Out-Of-Sorts

I am alive.
Not that anyone really cared about this old blog.
But, I am alive.

The last 45 days are a bit of a blur.
Packing up and leaving one house, traveling all over the Southeast, living with my family, then finally landing (?) in our new place.

None of it was without drama. Especially the "moving" parts.
We are still recovering from the damage done to our puny worldly possessions. Don't worry... there will be plenty to tell.

I am a bit overwhelmed and "out of sorts" at this point.
The house is a wreck, and there doesn't seem to be a "home" for all our junk.
When I feel overwhelmed and "out of sorts" I procrastinate; I don't do ANYTHING. Which makes things worse.
I've spent a lot of time roaming aimlessly from room to room just looking at the mess.
I've moved and moved and moved pieces of things around and around and around.
I've watched entirely too much Phineas and Ferb with the boy.
I've pouted a little bit because I miss my friends and the way things were.
And this heat. Lord, help us all. It's too hot to even think.

So when I manage to get myself a bit more pulled together, I will post pictures of the new place.
And tell you all about the broken things.
And show you what the boy looks like with his braces off. (Brace thyselves.)
And give you a riveting play-by-play of all our happenings.

Here's hoping you are all feeling a little more "together" than me!

Blogging While Homeless

Hello long lost blog world.
I have been a bit preoccupied with being homeless so I haven't had a chance to sit down and share my wise wisdom.
Also, I don't have my laptop yet.

In case anyone gives a hoot, we:
1. Moved out of our old house.
2. Semi-moved in with my parents.
3. Absolutely trashed my parents house with piles and piles of stuff we apparently cannot live without.
4. Dropped the boy off with his grandparents and traveled 6 hours to KY/TN to find a house.
5. Drove ALL OVER the Fort Campbell area looking for said house.
6. Met a wonderfully sweet family looking to rent THEIR house out.
7. Paid a rental deposit on Wonderful Family's house.
8. Drove back 6 hours to pick up the boy and the cat.
9. Drove 8 hours to spend a week with Dan/Daddy's family in FL.
and
10. Contemplated jumping off a bridge.

Well, that last one was just me.

Ahhh.... Summertime.

Tuesday and 10 and A Pile of Boxes and The Last Day Of School

Oh how I love the sound of boxes and packing tape. (Especially when that sound was delayed by 5.5 hours yesterday because of a traffic back-up at our gate to get on base. Thanks, gate guards, for keeping us safe... but my movers have GOT to get here. Please.)

Oh how I love the last day of school. (Except that the boy is sad to say goodbye to his friends. And that makes me sad.)

So here's some random fun on this sad, busy, crazy Tuesday.
Go to Roots and Rings to join in...


1. How do you pronounce the word aunt? Does your pronunciation rhyme with ‘haunt’ or ‘can’t'?
It rhymes with "can't." Like the bug. It cracks up my little neighbor when I say it... his family is from the North... where they say "auuuhhhhnnntt."

2. Do most of the people in your life know you blog? Or are you partially or totally anonymous?
I think most of them know.

3. When you grocery shop, do you prefer to bag your own groceries or do you like it when the store bags them for you? Paper, plastic, or reusable bags?
At our military commissary, most of them bag it for you. I don't mind at all doing it myself, though. And I use the reusable bags when I remember to get them out of the car.

4. Do you have a green thumb?
Haa! Nope.

5. If you watch the Food Network, which chef/show host is your favorite?
Have I told ya'll I have a crush on Bobby Flay? Guy Fieri's show makes me hungry, and Paula Deen makes me laugh. I also love Chopped and The Next Food Network Star.

6. Do you like to take baths? Do you take them very often?
They are ok. Showers are faster, and I think better in the shower.

7. What color are the walls in your kitchen?
That universal "builder's khaki" color.

8. Do you prefer to dine outdoors or indoors?
Ooooo... Outdoors is the best. Except for the flies. The flies around here are demonic and fat and slow and persistant. I hate flies.

9. Describe your ideal weather.
Cool enough in the evenings for long sleeves or a light sweater; warm and sunny in the day... never above 80ish. Ahhhhh. Does this place exist?

10. If you could learn any foreign language, which would you choose to learn?
Spanish. (I know, I know... the rest of you all are fluent in Spanish. Not me. Yet.)

Have a blessed Tuesday, friends.

...Still Unpacking

I have taken entirely too many breaks from the mess we are living in.

There are still boxes and piles of odd things here and there.

If it weren't for Facebook and Sonic Happy Hour, I might be more productive.

All My Worldly Possessions...

... are back in one place. That's what my mom said to me just a few days ago.

She and my dad came to help us make the move to the "big" house. That's what we call it. And, folks.. it is a big house.

Whoopee!

I (we) worked our booties off for two days straight. Too bad that the booty doesn't ACTUALLY go away.

