Trapped In Paradise

Sad news

2006-02-13T22:04:00.000-05:00

Everything I wanna say is over at Msthang's site. Please visit and offer any kind words you can. Thanks.

~Julie

Things I Love...Part 1

2006-02-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

* Joe

* Fresh tulips, especially pink ones

* Hot sunny days at the beach, feeling my toes in the sand...

*Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream

* Having a best friend whom I can talk to about anything

* Pink...anything!

* That peaceful feeling right before you fall asleep

* Sleeping in on the weekends

* Joe

* Getting off work early, especially for no reason

* Christmas trees

* Cuddling up with my blue blanket on the couch...I swear its the softest blanket ever made

* Yankee Candles

* Vanilla Bubblebath

* Sunny Days

What are some of the things that you love?

My Boring Life

2006-01-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, I don't even know whats more boring anymore...my work week or my weekends! Seriously, now that my friend's husband is back life is so boring, lol. I am just so used to doing everything with her, all day everyday! So this weekend was quite a bore!

On Saturday I went to Best Buy and bought Joe a portable DVD player. My parent's had gotten him a gift card there for Christmas, so it didn't really cost us much. Just the difference in price, which was about $35. I brought my wedding ring back to the jeweler where we got it from. Now here's a story....I brought it there about 2 weeks ago and had it inspected. They check to make sure all the diamonds are tight, etc. Well at work on Friday I noticed a diamond was loose on the band, I actually moved it over with a pair of tweezers! NOT COOL, lol. So I brought it back there and said they really needed to take a look. Sure enough they saw it, and so it was sent in to be repaired. Whew! I'm just glad the darn thing didn't pop out! I ended up buying a plain white gold band, just something I can wear when I don't feel like wearing the diamonds. Sometimes I just wanna dress it down, be plain, or like when I go to the gym. I am always paranoid about exercising outside and in the dirt with it on. So I figured this was a good choice. So I am wearing it now while my other rings are gone. They should be back on Friday. I like just wearing the band though, its a lot more simple too.

Anyway! Thats about all I did on Saturday. However on Sunday I did go shopping w/my friend b/c her husband had duty. We went to the mall and out to lunch. It was relaxing. Other than that I did some laundry and just hung out. Joe is in a port now so he called me this morning. I miss him so much. This weekend all the wives are going out to celebrate because we are now at the half-way point! 3 months down, 3 more to go! There is a lady in charge of like monthly meetings and outings for all the wives, she sends us e-mails and stuff. Most of them are stay at home mom's, I'm like the only one who is also in the military! But I'm gonna go this weekend and hopefully have a good time. Its a great support system because we are all going through the same thing.

Well, hope to see you all around. I'll write again later in the week.

Cruising!

2006-01-23T11:50:00.000-05:00

Well hello! Things here are going very well. I heard from Joe via telephone this weekend not once, not twice, but three times!!! He must really love me, lol. :) I haven't heard from him on the phone since he first left. It's been months. So as you can imagine, I was very excited. :) Unfortunately each time we spoke was only for like 10-15 minutes, so it was a bit hard to get into a conversation, because each time we did, we had to cut it short. But I didn't care. I loved it. I loved the sound of his voice. I loved hearing him laugh. I love him.

So, on with the good news. We have decided to take a cruise when he comes back! We are extremely excited about this because we have never gone anywhere nice together. We didn't get to take a honeymooon, so this will be a late one for us. We want to go on a tropical cruise and relax and enjoy the islands! I am looking into it right now, as I am typing this! I literally have a cruise book next to me. ;) I gotta plan ahead! The military has a program we can go thru to find good rates, etc. So I will be using them too. But we are very much looking forward to this, especially just being together in such a beautiful place after being apart for 6 months.

All else is well, the same but good. My weekend was soooooo boring though! Ugh. I almost couldn't wait to go back to work today and that NEVER happens to me! I watched Desperate Housewives last night and went to bed as soon as it was over, at 10 pm. But I couldn't sleep! I kept tossing and turning and it was so crappy. But I did wake up this morning at 4 to go running before work. So hopefully I'll sleep good tonight. :) Hope you all had a great weekend!

Making a Comeback...

2006-01-17T13:35:00.000-05:00

So I've decided to call myself semi-retired. Rather, I would like to proclaim myself someone like Mariah Carey, who went away for a while, and reappeared even more successful than when she left. I realize that I cannot achieve this as long as I stay "semi-retired" and so here I am. :)

I must apologize for my absence. I know that lately I have really been bad at keeping up with the blogging, but believe me, there are reasons! I would never neglect you. I feel as though I should say though, that my blogging will improve but will probably not be daily as work is HORRIBLE and they think I actually come to work, and not blog. :( Which has been the case. After I came back from my Christmas leave in late December, 2 of my co-workers were out for their leave. And so began the vicious cycle of work, work, work!!!! Oh it was so bad. I hated it. But now they are back and I am hoping to get back on the bandwagon.

So, let me begin my updating you. It has been OVER 2 months since Joe left. Yes, that means only 4 more to go. And I have to be honest and say WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE??? I truly feel like it was just yesterday when he left. Time has passed by quickly! We still keep in contact via e-mail everyday, which I love. Who ever invented the Internet/e-mail is a GENIUS! Seriously. Anyway, we have not spoke much on the phone as he is HARDLY ever in port. They are usually out to sea and so the phones never work. I do believe he will be pulling into a port pretty soon, don't know when exactly, but he will call me then. :) In the meantime I have been keeping busy with my workout regime. I am still working my BOOTY off, literally! LOL Not sure how much weight exactly, but then again I'm not really counting b/c I don't really care. I'm just doing it to look & feel better, and so I will know when I've reached that point. But my clothes are all fitting much better and that alone makes me happy. :)

Things here have been mostly quiet. I don't really do much most of the time. Me and my best friend still hang out everyday. Her husband is coming home TOMORROW from his 6 month deployment, and so she is overjoyed of course. :) Unfortunately, he is a Marine and will be deploying in March for about 9 months. I feel so sad for her as I know his homecoming is bittersweet. In only a month and a half it will be time for her to say goodbye, yet again. So I do what I can, try to be there for her as much as I can be. I am happy for her though to be able to spend this time with her husband.

Well, that's about it for now. Hopefully someone, somewhere still reads this blog! I will be by visiting all my favorite blogs too. :)

Joe in all of his Navy glory :)

2005-12-29T20:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays...A Little Late :)

2005-12-29T12:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, I have been gone a LOOOONNNNGGGG time! hehe I have missed my blogging buddies! I left for Vermont on Saturday, the 17th of December and have just returned. Upon returning I knew I must blog! It feels like I have been gone forever. I went to Vermont to visit my family. My parents and sister live there, and my brother (who is in Florida) and me went up for Christmas. It was a blast! We hardly ever all get to be together, so when we do, its a wonderful time. I got my hair highlighted, did LOTS of shopping, went to dinner, and hung out with my family. We all missed Joe very much, but it was still great to be back with everyone. Christmas day was lots of fun, we opened lots of presents and ate tons of good food! There is nothing like mama's Italian cooking!

I hope everyone's Christmas was just as good! I am back in Virginia now, faced with the harsh reality that I am alone again and won't see my family for a while. :( But I hear from Joe everyday via e-mail, so for that I am thankful! I miss him so much. But he is doing good, hanging in there too. It's almost been 2 months that he's been gone! Can you believe how fast time flies by?

Well, I hope everyone will share what they did over the holidays in the comments section. I would love to hear about it! Talk to you all later!

In Comes the Winter Weather!

2005-12-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

Well, the cold weather has finally settled into Virginia Beach. We have gotten away with a pretty calm winter thus far, not too many really cold days. A big change from last year, when we were constantly being punished with lots of wind, snow, crappy weather, and even crappier drivers! For some reason last winter was especially harsh. It was soooo cold for soooo long! I remember when Joe and I got married last October it was freezing! On our anniversary this year it felt like summertime! Anyway, I believe the cold has finally arrived. It has been in the 20's at night and only in the 30's during the day. No snow yet, and we're praying it stays that way! I am anyway. And I realize that compared to some places, 30's sounds like a heat wave. But lets all remember one thing- I'M FROM FLORIDA!!! lol I am not living here by choice!

Anyway! I cannot believe that its already Wednesday! For some reason, days and weeks have been flying by. I was so afraid that when Joe left time would drag by, but I am glad to see it is passing as quickly as it has been. I don't know if its because of the holidays or what. But like I have said before, I keep very busy with going to the gym and hanging out with my best friend. Her husband is coming back in January, so I know when he returns they will need plenty of time by themselves. But thats fine with me- I am not the type of person who needs to be around someone and "entertained" all the time. I LOOOOOVVVVE relaxing, I love being by myself (sometimes). So I have no problems cleaning and spending "me time" by myself. Believe it or not, sometimes I feel as if I am always busy now and Joe's isn't even here! But she and I are constantly on the go! So it will be nice to just lay around and be lazy if I want. :)

I am especially looking forward to my trip to Vermont this weekend. I love going up there and spending time with my family. My parent's have a beautiful home right in the mountains, its awesome to stand in the middle of such beauty and just admire it. I only see my parents around Christmas time, so I treasure time spent with them. Also, I am looking forward to seeing my brother, who is, as you all know, going through a divorce. Its been very hard on him and his wife, so I hope it will allow him some time to relax and enjoy the holidays. Happy Holidays to all!

Phone Call from Afar, Battle at the Post Office!

2005-12-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

First off, I just wanna say that YES I know I need to update my profile pic, but I can't do it while Joe is gone. I don't have any more recent pics of us! So, it will stay that way till he gets home in May. Although, I have been working out so much that if I loose some weight I might post some pics of me on the blog to show you the progress! I could use the encouragement sometimes, ya know?

Anyway, something GREAT happened yesterday! JOE CALLED! From the ship. (But I cannot say where he is for obvious reasons). He is doing good, busy, but good. Same for me. We talked for about 45 minutes! It was so great hearing his voice, knowing he was ok. There was a delay over the phone, which was kind of annoying, but it didn't matter to me. I loved it just the same. He was pulling into a port soon, and he said he would call me when he was on land. I hope its soon. I miss him. I just can't even tell you what a great feeling it was to hear his voice after so long. Its very difficult to go from seeing and hearing someone everyday to all of a sudden an abrupt stop! It was great. Better than great. So great I couldn't even sleep last night, just remembering what he said and how I loved the sound of his voice. :) I was hanging onto every word that he said and trying to picture him saying it over and over.

Speaking of Joe, my friend and I battled the line at the post office on Saturday morning to mail some boxes out, mine to Joe and she had 6 (!) to mail to her family members. She won't be going home for Christmas this year, so she had to mail everything. So we walked in there with 7 boxes total, and all of a sudden people started staring us down! LOL I know its the holidays, and the post office is already busy and crowded enough, but we had to do what we had to do! Thankfully the line moved fast, I was more worried about getting jumped on the way to the car after all the people behind us had to wait! But again, there was an employee at each desk, and everyone seemed to be in pretty good spirits. I had to mail Joe his other pair of boots, a pillow for his rack, some CD's, a few snacks, etc. A care package basically.

Well, that is pretty much it for now. I didn't really do too much else over the weekend. This weekend I am going up to Vermont to see my family and spend Christmas up there. So next week I'll be on leave....No work! Yeah!!! hahaha Hope you all are well. Today is my mom's birthday, so happy b-day to her!

~Julie

Family Drama

2005-12-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

Well, there has been some news happening with my family. I am sad to announce, that after only 1 1/2 years of marriage, my brother and sister-in-law are getting divorced. There is much speculation as to the reasons why, but many factors have contributed to this final decision. I don't want to go into too many details, as it is a fairly personal matter and I do not want to throw there business out there into cyber space. I will say a few things about it to help everyone understand though.

