1/31/11

another day, another dollar

that I don't have because I'm still waiting to hear about the jobs. I swear I'm gonna give myself an ulcer waiting to see what happens! I just want to get an interview, one foot in the door.

but anyways. do y'all Yelp? It's my new obsession and I won't go anywhere without yelping it first. seriously never leads you astray! E says I'm a slave to reviews. it is true. 
ok random

(one of) the greatest things about being a military wife, for me at least, is getting to experience and live new places every so often.  Just weighing life options with E is one of my new fave subjects.  It is kind of thrilling not knowing where in the world you will be in one, two, three years.  It is also kind of crazy when you don't know where your next plot of land will be until a month or so before you have to be there!  I have been thinking a lot lately how this time last year I was an FSU student, trying to graduate and plan our wedding, E was just home from Afghanistan and getting ready to go back. I had not a clue that in one year I would be living in california. not a clue. It wasn't until E was back in the desert - probably a month before our wedding (julyish)- that he got orders for cali. Now, I am a rookie at this whole thing but I can assure you moving your whole life-as-you-know-it across the country, in a dang Penske truck with barely any notification is. strange. exciting. bizarre. fun. I honestly don't know what it is in a word. 
We had literally flown back from Honeymoon Hawaii (approx 14 hours), had a nap, had a farewell dinner with friends, slept for ohh- about, four hours, packed the Penske and headed west from North Florida at about 11pm on a Wednesday night. We drove through the night until the 90 degree angle bucket seats and clanging noises (oh lord - my new china! crushed under E's motorcycle back there!?) could no longer keep us awake. did i mention all the terrible gas station coffee? strong (thankfully) but terrible none the less. we got a hotel just in time for the continental breakfast. yessssss. my favorite meal! and slept until 5pm.  sweet, sweet hotel bed. it was so good to my soul! we then drove another zillion hours through the night, through Texas and half the time on a two lane road.  In west Texas there was a storm, it was incredible. I have never seen such a storm. Panoramic horizontal lightning that confused my already confused mind. is it day time? no. no way. all the way until Amarillo at 4am. I begggggged E to stop. get a hotel. for heavens sake we need a hotel. an overpriced one on route 66? yes, please anything. the first civilization in miles and miles! and so we slept a glorious, overpriced, but soo worth every single penny, sleep. Got up at noon (much later than we wanted to) but oh how great it was.  We were, once again, heading west.  after E had 10 hours at the wheel we got subway, coffee and switched.  I drove and drove. determined to rid us of this god awful Penske truck. I drove for hours through New Mexico and Arizona until California! yessss! we are almost home! except no home was here (yet). plus add about 6 more hours until we reached monterey.  It took us 24 hours from Amarillo to Monterey. we were hell-bent, coffee crazed, sleep deprived newlyweds desperate for our lives to be out of this moving truck. we made it. got a hotel that we slept in so beautifully all day.  

well this post certainly got away from me. I could go on and on about driving that big, scary truck with car in tow through traffic (god help those on the road)! the dozens of subway sandwiches, and even more gas station coffee's. try to park a moving truck with trailer at a Starbucks. one can dream, right?  I will leave you, my sweet reader (thank you for sticking this lonnnnng one out) with some pics of our move. 
but first a map. I love maps! and hope this gives you a better idea of our drive...
began in Tallahassee, Fl - slept in Shreveport, La - thru Dallas and slept in Amarillo, Tx  - New Mexico thru Arizona to Cali where we FINALLY arrived in Monterey! wooohooo!
last night in town - with Em and Kc. miss them!!
drivingggg

go pennnskee!
Dallas sunsetting



me driving = scary for you and me

chasing the sun!

alas! our final hotel!

favorite penske pal!
lost straightener in the move = improvise aka ironing board your hair!