And if you were wondering. Yep, I got hurt. I got smacked in the face with a piece of the boy's play fort while we were taking it apart. But, I WAS NOT WEARING THE FLIP FLOPS! Ha!

Yesterday, I slowed down a bit. I just unpacked 487,693 boxes.

And guess what! The "big" house has stairs. And 274,874 of those boxes were upstairs when they needed to be downstairs. And 212,819 of those boxes were downstairs when they needed to be upstairs. Good times.

So last night, I sat my tired self down to the finale of a little show we call Idol. And, boo hoo. But, I refuse to be a "hater." Kris Allen is a very talented and humble guy. And his little wife is adorable. I wish him much success.

He was not, as you may have assumed, my personal favorite.



I know... I know. He's wearing eyeliner and black nail polish. I know... I know. There are LOTS of questions about his choice of lifestyle. I have heard it ALL. As we say in the South, "My grand-daddy would be rolling over in his grave if he could see how these kids are looking these days!"

But, I am a fan. A HUGE fan. A sad fan today.

And what about that singing with KISS? Have mercy.

This morning, the news lady said second place is a blessing in disguise for Adam because it keeps him from having to sing that cheesy winner's song - "No Boundaries."

Hee hee.

I have no doubts that Adam will be successful.

Because I'll be the first in line to buy his music.



In the meantime, I'll be unpacking.

The Unpacking

It has begun... the great unpacking. We have a newly renovated house (yeah!) on Post! There are boxes everywhere, and we are tripping over piles of stuff in our feeble attempts to make it feel like home. Our junk arrived last Wednesday. We quickly realized that we have more stuff than we have house. To be more specific, we lost a garage. We really didn't lose it; we just had one, and now we do not. Just stop and think for a second about what you keep in your garage or attic (which we cannot use either). Camping junk, Christmas decorations, bicycles, yard tools, regular tools, and about a zillion other things. Now picture all that in my living room. Because there is no where else to put it. Other than the middle of the driveway. That's where it sat for a few days. Then we went on a hot date to Home Depot and bought a shed. After putting that together (not good for the marriage) we filled it up. Now we are looking at dates for a yard sale. We are gonna be the most "simplified" and "clutter-free" family by the time the Army's finished with us! On a more pleasant note, the house is very nice... like new on the inside, and the closet space is good, too. We are right across the street from the pool on one side and right across from Elijah's school (we think) on the other side. It is nice to look out the window and see green trees and grass. It's refreshing to hear the thunder of an afternoon storm. And (love you, Amy!) I can drive off Post in about 10 minutes and be at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, AC Moore, and Joanns. Not to mention all the restaurants you can imagine or desire. We'll be broke in a month. Hopefully my next blog will be from home. My own computer. In a room I can actually walk into.

A House?

Could it be true? We have a house! We left Ft. Irwin knowing we were on a Waiting List for Housing at Bragg. Our spot on the list put us at mid-August for getting into on-post Housing. When Dan got to Bragg and checked into the Housing Office, they told him we had moved WAY up on the list, and that we could have a house in the next three days! Needless to say, after our lovely experience waiting for a house at Ft. Irwin (9 months!), we were excited! But, the Housing at Bragg is old and needs improving. There are lots of improvements being made, and there are lots of cute nice new homes, but none are available to us. So, Company Grade Officers get the old, in-need-of-repair homes.
The one they could give us had old carpet, old blinds, old flooring, old (1970) tile, broken bathroom fixtures, old cabinets, no ceiling fans, old metal closet doors, and a washer/dryer hookup in the middle of the kitchen. Please don't think we are snobby. Please don't think that we think we are "above" living there. We aren't. And, we were ready to take it. But, then the Housing dude told Dan that the other homes just like this one were being renovated. Completely updated and improved. Some (including the one next door) were already done. And, ours (if we took it) would not be. So, our HUGE monthly housing payment would pay for a run-down house that needed improvements. And, our neighbors would be paying that exact same amount for their newly renovated house. (That's the insanity of Housing!) Somehow, this didn't seem fair to us. Or the best use of a hard-earned dollar. SO... we went on yet another "list" for a renovated home. The wait? 10 weeks. Or more. That meant school would be starting, and we wouldn't have a house. We resigned ourselves to the wait.
The boy was fine with it all. He's been with grandparents since early June, and the thought of spending 9 more weeks at the farm was appealing to him! (I, however, began to sign him up left and right for every swimming lesson, art class, and VBS in a 100 mile radius!)
Then, just a few days after making this decision, the Housing dude called Dan. "It's good news, Captain Urquhart!" he said. And, boy was it! We could have a renovated house by July 11!! A renovated house that wasn't available earlier had just come open! (Thanks to some poor family who had to PCS sooner than planned.) So, we took it!!!! July 11 is a whole heck of a lot sooner than September 1! I am still holding my breath. Waiting for something bad to happen. I have issues like that. But, I am grateful. Very grateful.
I had just asked my "Iron Peaches" to pray for our situation. I actually asked them to pray that things would move faster. Way to go, my girls! Thanks.
If all goes as planned (I said I have issues), the movers will come on July 16. And, then the fun begins again. It's like Christmas... opening boxes and not knowing what you will find... But, I can tell you all about that another day!