My brother and his beautiful wife dated for almost 5 years, all the while my brother was in the Marine Corps. When they first started dating they lived close by each other, and saw each other frequently. My brother was deployed to Iraq in 2003, I'm not sure exactly for how long, but over 6 months. When he came back, she was waiting for him with open arms.

Unfortunately, my family took a little bit of time warming up to her. She wasn't like most of the people he had dated, coming off (at first) a bit more quiet and perhaps reserved than what we knew. But I tried my best to make her feel at home when she was with us, and even when she was not. We spoke frequently on the phone, and developed a close friendship we maintain to this day. Eventually everyone came to love and accept her. Her relationship with my mother wasn't always the best, but friendly at that.

In 2003 they became engaged, and married in May of 2004. I was so happy. She was raised with 4 brothers, so my sister and I welcomed her like another sister. They're wedding was beautiful, like a fairy tale. It was a blessed day. Shortly after, in October 2004, Joe and I married too.

Since the beginning of their marriage, things have always been rocky. They would argue and fight, more than the usual disagreements we all encounter in our own marriage. They spent days in separate bedrooms, ignoring each other. I always hoped and prayed that things would get better. His wife thought that his "fits" could be a result of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, so we encouraged him to go see a doctor about it. His appointment is still pending. They tried counseling too. Again, I don't want to get into details, but I will only say that my brother did not think the counseling was benefiting them, so it stopped.

Everything came to a head last week, and she told me over the phone that they were getting divorced. She said it was him who wanted it, she simply agreed because she could not bear the hurt and pain anymore. I understand this, and so I respect their decision. But it has taken a while to really sink in. I love them both, he is my brother and I consider her my sister. I can't imagine one without the other. I don't know how they will live, or what will happen from here. This has been a very hard time for me. I feel selfish saying that, because I know they are going through much worse. I have tried seeing if there was anything else they could do, or try, but it seems like the divorce is imminent. I am so sad, for them, and for me, and for our families. I will never truly loose her as a sister, but it is so hard.

And so please remember, especially during this Christmas season, to truly be thankful for time spent with your family, friends, and loved ones. Every second is precious. If anyone can offer words of advice, wisdom, or even comfort, they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all of you who read this blog, and keep me smiling.

Weekend Activities

2005-11-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

Here I am!!! Oh my goodness- work has been SOOO busy! We are already short staffed as it is, then my supervisor went out on leave b/c she had surgery. And another girl I work with had a death in the family so instead of having 4 or 5 of us, we are down to 2! It stinks! I've been so busy during the day its ridiculous!

Anyway! I sure do hope everyone had a great Turkey Day. I know I did! I went over to Amy's house around 9:30 am, and we got right down to business! Peeling the potatoes, putting the turkey into the roasting pot. Amy did an AWESOME job on the turkey! It was already sitting in the pot when I got there, stuffed and ready to go! She put pieces of chopped up onion and celery all around it too. It smelled so great cooking! We put it into the oven and continued working on the rest of the food. We had on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (cheesy I know, but I have to watch it every year, tradition I guess!) We slaved in the kitchen all day! Our friends arrived around 2 pm, and dinner was served at 2:30. It was delicious! Better than I could have hoped it to be. Especially considering it was our first time cooking a turkey. It was just great though. :) All in all it was a great day. Me and Amy missed having our husbands there, but still had a blast hangin out with each other all day. I swear we were in the womb together! LOL We're so much alike.

The day after Thanksgiving me and Amy both had to work (we both work at the same hospital) and we also both had duty! So we had to be here at 0530 on Friday. I had to work until noon, then I had duty un till 9 pm! Amy got to leave at 6 pm from her duty, and they were nice enough to let me go too, since it was slow. :) We went back to my place and decided not to wait until Saturday to put up my Christmas stuff. So it all went up on Friday night! (Pics to come over the weekend!) It was...Exhausting, lol. I finally hit the rack around midnight. A little after. 20 hours of non-stopness! lol

The rest of our weekend was spent shopping here and there. I was sad to come back to work on Monday. I am already looking forward to this weekend! Joe is doing good, safe and sound. Some guys on his ship got flown off b/c they got hurt, but it was all self-inflicted. One guy punched a wall or something because he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him (being in the middle of the ocean with no where to go does not help that) and so I guess he broke his hand/wrist and got flown off. But everything is going good with him. I can't believe he's been gone for 3 weeks already! Next Monday will be a month. Hopefully time will continue to pass this quickly, because I miss him so much.

So what has been going on with everyone!?!???? Do anything good over the weekend?

I got a turkey!

2005-11-21T09:15:00.000-05:00

Well, after a long week I was very happy to finally have the weekend! On Friday night me and my best friend (we'll call her Amy) went grocery shopping. Thats right- on a FRIDAY NIGHT. Yes, everyone can probably tell that our husband's are deployed, lol. You would never usually catch me grocery shopping on a Friday night. But anyway, we did. We like going together b/c we can talk and socialize, lol. Also, we wanted to pick out everything we were cokking for Thanksgiving. We got the usuals- potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc. Then we got down to business- the turkey! Well, I'm browsing around checking out the birds when Amy picks up this BIG BIRD! Now I don't mean "pleasantly plump" either! Its big! I immediately burst into laughter. Why the heck do we need a turkey that big!!?!?!?! Its only going to be me and her, and our friend and her husband! (Well, and her baby, but she doesn't count b/c she's only 2 months). So for the 4 of us its way too much, but she insisted, so we bought it. She said now we can make turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, etc. with the leftovers. Oh yeah, lol. Along with all this great food I am also making my famous homemade apple pie!!!!!!

Anyway, Saturday was our friend's birthday (the one coming for Turkey Day) so we all went to this spa and got pedicures, and they got their hair cut. We went back to her house and I saw her new baby, we hung out there and had cake and stuff. It was fun.

Yesterday was a very busy day! Around 0900 Amy came over and we cooked chocolate chip pancakes! Oh they were so good! We relaxed and drank some coffee. Then she went home and we both got ready to go out. I picked her up and our first stop was Eckerds to drop off some film. Next was Michaels (craft store)....this place is like my 2nd home! I bought some Christmas decorations and candles and Christmas flowers for deocrating. Then we went to Target, but we didn't buy anything there. Finally it was K-Mart. Amy didn't wanna buy a Christmas tree until after the holidays when they went on sale. She figured her husband is gone so she doesn't need one up. Well, we were in K-Mart and they had this nice 6 foot tree with pre-lit lights on sale for $50! She couldn't pass it up! So she decided to buy it, and got all blue and silver decorations for it too. It is sooo pretty! She loves snowmen, so all of her other decorations are blue and silver and white, so it all matched very nicely. Well we couldn't wait to put it up, so it went up yesterday, along with all of her other deocrations, lol. Even though its kinda early. And she's leaving them up until the end of January, when her husband comes home, so he can see it. :)

As for me, I usually put my Christmas stuff up the weekend after Thanksgiving, just family tradition. So we're gonna do that next weekend. But its so much fun, even without the guys, since we're such good friends. Just deocrating and cooking, what more could you want from the holidays! I am so excited this is a short work-week too. :) Well, I have to work and I have duty on Friday, but at least we have off on Turkey Day! What did you guys do this weekend?

She Works Haaaaarrrd For the Money

2005-11-15T09:55:00.000-05:00

So as you all know last weekend was a long weekend for us because we had off on Friday for Veteran's Day. My best friend was visiting some family back home, so I was a little worried that I would get bored. However, I was very productive and time went by quickly.

On Friday I went shopping with a friend from work, who was looking for this Power Wheels thing for her daughter. We couldn't find it at any of the Walmarts by my house, where it was the cheapest. We did see it at Toys R Us, but it was a bit more expensive. We spent most of the day just browsing around the mall and hanging out. Good times.

On Saturday I decided to start my floor to ceiling cleaning in my apartment! (Long overdue!) But I figured since Joe is gone I have plenty of time to clean, and I know it will stay clean at least for the next 6 months! So, here is how it went, in order:

Cleaned the bathroom...and I mean REALLY cleaned it, scrubbed every corner including scrubbing out the shower
Moved to the kitchen. Moved all appliances and wiped down counter tops. Got a bucket of Mr.Clean and hot water and cleaned the inside and outside of ALL OF THE CABINETS! (My boredom is pushing me to extremes!)But my cabinets are white and so I thought a good cleaning would make them ultra bright!
Thought my white refrigerator might be jealous of my nice clean white cabinets, so cleaned it too. Took everything off the top and off the front, gave it a good cleaning, put everything back.
Swept and washed kitchen and foyer floor.
For this next part you should know that I have ALL GLASS tables in my living room. Glass coffee table, glass end tables, and a glass computer desk! Nice and spacey! lol So, I windexed them. No spots or streaks left behind. ;)

At this point I decided to sit and take a break. I had been working diligently for over 3 hours. My friend whom I had gone shopping with the day before called to ask if I could meet her by her house. Apparently she finally found and bought that Power Wheels thing, but the box was too big to fit in her car. So since I have an SUV I said no prob. I showered and drove out there, picked it up, dropped it off at her house. Stopped at Starbucks and picked up a well-deserved Grande Non-Fat White Chocolate Mocha. Yes I had the damn whipped cream, even though I asked for non-fat milk to make the mocha fat free, lol. When I returned home in the evening I decided to take it easy and finish up my chores on Sunday. However, I did the laundry. But I didn't put the clean laundry away....I guess I'm a rebel. But I put the clean sheets on the bed and clean bath towels up.

On Sunday I picked up where I had left off. I started out by going through all of Joe's dresser drawers and our closet, getting rid of old clothes. I had a HUGE pile! I then folded and put away the clean clothes. This took quite some time though. We had a lot of clothes and it took forever to go through and decide which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of. Ok, moving on. Then I picked everything up off the floor and vacumed. Next up was cleaning the fish tank....I had been dreading this. I put our fish and 2 baby turtles in another bowl, cleaned it out good, and I had even bought new purple rocks for the tank! I cleaned it good, and put everything back into the tank. I let the water sit to get to room temperature, then put all the animals back into their home. :) All were healthy and happy.

Anyway! So that is it, but I was pretty busy all weekend! My best friend came back yesterday so this weekend we can hang out. I am so glad. :) Sorry this post is so long! I have duty today so its gonna be a loooong day for me. :) Won't be home till well after midnight. :( Hope you all are well!

Hangin In There

2005-11-08T00:15:00.000-05:00

Can you believe I am posting 2 days in a row? I can't. Normally I post only every few days. Can you tell I have time on my hands? lol

Well, yesterday after Joe left, I went to work. But they told me to go home and rest. I was so emotionally worn out. I got home and laid on the couch. I kept thinking about Joe. I turned on the news, only to see LIVE COVERAGE of the tugboats pulling his ship out to sea. I turned it off. I cried. I laid on the couch and thought some more. I got angry. I decided a trip to the gym was in order to help get my frustrations out. I went. It helped.

After the gym I honestly did nothing. But I didn't feel bad because I worked out pretty hard for pretty long. I watched TV most of the day. My mom call around 4 pm, just as I drifted off to sleep. I was so tired too. I decided to answer and chat for a bit. She only made me mad. Long story, but for some reason she was being so pushy about things I needed to get done while Joe was gone. (School, etc.) She has no idea what life is like being in the military, so she talks like she knows, even though she doesn't. What works in the civilian world (AKA the "real world") doesn't work in the military....trust me.

