want to get back into running and I know that my time will not get any better until I quit.  I have a couple left and then it is cold turkey for me.

I do swear like a sailor.  I really should stop.  I am intelligent and have a decent vocabulary and can come up with alternative words to use other than the usual 4-letter words that come out of my mouth.

I do not drink nearly enough water and drink entirely too much coffee (gasp...like there is such a thing as too much coffee).  In order for me to really get into the shape that I want to be in, I need lots of water, no smoking and running and strength training.

I really do not go to the gym as often as I should and I am paying for it so I really do need to go!

I cannot think of anything else but I do know that there are some others that I am sure that I am just too tired to to remember and I am not even sure if this sentence makes a lick of sense!

Until next time!