Saturday, December 19, 2009

Determined

My title says it all. I am determined to blog more regularly about the happenings in my life. I even have a post-it note up in my office now that says "BLOG" to remind me.

Life updates: Avery and I got the the sad news this week that my cervical cancer has returned. It was not expected at all. We both figured I'd go in for the check-up, get the "everything is normal" speech and hopefully get a little help on the trying to have a kid front. That was not to be though, so alas we go through this holiday season hoping that God has a reason for this new development and that we might someday understand it.

As I write this Avery is at work, but thankfully no longer out to sea. I have never been so happy to have him come back in port, as I was this week. He is such a comfort and is definitely the calmer of the two of us.

We are going to St. Louis for the holidays to see my family. My Oma (Mom's Mother) is not doing well and we were told we really ought to come home and see her. So we cashed in a gazillion airline miles and are traveling out there. I am already dreading the long flights. I love flying, but the long flights from our island home to the mainland are just exhausting!

I took our kitties, Grace & Blackie, to the vet and they both got a clean bill of health. This is particularly good news since they were a few months over due on their shots. Opps! No worries though, they are fine now and all updated.

I best get off of this computer and begin my lazy Saturday.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Back after an extended absence

As is evident I never got back here to finish my ten day challenge. I have a strong desire to get back into writing frequently, but haven't yet done it.

Thanksgiving Day was interesting. My husband worked, so I went to the pier and spent time with him, before going over to a friend's house. It was neat to be on the pier and then to visit the submarine that my husband works on everyday. I am so grateful for him, our marriage and the work that he does in the Navy.

I am also grateful for friends who are close enough to be like family. What an incredibly lucky woman I am to have such a great circle of friends.

I leave this entry with a hope that I'll be back sooner then later.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Day 1

I didn't get a post in yesterday, because I was too busy reforming the American Health Care System for a homework assignment. Thus I have decided to make today day one of my writing challenge. Wednesday's post was just an introduction. :-)

Today's Topic: Becoming a Conservative

It seems to be as I've aged that I've become much more conservative about some issues. Yet, I wonder if maybe I was a conservative all along, but went through a period of teenage angst and have just returned to my roots. My parents weren't extreme conservatives, but I would definitely say that they had certain values that would be considered conservative. (Though in recent years, my father has become a little less rigid about some things.) Part of this, I believe to be part of our religion. My parents were both brought up in the Lutheran church and thus I was also brought up in that same church. As a freshman in college though, my faith took me in a new direction and I became a Catholic. I have never questioned this transition and still believe to this day that I made the right choice. The Catholic church has been there for me during some of the darkest days that I've ever had. My faith is a great source of comfort for me and if it contributed to my conservatism then I don't mind one bit.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

My 10 Day Challenge

I have decided to challenge myself to blog every day for ten days, starting this evening. I'm not sure what my topic(s) will be, but I will come up with something. I suppose today I am getting off easy, because all I have to do is set the stage for my personal challenge. :-)

Let the challenge begin!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Things I Miss...

I love my life, but today as I was looking through some pictures from a few years ago I got to thinking about the things I miss.

1. Walking around Washington Park in Springfield, IL and seeing the changes that occurred every season. Even in bad weather, the park was interesting and so beautiful. The summer I lived in Springfield, I went there often to read or just to watch people feed the ducks.

2. Rainy days. Yes, we get rain here in Hawaii, but it doesn't tend to last very long and there is never lightening & thunder. I miss the kind of rainy days that lasted all day and had you cuddled up with a blanket.

3. Seeing my Mom every month. There's a certain comfort in being surrounded by a person you share DNA with or who knows you better then you know yourself.

4. Driving in the car with Grace. If I went out of town, I almost always had Grace with me. I'd put her in her kitty carrier and away we'd go. It was fun to drive and "chat." Now it's been nearly a year since we rode in a car together and the next time we do, she will be on her way to the vet and be very angry with me.