I managed to get off the phone rather quickly, as I was getting very irritated with her. I took a shower and ate some dinner. I was pretty much in a daze all day. I literally walked around the house in ONE fuzzy pink slipper for hours. Didn't know where the other one was, didn't care to look either. I must have been walking around in the one for at least an hour before I even noticed. Sad huh?

I read my Bible for a while last night. I was very tired so I went to sleep early. I hesitated, because I didn't even want to go in my bedroom. It felt so empty. :( I smelled Joe's bottle of cologne on his dresser, curled up with his pillow, and went to sleep. I miss him.....

Day 1...

2005-11-07T08:54:00.000-05:00

Today is Day 1. It has begun. Joe is gone. I am heartbroken.

I woke up this morning at 0400 so we could get ready and pack his stuff in the car. We left at 0500, and got to the base at around 0545. Joe ran the first load of his stuff to his ship, then came back for the rest. While he was gone, I looked around and saw many other people saying goodbye as well. Wives, children, girlfriends, all in tears. All sad. I saw some of Joe's friends from the ship trudging through the parking lot, towards their home for the next 6 months. And all of a sudden......I got angry.

I realize that it might sound selfish, because I get to stay behind where its safe and secure, and have the luxuries of my home. But at the moment I wasn't sad.....I was angry. This is the second deployment we've had to endure, and since we've been together over 3 years I realized we've been apart for about a year of that. And by the time he comes back, it will be a year and a half. I was angry for all those who have to suffer- the guys leaving, the families staying. The women who would have babies while they were gone, and not have their husband with them for the birth of their child. For the men leaving, who would miss that birth. Or miss their children's first steps, or first words. Angry. For being apart on the holidays, when you want to be with your loved ones more than ever.

And although we have endured through other deployments, it never gets easier. It still hurts every time we say goodbye. I was a wreck all weekend, knowing the time was coming so very soon. I had butterflies for days. Couldn't sleep right. Tried not to cry around Joe, because I didn't want to upset him. It was so hard. Too hard. Last night while we were snuggled up in bed, I just lost it. Lost all composure. He held me until we fell asleep.

And this morning, when he came back to get the rest of his things, I gave it my everything to be strong. But it didn't work. As I was hugging him and in his arms, I fell apart. He kissed me and told me not to worry. We've got through it before and we will, of course, get through it this time. We held each other for a long time, until finally he had to leave. Joe never says goodbye, because he feels like its too permanent. So he said, "I'll see you in a sec" :), smiled, and walked away. I leaned against the car and watched him walk away. He looked back at me, and we smiled.

I drove away, at first feeling really empty. I tried to think of the positives, we will be able to save so much money, I will focus on fitness and working out. I think the time will pass by quickly, with the holidays and stuff. My best friend is a very good "rock" for me too. Her husband is deployed too, so it makes it easy to talk to her because she understands, and likewise. I think half of what hurt so much was that I knew it was coming, and so all week and month I was dreading it. Dreading the saying goodbye. That mountain has been climbed now though, so I don't have to dread it anymore. And like always, I am sure it will be hard at first, but hopefully it will get easier. I really need a hobby though, lol. I can always work on the photography. Laying in bed will be hard, I will miss snuggling with him.

So, this weekend is going to be a long one, since we have Friday off. I am going to try to keep busy by cleaning and also going through Joe's dresser because its a mess! Hope everyone's weekend was good. :) If you can offer any words of advice or encouragement, it would be greatly appreciated.

For now, I am gonna go take a nap. :)

My Man!

2005-11-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

So, I was able to get some days off this week. Back in high school, I used to do lots of photography...I actually intended on being a photographer. However, I ultimately decided to go into the medical field, but keep photography as a hobby. Unfortunately, I haven't done any photography in almost 4 years...since I've been in the military. Well, Joe has inspired me to get back into it, because it is a passion of mine. So, today we ventured out and did a little "photo shoot"...I did a role of Joe in black & white. I was pleasantly surprised with the results:

It was great to photograph Joe, as I think he is very photogenic! lol We had a great time, and I was able to put the pics into a framed collage and hang it up. I also bought a role of color film to mix it up, and we'll take those pics this weekend. :) What do u think?

Warning: Mushy Post!

2005-10-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

So, the time is slowly but surely passing by, and soon Joe will be going on his 6 month deployment. :( I think about it every waking second, literally. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. We have been through a deployment like this before, but it doesn't make it any easier. I remember back in July, my best friend's husband left, and I was thinking "Man, I still have a lot of time before it's Joe's turn." And now, it is here. Almost anyway.

People tell me that its all part of the military lifestyle. Well, this is true I guess. But again- it doesn't make it any easier. There are always dangers to think about, and so I hope and pray everyday that he stays safe, as do all the soldiers. Ya know, Joe and are got married at the tender age of 20, and we will be celebrating our one year anniversary next week, on 25 October. I never realized how much my life would change when we got married. How I stopped thinking about only myself, and starting thinking about "us." How I think in terms of "we" and not "me". It has been a wonderful experience and a wonderful journey, and I am excited to see what the future will bring.

I don't know how people can live their lives and never get married. To me, love is such a huge part of my life, its the best feeling there is! To be in love. And I hope that everyone falls in love one day, and can see for themselves. (This is sounding kinda cheesy, I know!) I guess I am just feeling like a hopeless romantic today. ;)

Anyway, I took a week of leave next week so Joe and we can spend some quality time together before he goes. (He has the week off too) I want to take plenty of pics so that when he is gone I have them to look at. I hope the time goes by fast. I think it will though. I am glad that he will be back in time for the summer, b/c we always have a blast over the summer going to beach and stuff. However, he will be gone for the holidays, which makes me sad. He'll miss Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, his b-day, my b-day, Valentine's Day, and Easter! (Just a quick list off the top of my head ;) ) lol But I am going to see my parents for a week in December for Christmas, and hopefully my mom and/or sister will come down to see my sometime in the spring. And hopefully time will go by fast!

Anyway! Everyone have a great day, talk to ya later.

The Attorney

2005-10-17T12:34:00.000-04:00

I received an e-mail today that really touched my heart. Some of you may have seen this before, but I felt compelled to share it here on my blog. Hope you all like it. :)

My Attorney:

After living what I felt was a "decent" life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor." He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.

I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking an whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him. The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, "Let us begin."

The prosecutor rose and said, "My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this sinner belongs in hell." He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done? Satan finished with a fury and said, "This sinner belongs in hell, and is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise." When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty. I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, "Hi, Dad," and then He turned to address the court. "Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations.. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this sinner deserves to be punished." Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, "However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine." My Lord continued with, "His name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from Me. Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy."

As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said,"There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all." The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words resounded from His lips... "This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed." As my Lord embraced me and led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, "I won't give up, I will win the next one." I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?" Christ lovingly smiled and said, "Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, "PAID IN FULL."

Thank you Christopher Columbus for the long weekend

2005-10-11T05:10:00.000-04:00

Well, as you know we had a nice long weekend that just passed. Oh how wonderful it was to have 3 days off in a row. Sadly I am back at work but my weekend was great!

On Friday night I went shopping, since Joe didn't get out of work until late. I didn't buy anything though, so that was kind of disappointing. I slept in on Saturday, woke up to find it raining and crappy outside. It would have at least been better if it had been cooler, but the weather was still hot and humid. Very humid actually. Did nothing for my hair! Well, Joe and I went to the mall and planned on seeing a movie, but were sad to discover that nothing good was playing in the theaters. We left.

After a few phone calls, we then decided to go out that night with a bunch of friends. One of Joe's friend's is a little bit "country" and so we were all getting together to go to this country bar/club. GOOD TIMES PEOPLE! We went over to this guy's house at around 8:30 pm, and had a few drinks there. A few people met us there too. At around 9:30 or 10 pm, we drove to another guy's house (all of these people are on Joe's ship, so yes, we knew them! lol) where we picked up some more friends and all left for this club together. We got to the club at like 11 pm. I wasn't really sure what to expect but it was so much fun! There were all different types of people there! Not just country folk! Well, we stayed there till they closed, got home and went to bed at close to 4 am. Pics to come later, hopefully! (Joe was a tad bit intoxicated, to say the least, lol.)

Sunday and Monday were pretty much lazy days. Joe went fishing with his friend on Sunday, even though the rainy weather continued. It was barely drizzling though, so he could still fish. Thank goodness the weather cooled off though. The temps dropped down so the rain was much more tolerable. I hate humid, rainy weather. Me and Joe went to this Chinese buffet for dinner with one if his friends and one of my friends. It was fun. I love Chinese food! Yesterday me and my best friend A went to Starbucks in the morning then Target. I didn't even wake up until 11 am! We cooked a big dinner of pasta, rolls, and salad for Joe and his friend. All 4 of us enjoyed a nice dinner at my place. Afterwards we just sat around talking and drinking wine. A good end to a good weekend. :)

So today I woke up and faced the reality of coming back into work OVERLOADED with crap to do. One of the docs I work with is running behind today as she usually is, and so instead of leaving at my usual 4:30 pm I don't think I'll be leaving before 5:30. :( Stinky poop I know. Oh well. All part of the job, or so they tell me.

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

OVERWHELMED! (And sick of it!)

2005-10-06T03:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I am back and a little frustrated today. Although maybe frustrated isn't the right word. I think overwhelmed is more appropriate. Joe has been going to this training school which is in North Carolina (its actually right on the border of North Carolina and Virginia, so he drives there). He and the guys spend like every other night there, to save gas really. They car-pool too. So yesterday after I got off work and went to the gym, I had expected to hear from him to find out if he was sleeping there or coming home. Well, just like Joe, I didn't hear from him until 9:21 pm!!!!! Ugh! I constantly tell him to PLEASE call early on so I know where he is! (Scroll down to a few posts ago, titled "Missing Husband") Anyway, he FINALLY calls and tells me he is almost home. Well, I was heading off to bed. He gets home and turns all the lights on, is being all loud and just straight ticking me off! I kicked him out of our room and told him to be loud in the living room! lol

So the reason I went to sleep (well, tried to!) early is b/c I had to wake up earlier today b/c I have duty. So I am working my normal job today until 3 pm, then I have duty from 3-11 pm. These days are always sooooo long. By the time I get home and showered, I am usually getting into bed past midnight. Then tomorrow I have to be at work early because we are having a uniform inspection at 6:45 am! OH LORD PLEASE GIVE ME STRENGTH! a I am one of those people who neeeeeeddddsss a lot of sleep! But on a better note- we have Monday off, which I just found out yesterday! Man I am clueless. Thank God for Christopher Columbus, and Columbus Day! So I've just been a bit overwhelmed lately with getting my uniforms all finished and ready to go. My supervisor is on leave at work and so I am in charge (Lord help us all! lol)
I will be glad when the weekend comes!

And I have more good news actually. My tooth is feeling MUCH better! This morning was the first time in 2 WEEKS that I have not woke up with a toothache!!! It was sore since that procedure a few days ago, so the past few mornings it has been sore when I first woke up. But not today! YEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!! My dentist called me yesterday to see how I was doing and I told him I am forever grateful! lol The rest of the root canal is scheduled for 19 October.

Well, I suppose I can go get some work done. Bye!

Catching up

2005-10-03T15:23:00.000-04:00

Oh how you all must HATE ME! I am so neglectful of my blog, its not even funny. Well, a lot has happened in the last week or so, so let me fill you in.

Last weekend Joe and I went on an outing to the ROLLER RINK! All I can say is HOW MUCH FUN! I used to looooove roller skating when I was younger, and even moved up to roller BLADING, so I thought it would be a blast to try again some 8 or 9 years later! It has seriously been that long since I dared to skate. Well, lets just say it didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped, lol. After years of roller blading, I thought skates would be no problem- they were. I got them on and tried to skate around, feeling very unsteady (and uneasy I might add). I wobbled around like a penguin for a while until I got the feel of them. And this was on the carpet! lol Then I decided I needed to try out the floor. Pushing little kids aside to get to the wall to hang on, I made my way out. I was nervous, scared, and thrilled all at the same time! It was a blast once I got the hang of it again. But let me just say for the record that roller skating is NOT like riding a bike- it DOESN'T just come back to you!