1/30/11

waitin' wishin'

so I recently mentioned my real girl job search... It seemed impossible (at least for some time) to find a job that roughly had the same hours as E.-- i.e. no weekends or holidays. I like to travel on weekends and with so many places to see here I want to have my weekends open.  I quickly realized that in this economy I should take what I can get.  And honestly I can't be too picky because 1) I am bored and 2) we definitely could use another income.
So last week I went over to the Army community center for some guidance where they have tons of resources for us military spouses.  I left with tons of pamphlets, somewhat of a revised resume and feeling a tad overwhelmed.
I sat down at our desk when I got home and started browsing all the pamphlets. which eventually led me to a website where I found not one but THREE jobs at the Defense Language Institute (E's school/base!) one is at the student learning center as a study skills instructor, one is as an English instructor and one as a secretary. all around the same pay/same hours.
Tomorrow is (i think) the day I will find out about the first two. I'm so anxious. I hope one of these works out!
ughhhh. I'm gonna try to get some sleep. or keep looking at betseyville bags online.....
i want thisssss!
night night. hopefully i will be back with good news. cross your fingers, say a prayer!
xxo g

1/26/11

What I'm loving Wednesday

I'm loving my sweet cousin Jamie, thanks for WILW :)
I am loving my new OPI color "you don't know Jacques"

I'm loving John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" I love reading about how this area was in the 1940's and how much has changed... and how much hasn't.
I am loving doing morning hikes with my friend Michelle. I'm so thankful to have a girlfriend out here to get workout/chat time with! (& it helps that Monterey has lots of beautiful hikes)
I am LOVING the weather here! it has been low 70's alllll week! Springtime in January.. Pleasantville anyone? this was the MOON over the bay the other night. i'm serious, the moon!
loving my hubs, always. even when he plays video games as hard as possible, like right now.... it's almost bedtime, E! (here he is with his buddy...3D glasses and all, right close to the screen... boys will be nerds)


Going to bed... tomorrow is day 2 of get me a damn job.. Day 1 was really good (surprisingly not discouraging) but I am wiped out. will post about that laterrr! xxo g

1/25/11

christmas in january....?

Some Christmas card outtakes


I am just now getting around to uploading all my pictures from our travels East (home home) for the holidays.... it was crazy... flew to Atlanta, stayed for a day.. last minute shopping (& wrapping) so I wouldn't have to fly with presents...
Cousin at the ATL wrap station!
drove to South Ga for my dad's side of the family Christmas...
My grandma, Aunt Ann and cuz Page

opening presents and chattin with Grams!
1 cuz, 1 little tiny baby cuz and Uncle Jeff

my cousin Jennifer with her sweet baby girl (number one of two!) 

cousin club in the playroom :)
got to stay a few days and enjoy all of my Georgia family... miss these sunsets on the farm..
Our next stop was my mom and stepdad's house down in Florida
got to see the lovely Miss Twiggs
made this cheesecake with my mom... turtle pecan chocolate! it's sooo yummy but we only make it during the Holidays! 
roller-blades from High School still in the garage? check. obviously had to do the ol neighborhood loop!
annnd Christmas round two!


cheeeeeez! 
Mama D makes the best stockings! fake lashes, lipgloss, HK..etc etc. yes pleaseee!

&&&&& I love my hub.




Sooo when that got old we headed on down further south to have our christmas #3 with E's fam! 

Christmas Eve celebrations began as soon as we arrived! 

cousins Melanie and Jenna and sis in law kc!
the wacky band! 
Christmas Morning came bright and early with cinnamon rolls & coffee (bloody mary's were a little later!)
mama and papa flo - present overload!

our first christmas! and a 75 degree one at that


after all the festivities we laid low for a few days... but just a few because then it was time for all kinds of bff's to arrive in Palm Beach for the NYE celebrations (and to watch the Chick Fil A bowl - Go Noles!)
boys watching the game (they set it up on a projector outside)

yay! claire flew in from atl

girrrrls watching the game

the boys really got dressed up for new years! 

kc and her adolescent diary.

the wonderful hosts

happy new yearrr

&& go noles! my mother in law = awesome
noles win! and then we went out on the town
ladies
reunited w some former roomies. love them, miss them.
one last day in So Flo... beeeeach!

palm beach Troll = me
 &&& Gia goes West ... doesn't it look like an ocean of clouds?
Add caption
well this post made me realize that
a) I hoard pictures
b) I am not good at taking pics
 - i.e.
didn't get a pic with half of my Ga family, including my dad. didn't get a pic with my mom. didn't get a couple pic with E on new year's......
c) i need to update my blog more

(almost February) New Years resolutions? yes. definitely some things I need to work on!

night night all xxo
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