I don't know how to elegantly end this post, so it's just going to stop I guess.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Facebook

I recently began cleaning up my facebook and putting people into groups. While doing this, I made up my mind that no matter who you were, if I went to high school with you, I would keep you as a friend. Well, I may have come to regret that decision, because of a phone call I received today. I got a call from some random guy telling me he received my number from a guy I went to high school with. Well, considering I talk to only one guy I went to high school with on a semi-regular basis, I was a tad curious which guy would be handing out my number. He said a name and for a second I didn't have clue who he was talking about. Then recalled an unknown to me, guy from my high school, that I am not even sure ended up graduating from my school, who added me a few weeks back. Sticking with my decision to keep all high school people as friends, I allowed him to add me. So I am a tad irritated after today's phone call. I don't like people giving others my phone number without permission. Now I suppose I could just delete my number off my profile, but I've always felt like I should be able to trust people to not abuse it being there. I guess not.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Mainland here I come

I leave my island home tomorrow for the mainland. I am more then a little anxious to be going back. The flight is long and tiring, not to mention that after a year of being safely tucked away from certain people I am now treading back. Living here really keeps me in tight military community and I've grown quite comfortable with it. I feel like I am going back to a foreign civilian world, though I know that's not true.

I am seeing some of my favorite people in the world. :-) I have to think of that and my favorite people in the world are also some of the people I trust most, so I will be safe.

Aloha!

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Mainland in a few days...

That's right....I'll be back on the mainland in a few days. I leave my tiny island home on Thursday afternoon (Hawaii time) and arrive in the mainland early in the morning on Friday. I know I will be exhausted, but hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane. I have so much to get done this week before I leave. Thank goodness for a fellow military wife (and great friend) lending me a laptop bag & a portable DVD player. I got rid of my laptop bag before I moved here, so I don't own one anymore. I had intended to get a new one, but borrowing one helps me save a little money for the time being.

Yesterday, I had a photo shoot for some pictures I had taken for Avery. They are his anniversary present. We went out last night for a belated anniversary dinner. It was really nice. :-)

Now I am off to get a pedicure and an eyebrow wax done. My fingernails have been awful lately and are all short, so I'm not bothering to get them done.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

New Computer and Anniversary

I write this evening from my new laptop. I've now had this computer 24 hours and am still not sure what I think of it. My old laptop crashed completely on Monday evening, sending me into a panic and a slew of tears. Nothing was able to be salvaged off of my lovely little Dell. Thus, I got an HP last evening. As silly as it sounds, I miss my Dell. I really liked that laptop. It was the first laptop I ever bought and it was with me for 4 years. I did a lot with it and I honestly miss it. Now I am sure I will get used to this HP and grow to love it too, but this is not the love at first sight that I had with that Dell.

My first wedding anniversary is a week from tomorrow. In some respects I am just in awe of how this past year has been. My husband and I have grown so much together, but also I've grown so much. The person I've become since adding the title of wife is the best person I've ever known myself to be and I really believe I will only get better. I am proud of who I am now and I haven't felt proud of myself in this way for quite a long time.

Tonight I sit writing this blog and my husband is playing a video game that I bought him and I love this time with him. Yeah, we're not directly interacting, but we don't need to and I love that about us.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Twitter

I finally investigated Twitter and got one for myself. Not sure how much I'll use it, but then again there is always the possibility of surprising myself.

Look me up on there, if you'd like: nurseliz07

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

One Semester English Major

I really like the title for this post. People that have known me well in more recent years remember my one semester as an English major. I enjoyed my time, but let's face reality....I couldn't cut it as an English major. I liked the subject, but it was hard for me to do all the work and face certain scrutiny. Not to mention that while I enjoy writing, I am not nearly as good as others at it and I don't want to put in the time necessary to improve. So I stay writing what I want at my pace all the while reading countless amounts of books and rolling my eyes at some of the atrocious grammar and spelling mistakes I see. (Some of my classmates at the college I am finishing up at either don't know what spell checker is or they just fail to use it.) My friend Angie is a self proclaimed grammar snob and I don't think I am too far behind her on that one.