Ok, moving on. I came back to work (from my surgery) on Monday, September 19th. Upon my arrival I received a call from the Dental clinic saying I had an appointment. I went down there only to find out that I needed fillings!!!!! Well, if you know me well enough then you will know that I am SCARED TO DEATH of Dental, and never go unless they won't let me go on leave. But I obliged, went there and had the fillings. Well, all week (this is 2 weeks ago) my tooth is THROBBING, I mean horrible. I am taking Motrin like its going out of style, and hardly getting any relief. Well, last week I went back, complaining about this tooth because it literally started waking me up at night and causing me to be up for hours. Sleep is precious people, I can't afford to loose any. They do some tests and say I probably need a root canal, but they can't figure out which tooth! GOOD GOD HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW!?!?!???? Well, over this weekend I stopped taking anything for pain, so I could figure out myself which tooth was hurting. It was hard because to me, it just felt like the whole side of my mouth was throbbing. Well, I found out which one. It hurts to hot and cold, and otherwise just throbs. I can't take it waking me up anymore. So I went to Dental this morning, they saw that I needed the root canal, and fixed it. Well, they took out the nerve this morning, and I made an appointment to go back and get the whole thing done. But in the meantime, at least it won't hurt. ;)

Ok, no more about Dental! This weekend the weather was GORGEOUS! Cool and in the 70's. (Thats cool for here b/c its been soooo hot and humid!) We turned off the A/C and opened the windows and I loved it! There is nothing better than a breath of fresh air! Joe and I went to see that movie "Into the Blue"...I thought it was ok. On Saturday we went to the Navy Exchange to buy some new uniforms. Joe is leaving on his 6 month cruise in a month, so we need to stock up on things for him. I am so sad that he is leaving soon. :( I just hope it goes by fast. It makes me sad to think that we won't be able to spend Christmas and the holidays together. :( He should come back the beginning of May. Our anniversary is October 25th, so at least he will be here for that. It will be our big ONE YEAR anniversary too! LOL :) Anyway, on Sunday we CLEANED the whole apartment! It felt good. It was definitely time for "Fall Cleaning". I also baked an apple pie which gave our place the best aroma imaginable. :) We watched some movies and of course watched "Desperate Housewives" last night. That show is so crazy.

Well, thats all for now. I better go do some work since I've been gone in Dental all day. :) Hope everyone's Monday is good!

~Julie

Missing Husband...!

2005-09-22T15:13:00.000-04:00

So yesterday afternoon was like any other....I got off work at 4:30 pm, and was driving to the gym when I called Joe. Normally Joe gets off work WAY before me- when his ship is in port, he doesn't have much to do. Well I thought it was weird that he had not called me yet. His voice mail picked up immediately, so I figured he had to stay late. I left him a quick message and was on my way. I got to the gym and worked out, and when I got back into the car it was almost 7 pm. I looked at my phone, expecting to see a missed call from him. Well he still had not called me. I got home, and he wasn't there yet. You have to understand- I work until 4:30 EVERYDAY but working late for Joe means staying until 3 or 4! So this was really weird.

I took a shower, ate dinner, and by 8 pm I was freaking out. I didn't know what else to do so I called his ship. I explained it to the guy who answered the phone on the quarterdeck. He told me to hang on. I just wanted to know if he was still on the ship so I could stop worrying! But if he was on there, why? Was he in trouble? I would rather him be in trouble then to be hurt though. One of his friends came back to the phone and said that he had left about 6 hours ago! I started freaking and wondering what to do. I was afraid he had been in some accident or something and was hurt. So me and his friend exchanged cell phone numbers and said we would be in touch if we found anything out.

It was 9 pm when Joe finally called me. I was in tears. Apparently he had volunteered to tear up and clean some weight room, and it was a big project to do. He couldn't finish it in one day and had no help. He worked on it all day, and as he was leaving the ship, one of the guys above him said he couldn't leave until it was finished. Well, this is something that will take many days b/c he was not given the tools to do it, and needed some help. This person is not authorized to take away people's liberty either! Sadly, most of the people were already gone so no one could speak on his behalf. So he went back to work in the weight room, and didn't even eat. He had just got out at 9 pm when he called me. How sad. This is how people are sometimes treated in the military. Sad, but true. He said he was so sorry for making me worry, but he really wanted to get it taken care of. He had some clean clothes on the ship, but his uniform he had on was filthy from doing that work. He said he would take care of it today. I just felt so sad for him.

On a better note, the fall shows are finally on! There are not too many that I watch though. I used to watch Nip/Tuck, but its on way too late! I watched the new season premiere of "America's Next Top Model", which I used to hate but am now addicted to! And really the only other show I watch (religiously) is American Idol! I just think that show is hilarious! What are some of your favorite shows and why? :)

Bad Boys, Bad Boys!

2005-09-16T06:10:00.000-04:00

Holy crap do I have a story for you people! I'm just gonna jump right in and get started! Last night Joe and I went to sleep at about 11 pm, maybe a little bit after. Joe, as usual, fell right asleep, while I lay awake for a little while. I have been feeling very congested, so I had a bad headache and had trouble falling asleep. I finally did, and it must have been around midnight by that time.

At 12:45 I heard some loud yelling outside the window. Our bedroom faces the parking lot in the apartment complex, so if you've read any of my other posts you know that I am often woken up by loud people. I tried to close my eyes again when I heard a male voice yelling "Come out with your hands up!" I got so scared, I jumped up and looked outside the window. There was a cop standing in front of the apartment building right next to me (attached to my building, its actually one big building but there are seperate entrances to my side of the building and theirs) The point is that its only like 5 feet from my window to their window! They are RIGHT NEXT DOOR. Ok, so Joe wakes up and doesn't know whats going on, but once he hears that voice he tells me to get down. Being the manly man he is, he gets up and goes to the window to investigate, all the while telling me to keep down.

Well, I was mad that he was getting to see all the action so I get back up! Cops are pulling up from all different directions....cops on motorcycles, 3 cop cars, it was insane! We had no clue what was going on! I went to the back sliding glass door to look in the back yard behind the building, and there were cops back there with guns and flashlights looking in the bushes. I went back to the front window and RIGHT BELOW my window behind this tree was a cop holding a SHOTGUN. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was literally standing right in front of me, a few feet down! I felt like I was in an episode of Cops! He was yelling "Come out with your hands up!!!!" They were all yelling. I saw other people looking out their windows too. There was a cop with a K-9 standing by shotgun Cop. It was a zoo. The cop cars had their spotlights on our building, it was nuts. We heard them say something about a hostage too.

This went on for what seemed like forever, until a woman emerged from the building's entrance way, they told her to get on the ground, and they handcuffed her. They asked her who else was in the apartment, and she said "he" was in there with her 4 kids. I guess "he" finally came out because they handcuffed him too, and put them both in seperate police cars. Then an ambulance came, but I didn't see them treating anyone. Then the kids came out. We still had no clue what exactly happened.

Over all, this went on for about an hour. Not only did that one cop hold this shotgun toward the window, ready to fire, but another cop was walking through the parking lot, looking under the cars, with what looked like a Rambo gun! Seriously this thing was one of those guns that could fire like 100 bullets into someone non-stop! (or a lot at least!) It was so nuts. And it all happened next door! Joe told me to watch the news today, but I haven't seen anything about it! I just wanna know what was going on inside the apartment, and who called the police!

When it was all over, and we were laying back in bed, I said to Joe, "Maybe its time we think about moving". Seriously- it was so crazy. I've never been so close to something like that before! Weird. I mean- I'm from a small town in Florida where's there's only old people and like no violence! it was scary. And this is a pretty safe area we live in too. I've never had anything like that happen here.

Oh well, thats it! Just another exciting night in VA Beach!

Update...finally!

2005-09-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I know I've been really bad about updating lately....I figured it would be easier to update the blog while I've been off work and at home ALL DAY! But I have been so lazy! I actually feel like I'm more productive at work...even with all the things I have to do there! So I am sorry for that. ;)

Anyway! This is my last week off and to be honest I haven't accomplished much! Basically just cleaning and doing laundry....ok, you caught me, Joe has been asking me to do laundry for 2 days now and its still not done! Oops. I had a check up at the doctor's office yesterday...and it was the first time this week I've left the house! LOL Everything was good, the doc said it looked great and I'm healing up nicely. Actually, wait, I did get out of the house on Tuesday- yes I finally went back to the gym!!! It had been like 2 weeks or something awful. I felt so out of shape. Thank goodness it was the middle of the day and there were only 2 other ladies there! I did a little bit of cardio and some light weights. I only stayed for like a little over an hour.

So today they said we are expecting a little bit of hurricane Ophelia. Well I woke up at 10:15 and looked out the window but its not raining or anything! Its barely windy! So I don't know whats going on. But I am glad its looking so nice. I seriously have nothing planned other then possibly getting the laundry done. When Joe comes home today we are gonna go to the mall because my friend's birthday is tomorrow and I have yet to get her anything! The thing is- I don't know what to get her. She's my best friend and I have no clue. I hate when you ask people what they want and they say "nothing"....there must be something!!! So she leaves me to guess what she might want. This is why it has taken me so long to get something! So we'll see how that goes.

Well forgive me for this boring post. Hopefully something exciting happens over the weekend or something! Hope everyone is well and safe, and keep praying for the victims of hurricane Katrina. They need our prayers. :)

~Julie!!!

Back in the Game!

2005-09-12T13:46:00.000-04:00

Ok, well, basically Joe came back a day later then expected, and when he did I was looking my absolute WORST!!!! Oh well, he loved me anyway, lol. The poor guy, even when I was looking like that he loved me, lol. He came through the door with not one but TWO bouquets of flowers. :) Oh how I love him. The black eyes did limit my activities for a long time, up until now actually. I wore a hat everywhere, but it was so obvious. It was embaressing so I tried to stay home most of the time.

I went to the docs last Tuesday and he took the stitches out of my nose (on the bottom) and took off my little nose cast. OMG IT HURT SO BAD. Ugh. He kept rubbing and "massaging" the bridge of my nose. He said it was good to do this but it was soooo hard because it hurt so bad!!!! Since when does a massage feel like TORTURE!?!?!?!?! The bones are STILL sore! But I healed up nice and the black eyes are basically gone. I will post pics as soon as we stop being lazy and put new batteries in our digital camera.

Anyway! I still have another week off of work, which is excellent! I have to go back to see the docon Wednesday, but other than that I am free all week! Now that I look decent I can go out and do things too, so I don't have to just sit in the house. I go back to work next Monday. I love having off work. There's nothing better. ;) And still be getting paid. Life is good peeps.

Well, more to come later. Hope everyone's weekend was good!

Healin!

2005-09-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I realize my surgery was a week ago, but I am just now posting about it! I've had to take some time to heal this week! Its been rough!

Ok, so last Thursday was the actual day. My sister was down visiting, since Joe was out to sea. We arrived at the hospital at 8:00 am, where I checked in to the "Same Day Surgery" unit. They took my vital signs and stuff. We waited there for only about 10 minutes! My surgery was supposed to start around 10:30 but they said the doctor was ahead of schedule, so we moved right along. They brought me to the pre-op holding area, where I changed into a gown and laid in a gurney and stuff. I put my clothes in a bag and gave them to my sister. She sat next to me and I felt very comfortable with her there.

The doc came and talked to me about the surgery one last time, he asked me questions and again, I felt very comfortable. The anesthesiologist came and started an IV...for some reason he put in 2- one in my hand, and another in my wrist. The nurse taking care of me was really sweet too! I think it was a few minutes before 10:00 when they said they were gonna wheel me in to the Operating Room. It was only then I became nervous, until they started pushing some meds into my IV. Then I felt very relaxed! LOL! My doc said the surgery would take anywhere from 2-3 hours. Thats a long time for someone to be messin with your face! But all I remember was getting into the room, and moving from the gurney on to the operating room table. Then I was fast asleep.

All I remember was waking up, my throat was aching (they had to put a breathing tube down it so I could breathe during surgery), I was sweating, hot, thristy, ugh. Didn't feel good. Some nurse came up and told me I was in the Recovery Room, asked me if I had any pain, all I kept thinking was how tired I was, how thirsty. I didn't feel any pain, maybe because I was so thirsty! I did feel a little nauseated. He pushed more meds into my IV, back asleep again. This went on for what seemed like forever. They said I had spiked a fever during surgery, so instead of being in the Recovery Room for 20-30 minutes, I was there for like 2 hours. I kept wondering where my sister was. I was so confused! They had some fan on me to help get my temperature down, but I hated it b/c I was so thirsty and it was dring my mouth out even more.

Finally they wheeled me back to the Same Day Surgery unit, into some recliner-like chair. My sis was there! Yeah!!!! I glanced up at the clock to see it was 4:00 pm!!!!! I was like, WHAT!?!?!?! I asked my sis if that was the right time- it was! I expected to be home by like 3! Ugh. I was sooo tired, I couldn't keep my eyes open! My face was all bandaged up. I was trying to stay awake and I kept apoligizing to my sis for falling asleep. She was so sweet to me. :) They gave me some apple juice (Praise the Lord!) and I drank like 2 of them in 30 seconds! lol Gave me more meds. I told them I had to use the bathroom, so my sis helped me in. I looked in the mirror and my eyes were ALREADY black & blue!!!!! Ugh.

They finally let me leave the hospital shortly after. Once I was able to hold down some juice and pee, then let me leave, lol. My sis and another guy wheeled me out to the car. She drove home (of course) I stayed awake so I could tell her which ways to go, b/c as you know, she's from Vermont! lol She did a good job driving us home, the highways here are very crowded, but she did good. I was so out of it, I barely remember anything! I got home and put on my pj's. We took off some bandages and I laid down on the couch, falling asleep immediately! All those meds put me right out. Everyone kept calling to see if I was ok, and my sis spoke to all of them (mostly family members and friends).

The next day my eyes and whole face were swollen, my eyes were like purple! I slept like crap because I couldn' breathe at all out of my nose. I woke up at 4:00 am. I had to take my sis to the airport, which thankfully is only like 20 minutes away. She tried to see if she could change her fight, but it was way too expensive. Then she wanted to call a cab but I insisted on driving her. It wasn't that far. So I left at like 10:30 and got home about an hour later. I immediately took some pain meds, b/c by this time I was hurting! I fell fast asleep. Joe was supposed to come that day but e-mailed me saying they would be a day late.

Thats it for now, part 2 to come later!

Quick Update, More Later

2005-09-06T09:45:00.000-04:00

Hello there!!!! Whoa I've been gone for soooo long! I am sorry. Well this is going to be a quick update for now, and I PROMISE a long post later! Ladt week my sis was down visiting and as you know, my surgery was on Thursday, so it was so hard to write. Me and my sis had a great time (pics to come later) and my surgery went well. The surgery was a bit worse than I expected, well, the aftermath anyway, lol. They had expected my surgery to take anywhere from 2-3 hours, and it ended up taking 4. Yes people- they spent 4 HOURS working on my FACE. So its no wonder it hurts, huh? lol I ended up spiking a fever during my surgery, so I had to stay in the Recovery Room for 2 hours instead of the quick 20 minutes. I ended up leaving the hospital at around 5:30 pm. It was a looooong day! My face has been swollen and bruised since then, its like it bruised right away. I can't even go anywhere! Its so embaressing. Yes, I have pics, and no, I probably won't post them, lol. No one would ever visit my site again!
Well, I am sooo tired today because I only got like 2 hours of good sleep last night. I have to go to the doc's this morning to get the packing and stuff out of my nose, so when I come back I promise to post a long post w/all the gory details. I am sorry I've been gone so long. I love you all!!! Its good to be back!

DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA!

2005-08-25T07:56:00.000-04:00

**WARNING** This may be a LOOOONG POST!

Oh. My. Word. You will just not believe what I have been through in the past 2 days!!! So much unwanted drama!!! Ok, let me start from the beginning, I don't want to lose anybody!

As you all know, Joe is still underway on his ship and will not be back until September 2nd. Ok, now that I got that out of the way, on with the story. For those who do not know, I drive a black Nissan Exterra. I love my car. She's my girl. I drove to work on Tuesday and parked on the 4th level of the parking garage, same spot I park in everyday. Tuesday was rather busy at work, so instead of leaving at my usual 4:30 I left at 5 pm. I was really looking forward to going home. I walked out to my car, HORRIFIED to see that the right rear tire was flat! Not totally flat, but definitely deflated. A lot. I started freaking out b/c I just got a letter in the mail from AAA saying my membership needing to be renewed! Crap! There goes my roadside assistance!!! Well, I'm a chick, and this has never really happened to me before, so I didn't know what to do. To make matters worse, Joe is gone.

I suddenly remembered that my friend A was still at work! (My gym buddy- she too was working late, and had told me she wasn't leaving until 6) So, I walked back in to the hospital and told her what happened. Fortunately we live right by each other, so I was able to ride home with her. She dropped me off at my place and I sat on the couch wondering what the heck I was gonna do. I talked to my parents too. I tried calling the Security office at the hospital to see if maybe they could help me put my spare tire on the car, so I could drive it off base and get a new tire put on it. They said they couldn't help me. Well, on a hunch, I called my auto insurance company (Progressive- they rock!) and as it turns out when Joe and I bought our policy, Joe must have added roadside assistance to it! I LOVE THAT MAN!!! The people were extremely nice and helpful, and calmed me down!

So, the next morning I rode with A to work (she had to be here at an ugly 5:15 am!!!! I'm not even awake at that hour!) At 8 am I called Progressive and they dispatched someone out to me to change my tire. It was a local company in the area. Well, they had no clue what they were doing. I had to drive my car out of the parking garage, 4 levels down, going like 5 miles per hour. Once outside the parking garage they proceeded to change the tire. Only they couldn't figure out how to get the spare down! (Its underneath since I have an SUV) They finally got it. But they were so rude, like it was this big inconvenience. The old guy kept swearing and stuff, just being nasty. Thankfully, one of the base security guys pulled up and asked me if I was alright. NO I'm NOT ALRIGHT!!!! lol He was really cool, stayed with me till the guys were done.

So once the tire was off we found the source of the problem- a huge bolt stuck in it! Good Lord! I was like, how the heck did I manage to run that over?? lol With the spare tire on I drove to this tire place right off the base. Again, everyone there was very nice and helpful. There was no one ahead of me, so they took my car right in. They explained that my tires were alright, I didn't even need to buy a new one! They said they would put the spare back underneath the car, and they could actually take the bolt out of the tire and fix it! Who knew!?!?!?! I didn't know tires could be repaired like that! I thought once there was a hole in it, that's it! I am such a girl I guess. So they fixed all of that, and since I was close to needing an oil change, they asked if I would like them to do that too. I said, sure! I'm outta work so go ahead! lol All in all, it took them only about 45 minutes to do everything. And actually, it only cost $45 for everything too! Man I was so relieved.

I went back to work feeling much better. :) My supervisor let me off early, and at first I was kinda scared to drive again! But it was great. I drove right to the Auto Zone by my house, and got new stuff for my car to reward her for her hard times. I did have red and white Hawaiian seat covers, and steering wheel cover. But I figured summer is almost over and I need a change. I really wanted something pink, not only b/c I think it would go pretty with my black car but its also my favorite color! I found a black steering wheel cover with little pink & purple hearts! My luck had changed! I bought some new air fresheners too. I went home and put on my new stuff, and I also had a pair or pink flowered leis (spelling?? You know, the flowers they put around your neck in Hawaii). I cleaned the inside and Armoralled it too! I was so happy. And I was so exhausted, I was asleep in bed by 8 pm!

So, it was a good ending to a hard time! I am glad that's over with! This morning I was so excited to get in my car, just like old times! lol We were like Bonnie & Clyde, like Romeo & Juliet, like peas & carrots! Let the good times roll!!!

I cannot afford to drive!

2005-08-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

Well, I am back and I'm sorry for not writing. The thing is, I have plenty of time and all, but sometimes I don't think I have anything interesting enough to blog about! Well, I'll try harder, lol.

So, I had a pre-op appointment yesterday for my nose surgery scheduled on the 1st. The doctor is so nice, we did lots of paperwork and talked and he took pictures. He said the surgery will probably take close to 3 hours. Its going to take so long because they are repairing a lot of things on the inside of my nose (to help my breathing and stuff) and he is also going to fix the bump I have on my nose. So its not only cosmetic or anything. He said I'll probably have 2 black eyes the day after, and a lot of swelling, and I'll wear a little "nose cast" for about 5 days. So basically it should suck for a while, lol. I'll also be out of work for 2 weeks. Well, there's a plus. So I'll have plenty of free blogging time.

My sister is coming down to visit from Vermont this weekend. I am so excited. Anytime with her is a GOOD TIME! lol (Pics to come later ;) ) I'm planning fun things to do. Its really hot here in VA Beach so we can of course tan and lay by the pool. There's this great little comedy club that she loves, so we'll go there too. And shortly after my sister's visit is the famous MSTHANG'S visit! So again, pics will accompany that post as well, lol. Good times people, good times.

On a slightly different note, does anyone have a comment about the GAS PRICES??? I swear, I need to get rid of my SUV and get a Geo Metro! lol I cannot afford gas anymore!!!! I put $20 in my Exterra this morning and I swear the little needle thing on the gas gauge barely moved people! Good grief.

Ok, thats it for now. Hope everyone is having a good week!

~Julie

The War and More

2005-08-19T09:01:00.000-04:00

Well, its FINALLY FRIDAY. :) Not that I have any weekend plans, lol. Nope, just sitting on my butt pretty much! Joe is gone as you know, so nothing exciting will take place. Tonight I think I'll go grocery shopping! I know- I'm such a rebel. This weekend is supposed to be pretty hot, so I'll probably just lay by the pool, tanning and relaxing. I can't really complain about the work week though, it went by fast, plus I had off yesterday. Not too shabby.

Hey has anyone heard about that lady Cindy Sheehan who is camped outside President Bush's Texas ranch protesting the war? Apparently this lady is trying to get the President to have a sit-down with her, in which she wants to address some questions she has. I believe her son died this past April, or maybe April 2004, and she wants to know what was achieved by his dying. The President has met with her and other parents once before, but she said he didn't answer her questions. As of right now, the President has no intention of meeting with her.

I must say, obviously I am a patriot b/c I am in the military. But lately I have had some pretty serious anti-war feelings. I am really sensitive to anything relating to the war. I will cry at the drop of a dime when I see on TV that more soldiers were killed, or even on the radio. I guess its because they are like my own kind. Its so sad. I guess I don't know what to think about the war anymore. If we pull all the troops out, then we risk more terrorist attacks b/c we won't know whats going on over there. But if we stay, our troops will continue to die. I feel like you can't help those who don't want to be helped. I feel now that the war has no meaning. When it started, we had an objective. But we are slowly moving more away from the issues at hand. We didn't even catch Osama bin Laden, who was behind the horrific events of 9/11, but we did catch Saddam Hussein. Well, WHERE'S OSAMA???