Btw, silly question....what is the deal with Twitter? What is it exactly and should I get one?

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Busy Life

In January I decided to volunteer to work with the family group (FRG) of my husband's boat. (Note: Submarines are boats & Surface ships are ships. This is an important distinction.) Well, it is now mid-April and I am busy every week with FRG stuff. I had planned to volunteer with the Retired Affairs office, but I don't know that I will have time any longer to do so. Anyway, that's pretty much my life.

Tv viewing:
American Idol- I can't say how happy I was that Megan finally got booted last week. She was annoying and in the words of Simon Cowell "terrible." This week Scott got the boot and to be quite honest I didn't care either way. He was good, but there are others who are much more versatile performers. However, I do see Scott possibly getting signed somewhere. His piano skills are very good.

Dancing With the Stars- Steve Wozniak & Holly Madison finally got voted off last week and thank goodness for that. They were awful dancers. I know everyone says "well, Holly didn't get the full amount of time and blah, blah, blah..." That woman was a bad dancer and I don't think a few extra weeks would have helped her. This week had the surprise of David Allen Grier getting the boot. He really didn't deserve that, because he was a decent dancer. I like Steve-O, but he just can't dance. However, this shows how fans voting make a big impact. Steve-O has the fan base so he stays.

Hell's Kitchen- Finally Carol got cut last week. I thought Gordon Ramsey was never going to let that woman go. This week should be interesting. I am looking forward to what happens tonight.

Aloha from the Islands....have a great evening!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Strong Opinions on TV

I watch several television shows, follow them quite closely and have strong opinions about them. This week has been all about Dancing With The Stars. (American Idol wasn't on last night, nor was the President's speech....thus is life in Hawaii.) I watched DWTS on Monday with certainty that Steve Wozniak (sp?) would be eliminated. The guy is a horrible dancer. There is no denying that fact. Surprise, surprise last night....he wasn't eliminated at all. Instead Denise Richards got the boot. She wasn't good either, but her dance off against Holly Madison proved she was the better dancer of those two women. The only decent thing I can say about Holly not getting voted off yet is that I get to watch her partner dance another week. The guy she's dancing with is new to the show this season and he is great! Next season get him a better partner and we'll be in business.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I Haven't Forgotten This

I just haven't had anything I felt like writing about. I leave my mundane writings for another website. Perhaps I am too picky....

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Things You Wish You Could Say

After an irritating conversation with my Uncle on Sunday evening, I got to thinking about all the things I wish I could say to him. Such as: I think you treat the family like crap and while they may put up with it I won't anymore.

It made me think even further of all the times I was mad or sad or whatever and wished I could say something else to drive my point home. However, this is the real world and we all know that you can't say everything you wish to say or at least you shouldn't. (Though I've met people who didn't care and I've seen how saying what you wish to say worked out for them; not well by the way.)

In movies (and even books too) it is made out that if you come out with some strong statement, that whomever you've said it to will get it and suddenly change. While as wonderful as that may be, it isn't realistic and not likely to happen the way the movies say it should. Thank you Hollywood for giving us a glimmer of hope that may or may not be realistic in life.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Getting Adjusted to Blogger

As my title so elegantly reads, I am slowly getting used to blogger. I found it pretty confusing for several days. I wanted to add people like Cakelava, one of my inspirations for starting a blog here, and one of my dearest friend's Angie and yet I couldn't seem to do it. I am happy to say that several moments ago I conquered that issue. Yay for me!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Fresh Paper

A new blog always feels like a fresh, new piece of paper for me. I love new journals and blogs are basically the same thing, except for the obvious electronic aspect of them.

There are two reasons I decided to create a new blog:

1. I was wide awake last night contemplating things I would love to write about and share with others.

2. The people who made my wedding cake have a blog and I looked at it today, which re-sparked last night's interest in writing.

So here I am!!