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? If so please share them. From time to time you will see postings about the war b/c it is something that really affects me. I just saw on CNN this morning about rockets that were aimed at two Navy ships near Jordan. Thankfully, they didn't hit the ships, and no US Sailors or Marines were hurt. The ships pulled out of port shortly after that. But it makes me think- MY HUSBAND IS DEPLOYING IN NOVEMBER. I am scared for him. Scared for me. Scared for everyone involved. Please say a prayer for all troops fighting for this cause, whatever the cause may be. The US needs prayers from everyone. Thank you and God bless.

~Julie

Pumping Iron!

2005-08-17T10:46:00.000-04:00

Well, let me start off by giving you an update on my gym status. After my initial appointment, when I got measured and stuff, I have gone EVERYDAY! I keep thinking about those horrible high numbers and refuse to let it overtake me!

Me and my friend, we'll call her A, go together everyday after work. On Monday I did an intro to the weights. I worked with an instructor who trained me how to properly work the weight machines. (I dare not go near the Stairmaster again!) They said its important to do weights about twice a week along with all of the cardio. Well, the morning after (yesterday morning) I woke up and could barely move. So yesterday when we went, we did strictly cardio and abs, lots of running to burn calories! If I thought yesterday was bad, I had no idea until this morning! I got out of bed and felt like my calves were on fire! GOOD GOD WHY DOES IT BURN SO MUCH!!!!???

Well, I have duty tonight here at the hospital, from 11 pm till 7 am. So I get to leave work early today, probably around 2 or so, and go home and sleep. Then come back tonight. So today we are taking a break from the gym!The good thing is, since I have duty tonight, I get all day off work tomorrow. :) So I am thinking about going to work out in the morning, so I can just sleep the rest of the day!!!!

On to other news....Joe left on Monday morning for a 3 week underway on his ship. They will be around the coast of Florida I think, but won't be pulling in to port. Just out in the middle of nowhere doing drills and shooting off missles. So I am lonely without him. :( He won't be back until the 2nd of September. However, my sister is coming to visit on 27 August, so thats good. And my nose surgery is scheduled for 01 September. So unfortunately when he comes back I won't be looking so hot, lol. AND......I am gearing up and getting ready for Msthang's visit in early September!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!! (Pics to come after, lol)

Well, thats it for now. I will write more later. Have a great day!

Recovery

2005-08-14T09:31:00.000-04:00

Well, as you know, the concert is long over. Sorry I have not wrote in a few days, but I took a much-needed recovery period. ;) I spent the remainder of "Kenny Chesney night" sitting in solitude, lights off, music blasting. Ok, actually Joe and I watched some movies that night. I tried my darndest not to think about the concert going on RIGHT AROUND THE BLOCK but Joe was nice enough to keep bringing it up! He is such a meanie, lol.

Anyway, so my latest excursion has been joining a new gym! Actually my friend and I decided to join it together. Its an all ladies gym and its only about 10 minutes away. I went there on that fateful Thursday night to check it out. I signed up and told the women I would be back on Saturday. They were all very nice and I felt very comfortable. My friend and I made an informed decision to get our butts into shape! So maybe by NEXT summer I can flaunt it in my bathing suit! lol Plus, her husband is on a 6 month deployment right now, and Joe leaves for his 6 month in November. So we are going to do something constructive with our time!

Ok, so her and I went there yesterday morning. My appt was at 1100, so I had to set my alarm because we sleep late on the weekends. When we got there, one of the ladies said, "Ok, so lets go ahead and start by taking your measurements." She proceeds to take me into this little room that I now call "the fat room". In here she took my height and weight (I won't tell so don't ask, lol) and did all kinds of body fat measurements. (Hence the name "fat room" lol) After that depressing incident, she and I discussed a decent plan. I told her my main goal was just to drop some pounds, I wasn't really into the whole lifting weights thing. She showed me around and I tried out some of the machines. Now, I am mainly a runner. If it were up to me the only cardio I would do is running! No such luck.

I first ran on the treadmill for a while, which was pretty much the only thing I was good at! lol I did some bike riding and some other machines. I was really working up a sweat! The last machine I went on was this horrible contraption. Something that I can only assume belongs in death chambers. Something so evil it makes you scream out in pain and pure agony. Something surely the devil had made.......the stairmaster. Friends, I don't know how many of you have tried this thing, but let me tell you- its not something to look forward to! The lady told me this was one of the more difficult machines, so to only do it for as long as I could stand. The first minute or so, I was out of breath. Lord do I hate climbing stairs! On to the 2nd and 3rd minutes, I was able to catch my breath, but, oh wait, what is that burning I feel? My thighs? My calves? BOTH???!!! On the 4th and 5th minutes I was debating suicide. But I told myself to keep going.... just do 10 minutes Julie.....your halfway there! And at 6 minutes and 11 seconds my body shut down. I fell off and decided this was never again to be attempted, lol.

So after that we left. Hot, sweaty, light-headed.....we got in to the car and drove home. Once I staggered through the door I fell flat on the couch. Joe looked at me and started laughing. I guess I did look pretty pathetic. I managed to let one word out...."water". LOL And I was useless the rest of the day.

2005-08-11T07:41:00.000-04:00

So today I am depressed. I am sinking into a black hole. But before I can explain why, I need to give you a little background about me.

I was born in New York, but my parents decided to move to Florida when I was still young. I don't know how old I was, but I know I started the 2nd grade in Florida. I easily adapted, I loved the beaches and warm weather. I remember distinctly the first time I heard country music. I remember thinking to myself, "Dear God what is that horrible sound!?!?!?!" It had such an annoying twang to it, I didn't understand why it was playing on so many radio stations! I lived in Florida until I graduated high school, at the age of 18. I think total I lived there for about 12 years.

It wasn't until a year or two before I left that this crazy redneck music began to grow on me. I started listening to country music more and more. At the same time though, I enjoyed all types of music. I pretty much listened to everything. Well, I left Florida, joined the military, and re-located to Virginia, and have always loved country music since.

One of my most FAVORITE country singers is Kenny Chesney. I have all of his CD's, Joe even bought me a DVD of his music videos! lol A few months back I heard he was coming to play in concert in Virginia Beach! I was ecstatic! The tickets were a little pricey, but I was buying them anyway! Actually, I was buying TWO so Joe could come with me! (Joe used to hate country music until he met me....he won't admit that he likes it now, but I've cought him singing along more than once! Not to mention one time when we took his car out, he turned it on and he had on a country station! And no, I had not been in the car earlier that day, lol) So anyway, I went online when I knew the tickets had gone on sale, and to my horror, THEY WERE SOLD OUT.

Being desperate, I checked back often....ok, like everyday....in hopes that some would surface. None ever did. I told Joe that he HAD to find me some tickets! I even threatened DIVORCE! lol (Not meaning it of course) Well, what I had been dreading came true.... no tickets ever appeared.

So my friends, today is the day. Today, Thursday, August 11 2005, is the day that my MAN, my BABY, is here in MY TOWN, playing IN CONCERT, and I will not be able to get in. I will just stand outside like a poor pathetic looser who has no ticket in her hand. I feel like Charlie from Willy Wonka who wants nothing more than his Golden Ticket. I JUST WANNA GO INSIDE THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY! So I have been debating whether or not I want to risk going to jail and just ram the guards and bouncers to catch just one glimpse of Kenny Chesney. I told Joe that I would not divorce him, he did all he could do. But it still hurts. I may even need to seek therapy.

I have not even been able to listen to the radio stations talking about "THE BIG NIGHT" or "THE CONCERT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR" because honestly, it just hurts too bad. I become lightheaded and a bit nauseated. I can't even bear the thought.

So please remember me today dear friends. If I don't write for a while, know that I gave all I could, but got put in jail anyway. Know that I tried, but my efforts failed. And wish me luck!!!

~Julie

Shame on me for not writing!

2005-08-10T07:15:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know I've been shady and have not wrote much! But I have been sick since like Saturday night and have been so lazy. Yup, at least I admit it. I am lazy. lol Seriously though, I got a sore throat on Saturday, and tried taking some cough drops but they didn't work. On Sunday I had duty, which is just like having a day of work. So I had to come in to the hospital from 7 am till 3 pm. Throughout the day I felt it getting progressively worse. My nose become stuffy, I had aches everywhere....ugh. I was so glad to get home Sunday afternoon! Well Monday and yesterday were horrible....sick as a dog! I was able to leave work at 3 pm instead of 4:30....hey, something's better than nothing. I have been going right home and going to bed!
So, I do have good news. I am finally getting my nose done! I have had bad sinus problems since I was younger, and so as you know we get free health care in the military. So I am able to get the surgery with a perk...they are going to fix the bump on my nose too! I have this hump on the bridge of my nose that I HATE. I am always self conscious of myself in pictures of me from the side. Its so ugly. Joe doesn't want me to get it fixed, but I hate it. So, the plastic surgeron called me and my surgery is scheduled for 01 September! And I am EXCITED! After the surgery I will have off from work for 2 weeks.
My sister is FINALLY coming to visit me. She usually comes like once or twice a year but she's been busy at work and stuff. But she decided to come the weekend before my surgery and stay for about a week. So she will be there with me on the day of my surgery. Joe is going out to sea on his ship so he won't be home till the day after, the 2nd. I was hoping that my sister-in-law (my brother's wife) could come too, but I'm not sure yet if she can.
Well, I know this post really isn't that interesting so I'm gonna end it here. I will probably put up another post later because my work day is looking like its gonna be REAL SLOW. I would like to give a special shout out to my 2 friends who have found love....you know who you are. ;)
~Julie

Fishies!!!!

2005-08-06T22:10:00.000-04:00

Well this morning I woke up at about 9:00, after a night of not-so-good sleep. I haven't been feeling good lately, my throat has been on fire for like the past 3 days! So I tried going to sleep last night pretty early after taking some medicine. Last night was another hellish night living in this apartment complex. I woke up at 2:00 am to the sound of the people upstairs dropping their furniture on the floor! Or at least thats what it sounded like! It seriously sounded like they were slamming their furniture on the floor. Or else someone got murdered up there and put up a good fight!
So after this crappy night of sleep, I woke up. I got a quick hair cut and Joe and I decided to check out the Virginia Marine Science Museum!!! Well, believe me, it sounds a whole lot better than it actually is! Well, wait a sec, does it sound cool at all? Maybe not, lol. I thought they would have like huge tanks full of cool sea creatures! Sharks! Eels! Yucky squids! Umm....yeah....hardly. One tank, 2 sharks, and a few sting rays later, we were done with the "aquarium". Doesn't an "aquarium" legally have to contain lots of fish? This hardly resembled a FISH TANK. What a rip. Well, above are a few fun pics from our day. There are a few from the aquarium and some of us just goofing around. :) I'll write more later. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

I was tagged!

2005-08-04T07:13:00.000-04:00

Upon being tagged by msthang (AKA Master Creator of my beautiful blog!) here are a few things you may or may not want to know about me!

1. What were three of the stupidest things you have done in your life?
Oh where to begin!!!!
#1- I also moved in with a roomate without really knowing her as well as I should have. We rented a nice place, and it was cheap since we only had to split the rent. But we fought constantly, we got to the point that we couldn't even stand being around each other! We finally had to go our seperate ways, and even though we have tried to reconcile since then, it has never lasted.
#2- Join the military. Need I say more. This actually was one of the smartest things as well as one of the stupidest things I have ever done! lol
#3- When I tried to go sledding at my parent's house in Vermont. Yeah- the sled never goes where you want....example- the bushes.

2. At the current moment, who has the most influence in your life?
Its a tie- my parents (equally) and my husband. I respect and admire all 3 of them.

3. If you were given a time machine that functioned, and you were allowed to only pick up five people to dine with, who would you pick?
Well, I assume these are people from the past then. First up would be the one and only Elvis Presley! I love him!!!! Sounds weird but I always wished I could have met him, and I would like to someday go to Graceland. Second and thrid would be my mom's parents, aka my grandparents. I was young when they both died, but I remember a lot about them. I've always wanted to talk to them now that I'm older. 4th place goes to Christopher Columbus, for his bravery in finding our land! And for 5th, can I have someone who is still alive?? Please!?!?!?! Well I'm going to anyway....5th and finally comes my man, the funniest man ever.....WILL FERRELL!!!!!

4. If you had three wishes that were not supernatural, what would they be?
1) To help heal and overcome the war on terrorism
2) Find a cure for cancer, which so selfishly claims the lives of so many
3) Have everyone know and have a relationship with Jesus, so that we may all go to Heaven.

5. Someone is visiting your hometown/place where you live at the moment.
Name two things you regret your city not having, and two things people should avoid.
*2 things I regret not having:
1) Not having Disney World which I love!!! I miss Florida!
2) Not having many good drivers! People in VA Beach drive like psychos!

*2 things people should avoid:
1) Picasso's night club, unless you wanna get shot
2) Portsmouth city alone at night....its a dangerous place!

6. Name one event that has changed your life.
Marrying Joe :) But changed in a good way.

7. Tag 3 people.
Keri (who can post the answers in the comments section!)
anyone else who wants to do it but hasn't already!

Here Kitty Kitty...

2005-08-03T06:45:00.000-04:00

So I need some advice from you guys. I have some drama going on...well, not really me, but someone very close to me. I am going to try to keep this as anonymous as possible, so I am going to change the names. A married couple I am very close to, we'll call them Bob and Jane, are having some problems that I just cannot seem to help with.

When Bob was 18 or 19, he met Jane, who was in her last year of high school and living with her parents. Jane had a beautiful cat whom she had had since she was young, and since the cat was a baby. Now I never had a cat or dog when I was little- my parents are clean freaks and wouldn't let us have anything bigger than a guinea pig! But I know how attached we can get to animals...they are like part of the family.

Bob and Jane married last year, after many years of dating. They lived in an apartment up until recently, when they bought their first house! Bob never made it a secret though, that he didn't like Jane's cat. Bob didn't like the cat hair, and said that the cat had scratched up his leather couches. When they moved into their new house, Bob and Jane bought new couches, and put in new carpet.

Well, a few days ago, the cat threw up a little bit on the carpet. Bob came home and was extrememely pissed, to say the least. He started screaming at Jane, saying it was disgusting and he was tired of the cat ruining his stuff. Jane remained calm and did her very best to scrub it out of the carpet. Things escalated, and Bob threatened the cat saying he never wanted it in his house again. He said she had one week to get rid of the cat, or he was going to poison it and kill it.
Rightfully so, Jane was scared and so she took her and her cat to her mom's house, only a few miles away. She was very upset over this. She has had this cat for 9 years- way before she even met Bob, and now he is telling her she needs to just get rid of him.

So here's the issue....who do you think is right and why? I really do see both sides: I agree with Jane because this cat is very special to her. She's had it since she was younger and since the cat was a baby. Its not easy to just get rid of a pet. Plus, who is he to give an ultimatum!?!?!? Its her house too!

On the other hand, I see Bob's side too. They just laid down all brand new carpet, and have invested a lot of money in the new house. He is afraid the cat will throw up again, or scratch up his new couches. He is very neat and clean, and thinks the cat is messy.

I have tried to hear both sides out, and help to resolve this issue. However, I don't know what to say anymore. As of now, Jane is staying at her mom's house, thinking it all over. She doesn't want something so petty to ruin their marriage, but it is very hard for her to just give up her beloved pet. Bob continues to stand by what he has said- he doesn't want the cat in the house anymore or there will be problems. Please help!

Sleep Deprivation, Baby Man, and More!

2005-08-01T08:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I am back and I am done griping, lol. That girl I spoke of in the last post is now gone and I will not have to see her ever again! Yeah!!! So let me fill you in on my weekend. I had duty on Thursday night, which meant I had to work here on Thursday in my clinic, then come back from 11 pm till 7 am and work in the hospital again. Man, as much as I try to sleep before I come back I am still always tired! So, the night was, as usual, pretty uneventful. We did have a code blue which was the only thing that happened. So, when I got off work on Friday morning at 7 am, my weekend started! I didn't have to work on Friday because of my duty that night, so I went home and went to sleep!!! Joe got off early in the morning too, just because HE DOESN'T WORK, lol. So we spent the day sleeping. :) Actually, HE slept all day. My life sucked! My phone kept ringing (why my mom felt she had to call when she knew I was up all night is a wonder to me), the UPS man came and pounded on the door, the phone kept ringing, I heard the kids outside playing hide & seek, the phone kept ringing, lol.
Now I can't blame the kids because I know its summer break, but good Lord, I could hear every single number they counted! I felt like yelling out the window "Go play in the pool!" which is conveniently located DOWN THE BLOCK. lol Well, at 2:30 pm I laid in bed staring at the ceiling wondering why I had to live in an apartment. I was going to just get up, figuring this was it for my sleep, but as I dreamed about someday being a homeowner, I must have drifted back off. I woke up at 5 pm, finally feeling like I wasn't going to kill the kids outside.
Joe and I decided to go out to the mall and movie theather. Well, I'm going to tell you a story NOT about the movie but what we saw on the way. We were driving along on the highway, when a little white car pulled up next to us. It was an older, crappy car, windows down, grown man inside. I would guess he was about 25-27 years old. Didn't notice much about his looks, only that this grown man was SUCKING HIS THUMB!!!! And I don't mean on and off, or maybe he was really trying to get those Cheeto crumbs off, but I mean GOING AT IT. Like he was a baby! Joe and I couldn't believe it! The man looked right at us, and looked away like nothing was out of the norm! So we got off our exit, still giggling, and had forgotten about it until we stopped at a red light. I looked to my left and there he was!! Baby man! Still had the thumb in his mouth! All I could think was- this man is never going to find a wife! Nor a girlfriend! Chics don't dig the baby act! It was so strange, I have never seen anything like it! I know its rude but I had to stare- and I didn't feel bad because my windows are tinted, lol. Some people are so wack....
~Julie

VENTING...

2005-07-27T17:50:00.000-04:00

So today something happened that I wanna share with you guys. I wish I could say it was something spectacular! That I won part of the lotto! That I got out of the navy! Nope....nothing of the sort, I'm sad to say. Actually, this whole week has been really crappy for me. Work stinks, lots of drama there. So today I couldn't wait till lunch because everyday I have lunch with a very good friend of mine. And to be honest I just wanted to sit and "vent" to her about how crappy things have been. She's always so great about listening, so I thought it would really help. Let's just call her G. So, today at 1100 I met her down in the food court, just like every other day. Immediately she asks whats wrong. Now, don't get me wrong- just because my week has been crappy that doesn't mean I'm in a bad mood. Usually I am always happy and cheerful at work. So even tho things are going crappy, I was still smiling. So I just started telling her about my day while we were standing in line for Subway.
Well, as we are at the register, I see one of G's friends (we'll call her N) walk in. I absolutely CAN'T STAND this girl! But I am always nice to her. This chick has sooooo much DRAMA in her life, and is always looking for attention. So I say to G that N just walked in. G rolled her eyes b/c even though she is also nice to N, she doesn't care for her. Well, of course N walks right up to us. I walked away and sat at a table, hoping that when they were done talking, N would leave. This would give me time to sit and tell G about my day. WRONG. N walks over with G and just sits down. I swear to you- it took everything I had not to get right up and leave!
So here's the part where I fill you in on N. She is getting out of the Navy THIS FRIDAY b/c she's such a dirtbag. She has a child with a married man who wants nothing to do with her, she does anything for attention....she accused soooo many poor guys of raping her when we believe it was consensual. Now, I don't like to go there but all I'm gonna say is how can you get "raped" everytime you have sex? If you made an oopsie and slept with too many people and just don't wanna admit it, then just say so! Don't accuse these poor guys of rape. Furthermore, she is ALWAYS BROKE. No matter what. The day after payday she is broke. This chick gets more money in child support then like my whole paycheck, lol.
So, back to the lunch table. I'm sitting there extremely on edge b/c I am waiting for her to say something to piss me off. So she's sitting there STARING at our food, trying to drop hints that she's hungry and doesn't have any money. I ignore the hints. Finally, she gets up the nerve to ask me if she can have a piece of my sandwich. NOOOOOOOOOO! OMG this chick has only met me and talked to me like 3 or 4 times in her life and every single time she asks me for money or something. If it were my good friend or something it might be different. But seriously- she mooches off of everyone!!!!
So I lost it. I said no, that I was hungry and wasn't able to eat breakfast. Well, I hurried up and scarfed down my sandwich, trying to get out of there as soon as possible. G is giving me the "I'm so sorry but I DID NOT invite her" look. Finally, when I was done, I said I had to go back to work and looked at G and said e-mail me later. I got up and wakled out before anything else could be said. I heard N calling after me saying goodbye, but I completely ignored it. I know it was wrong, I know it was mean, but believe me when I say IT WAS THE BEST CHOICE. Otherwise I might have punched her, lol.
So am I wrong? I don't think so. I wanna say that I asked God for forgiveness and strength the second I walked out of there though. I felt bad but she had pushed me over the limit. I had already been having a crappy day, all I wanted to do was sit and tell G about it. But no, she invited herself over and then asks for our food??? But please believe me when I tell you that it wasn't just that- she does this everytime. G has told me stories of them going to dinner and N's card being denied- so they had to pay for her meal. Now I know better and don't go out with her then. I know she does it on purpose. It's just so annoying people!!!!! Please forgive me for being mean today. And please reassure me that it was justified. I'll be better tomorrow!

Back To Work

2005-07-25T19:51:00.000-04:00

Well, my mom is gone and today was my first day back to work. Let me first say that having her here was a joy, and yes, I cried when she left. Joe is still out to sea so I sat here alone yesterday wondering what I could do with all my free time. Turns out I did nothing, nothing but watch TV. Well, that and look around not recognizing half the stuff in my house, thanks to mom, lol.
Anyway, today it was back to work for me. There is something liberating in the thought of having off work, then when you go back you only long for those days again. This morning when my alarm clock went off at 0500 I woke right up (a rare occurance), so I thought today was gonna be an okay day. I was right, for the most part. My daily struggles lately have been simple, yet many. I have been trying to get myself to the gym more (inspired by the one and only Msthang), and also my quest to stop smoking has been on.....again. I have stopped in the past but only for short times. This time I feel I am ready, which really helps. So I stopped cold turkey last week. I know its only been a week, but I already feel the hardest part is over! lol This has helped me in my exercising because now I don't feel I'm out of breath all the time. :) Also, me and Joe have been longing to get back into church. I say "get back into" because when we first met, we were both very spiritual and somehow we have strayed from that. I know once I have God back in my life FULL TIME everything will be easier, and better. Joe and I are looking for a good church out here in Va Beach. I know this will enrich our marriage too, and I am really looking forward to all that it entails.
Anyway, I know this post isn't very interesting, so I feel I should stop before it gets any worse, lol. Perhaps tomorrow something great and exciting will happen that I can share! Good night for now!

Dreams...and things

2005-07-22T22:21:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! As you know, my mom has been here since Wednesday, so I've been busy, busy, busy! We have been ALL OVER shopping. The woman has more energy at 50 than I do at 21! Her flight got in Wednesday at 7 pm, and the next morning she was up at the crack of dawn surveying everything in my apartment! She looked in all the cabinets taking an inventory of what I "need", lol. She was hanging curtains, fixing faulty faucets, repairing little things here and there that I didn't even know were broken! She was relentless. So it was my plan to get her out of the house...fast! So I thought I would take her shopping and relax. I couldn't have been more off! She had a LIST of things that I needed- new pots, more curtains, a new toaster, a waffle maker (!)- it was insane! I have been shopping for 2 days straight! I used to love shopping but not anymore. Today I finally convinced her to lay out by the pool. It was the best 2 hours ever. Until she realized she had a coupon for Linens & Things that expired TOMORROW and we HAD to go today! Well, all the shopping is finally out of the way and tomorrow she has promised me a day of rest.
So now that she is fast asleep I have some time to sit and write. Don't get me wrong- I'm not complaining. My mom is great and I love that she's here. And she is spending so much money on me that I feel so undeserving of. I hate her buying all this stuff for me. But she insists, so whats a girl to do!?!?!?! Well anyway, on a different note I have to tell you about this crazy dream I had last night. Well let me first start off by saying that I've had trouble going to sleep for the past few days. Maybe because my husband is out to sea, or because of the excitement of my mom being here, whatever the reason, I have been staying up till midnight or like 1 in the morning. And even still I have to force myself to lay in bed. Its weird. Anyway, last night I had this crazy dream. I was back in high school, and I was in the running for prom queen. Only me and all the other girls were outside, like on the football field, waiting to hear who had won. Now, just as a little background, when I was in high school I was never into cheerleading, or prom or homecoming court. I hung out with I guess what would be considered the "popular crowd" but pretty much did my own thing. And in my senior year, my best friend was nominated for, and won, homecoming queen. I was never jealous or anything. She was so sweet and deserved to be voted for it.
Anyway! So I was out on the football field with the other girls. All of a sudden it started pouring down rain. I remember my makeup was running and it was such a mess. Well, they finally announced the name of the girl who had won prom queen- ME!!! Everyone stood up and cheered. But, when I looked towards my family, who was sitting in the stands, they hadn't even noticed. I walked over to them, holding my bouquet of flowers, and no one even said anything. I felt so hurt. Like I had accomplished something and they didn't even care. My whole life, my family has always been so supportive and loving. I felt such pride when they were at my boot camp graduation. They have always given me tons of praise. So my question is, does anyone know anything about dreams? What could this mean? I have always wanted one of those Dream Books, but have never bought one. I am always curious to the meanings of my dreams? Does anyone have any input?

Busy Body!

2005-07-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

Hello all! As you can see, I am back with a whole new look AND attitude! lol Trapped In Paradise has indeed turned into a tropical getaway! I would like to give a big shout to Msthang, whom all the credit goes to for this beautiful makeover! Hope you all like it!
Anyway, I have been so busy for the past few days. My mom is coming to visit TODAY from up north, and I have been scrubbing and cleaning every inch of my apartment, making sure it is spotless! I did 3 loads of laundry yesterday alone! Bed sheets, bath towels, clothes, etc! Anything that was just laying around and questionable as far as if it was clean or dirty, got washed! This consisted of mostly Joe's things....he leaves his socks laying around in the closet, and I for one am not willing to find out if they're clean or dirty! So in the wash they went!
And since we are talking about laundry, let me say this- as I went to switch my laundry from the washer to the dryer, I couldn't help but notice that my whites had a faint pink tint to them....again. Yes- this has happened before. And at the bottom of the washing machine what did I find? Yup- a hot pink pair of panties. Now I don't really mind that most of my once-white shirts are looking a bit pink, because pink is my favorite color! But Joe- he's not gonna like this. All of his white tank-tops, white t-shirts for work, everything. Well I don't know how a pair of hot pink panties managed to "sneak" into the white load!!!! I swear!!!! Oh well, he is out to sea till next Wednesday so I have some time to try to bleach them, lol.
On top of just laundry, I have cleaned everything else in the apartment. My place is (obviously) much smaller than my mom's huge house in Vermont, so I am kinda scared that she will feel claustraphobic! Which is why I am at least trying to make it clean! At first I was worried because I was not sure what my mom and I could do for a few days, but then I realized- all my mom wants to do is lay by the pool and tan! Sounds good to me. :) I'm glad she's coming because I only get to see my parents like once a year, and that when I go up there for Christmas. The military lifestyle isn't all I dreamed of, lol. So its hard for me to visit often. So for the next few days (well, until Sunday when she leaves) I might not be around.
Well I hope you all like the new look of my site! Any ideas please let me know! Have a great weekend!!!!
~Julie

Weekend Wonders

2005-07-18T06:22:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Its 6 am and I am awake! Which, on a normal day wouldn't be strange, but today starts my week off work, so I should definitely NOT be up. I took leave this whole week because my mom is coming to visit me on Wednesday. And even though I really could have gone to work Monday and Tuesday, it seemed like much more fun to take off. Unfortunately, my husband has gone out to sea this morning for 9 days... :( So at first I thought we could hang out after he gets off work, but now I have nothing to do!!! I guess my whole plan wasn't so good.
So let me fill you in on my weekend. On Friday I barely did anything at all- I went to this craft store for some decorations for my spare bedroom. On Friday Joe and I went shopping at the mall because I was in desperate need of some new clothes. I honestly could not remember the last time I had bought any clothes! Thats a miracle for me! So I was going through some bad withdrawls. So I went into Old Navy and got my fix. :) After that we went to see the Wedding Crashers. Funny movie! I love any and all of the movies which have Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and my favorite funny man- Will Ferrell! It was hilarious.
Yesterday Joe and I decided to go to the pool in our apartment complex. I absolutely love going to the pool because I love sun tanning! We got there and found 2 lounge chairs side by side- the last 2! I thought, well, this was meant to be! As I put my towel down and laid down I felt like this is where I am meant to be. (I am from Florida, so this is what my life consisted of down there!) Oh how I miss those days! Joe kept complaining that he was hot, so finally he went into the pool. I followed shortly after. Joe and I splashed around like little kids, he spun me around like a motorboat, I held onto his back while he swam under water. My favorite is when Joe throws me around because I always feel so skinny! I know if we had not been in the water than Joe could not pick me up like that! lol It was good times.
Well, more to come later. Hope everyone's weekend was great!

Tagged...

2005-07-15T09:29:00.000-04:00

I am writing this post b/c msthang has tagged me to do so! Hopfully this will let you get to know me a little better:

What I was doing ten years ago:
Well, lets see, 10 years ago would make me about 11 years old! Life was so good back then....I had so much freedom, and no worries. Where my only responsibilities were to make sure my bed was made in the morning. Didn't worry about bills!

5 years ago:
Now here's a time I can remember better...I was 16 and in high school...trying my best to fit in like most teens do. I was slighty rebellious, but nothing too bad. Sometimes I stayed out drinking with my friends. I was pondering over what career I would have and what kind of guy I would marry someday.

1 year ago:
I was still dating my (now) husband. We were kind of engaged but not sure what we really wanted yet. I was working in the same job and place I am now. Enjoying laughter-filled days at work with msthang, and fun filled weekends at the beach.

Yesterday:
Yesterday was OUTSTANDING! I got off work at an early 12:30, hit NO traffic coming home, got home to find my husband was also off work already. We ordered pizza, then laid on the couch and watched TV. Why can't every day be so glorious!?!?!!!!!

5 snacks I enjoy:
1) Baked Doritos (the Cheesey ones, not the Ranch!)
2) Yogurt
3) Fruit
4) Popcorn
5) Green Olives!

5 songs I know all the words to:
1) Alone- Heart
2) We Belong Together- Mariah Carey
3) Anything Kenny Chesney!
4) Stand By Me- the Temptations
5) Holiday- Madonna

5 Things I would do with $100 million:
1) Split it up and give everyone in my family an equal share
2) Buy a house in Key West
3) Buy a yacht and/or a jet ski
4) Take a long caribbean vacation
5) Donate it to AIDS/cancer research

5 locations I would like to run away to:
1) Italy
2) Spain
3) Hawaii
4) Monaco
5) Paris

5 bad habits I have:
1) Buying too much clothes
2) Biting my nails
3) Not putting away my clean laundry
4) Compulsive cleaning of everything in my apartment
5) Losing my temper

5 things I like doing:
1) Laying in the sun
2) Visiting home at Christmas time
3) Going to see movies
4) Singing extremely loud in the car when I'm alone
5) Spending time w/the hubby

5 things I would never wear:
1) Nothing at a nude beach...wouldn't happen!
2) Spandex anything
3) Black bra with a white shirt
4) Blue eyeshadow
5) Pig-tails in my hair

5 TV shows I like:
1) American Idol
2) Forensic Files
3) Desperate Housewives
4) Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ( I cry at every single episode I see!)
5) The Real World

5 Biggest joys of the moment:
1) Graduating boot camp and seeing my family
2) Seeing my husband after a 6 month deployment
3) Christmas mornings!
4) Vacationing!
5) Marrying my husband

5 Favorite toys:
My credit card- need I say more???

~Julie

Life in the Real World...?

2005-07-14T08:26:00.000-04:00

So last night, after the creation of this blog, I took a much needed break from the computer desk and sat down to relax and watch some TV. I was a little disappointed because every decent show on TV was a rerun. So, when all else failed, I put on MTV. Now I don't know how many of you watch MTV anymore, since there is NO "M" in the MTV, no music but ALL shows. But I do enjoy watching the Real World, if for nothing else but to see the roomates fighting or making out, lol. Its usually either one or the other.

Anyway, in this new season taking place in Austin, Texas, one of the roomates named Rachel is a former Army nurse. Now at first I found her quite annoying, and I didn't like her on there b/c I felt like the viewers would associate her annoying-ness with all military chics, which we know is NOT the case. But last night I was proud of her. One of the other roomies was talking about the war, saying some crap about it. So Rachel chimes in and puts in her thoughts. Well, all of a sudden this guy accuses her of not even being in the war, saying she was "only a nurse". Thats right- only a nurse. And that she wasn't really in combat, having guns fired at her. This may be true, but I don't think that makes her any less of a soldier. So I, being a Navy Corpsman, took offense to this.

I realize that there are many mixed feelings regarding the war, but to say something like this was disrespectful and just plain rude. I just hate ignorant people. Are these nurses, medics, and corpsmen not the ones taking care of our injured soldiers?? Bandaging them up and trying to save them??? I was fortunate enough to only be deployed to Kuwait for a few months, but I know there are plenty of others who are out there side by side, in combat with the Marines. I know of Corpsmen who have died trying to save their Marine brothers. I had to post about this because really I could not believe his ignorance. I hope that most of the population does not think like this. I may not agree with the war, but I will support our American troops dying for our freedom.

Sorry to get touchy, but this topic hits close to home. I remember how I felt when I saw the twin towers going down, and it was a devastating feeling that I never want to feel again. The troops are out there fighting, sometimes to the death, so that we may live and breathe and have the freedom to make our own choices. Lets keep them in our prayers.

2005-07-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

tarzan and jane

Welcome to Our Blogosphere!

2005-07-13T19:47:00.000-04:00

Hi there! We are new to the blog world, and are in the process of creating our first blog! We are Joe and Julie, a married couple currently in the military. We will be both be blogging on here from time to time, however I think I will do more blogging than Joe simply because my job allows me more time! I was encuraged to start blogging by a friend of mine, msthang. Any topic can and will be covered, there are no boundaries!!!! :) More to come later, glad you stopped by!