Before I Forget

I need to take a few minutes to fondly recall our trip. It's been several days since we "officially" arrived. I can say with all honesty that I do not enjoy driving across the USA. I know some people do it for pure pleasure, and I can respect that. It's just not for me. Maybe I dislike it because the Army tells us to do it. Maybe I dislike it because it feels like we are on a strict time schedule. Maybe I dislike it because I'm going to the unknown. (We all know how I feel about the unknown.) Anyway, it's over. This trip seemed to go a little smoother than two years ago.

The first photo is of our moving truck and our boxes... some of them. The next picture is a sight I saw for many miles... the boy in the back seat with his toys and his "girls" (picture #4). I drove the Jeep with Elijah and the cats and so much stuff I couldn't see out of the back window. Dan drove the truck with himself and a good portion of the luggage in the back. We did manage to squeeze in a few fun adventures... picture #3 is a Salt Wash in Utah.

I even have some nice memories... the beautiful deep canyons in parts of Utah, the unbelievable Rocky Mountains (we drove through snow at Vail Peak!), the fun restaurant in Denver (Mexican Cliff Divers!), the Oz Museum in Kansas, the rolling hills of Kentucky with their obviously expensive horse farms, and all the green grass and trees! (Finally!)

I did not enjoy the extra day we spent in Denver when the truck broke down. The money we spent having that repaired. The day that Elijah sat in gum (his own) in the back seat and proceeded to peel off all his clothes. (I was so afraid we were gonna be stopped for indecent exposure.) The winds in Utah that were almost impossible to drive in. Stopping for gas and having to fill up two vehicles. (I will spare you all the pain of telling you just how much we spent in gas alone to get here. It's too painful.) Unloading and reloading the two vehicles every night and every morning at the hotels. Trying to keep the cats (cat) from escaping and running down the hotel hallway. Dealing with an active 9 year-old at night in a hotel after he's been in the car all day. I suppose if those are the worst things that happened... we are all doing well. Blessed. And, as I "blog" this, I am surrounded by family. That's a nice happy ending to a long exhausting journey.

New Time Zone

We are back in Eastern Time. Actually, I'm blogging from Dan's parents' house in Florida, so I am vacationing in Central Time. But, this family has finally landed. This will be a quick post, and I will add pictures later, but we are done driving. (At least until we leave here to go back to SC!) OK, maybe we aren't done driving, but we're taking a break. 2500 miles with two cats and the boy and a MOUNTAIN of crap we obviously needed. We have a few "road stories" to tell, but we will save those for another time. We appreciate all the prayers for safety... We are so happy to be with our families... We had a blast with the Wrenns... We miss the Fort Irwin gang (me especially... hello to all my Iron Peaches!) We are gonna enjoy a few more days of "relaxin" before reality returns with a vengeance.

Fort Bragg Bound

This may be the last blog from sunny California. We are just days away from the big move to NC. The house looks like a bomb went off in every room. Anything that doesn't breathe has been encased in a Ziploc bag. The pictures and curtains are down, and that funny echo sound is happening. We are attempting to clear out the fridge and pantry, so we are eating odd random assortments of things for meals. The packers come tomorrow, and the movers come on Thursday or Friday (depending on how much the packers do or do not get packed). So, the computer will be turned off and the Internet will be disconnected. Will we survive? Possibly not... the DISH will be off, too! So, I will take this last chance to comment on life in the desert.

Things I will miss about Fort Irwin:
1. all my girlfriends (Amy, Sarah, Donna, Teresa, Tambi, Jennifers, Michelle, and all my other Iron Peaches!)
2. bench time at the park (Amy! Sarah!)
3. the way it cools off the instant the sun goes down (even if it was 100 at noon!)

4. PEWS at Blackhorse Chapel

5. no humidity (I thought, at first, that I would never adjust... but I have learned to love it.)

6. the close-knit feel of a very small Post

7. the "baggers" at the Commissary commenting on how many times I've bought groceries this week!

8. my son's friends (Cameron, Charise, Cousins Ryker and Miriam, Josh and John, the buddies from school, and the pals from karate)

9. Elijah's TKD Sensei... Ms. Sharnae

10. the interesting, although strange, things that happen when you live at Fort Irwin (If you have ever lived here, live here now, or have ever visited here... you know exactly what I mean!)

Things I will NOT miss about Fort Irwin:

1. Summer (Don't misunderstand me. I love Summer. I do not love 120 degrees. From May 31 to November 15.)

2. the blowing winds (not breezes, people... WINDS that blow over small children and almost knock me off my feet... now that is a wind!)

3. the blowing sand (see #2)

4. the blowing trash (see #2)

5. my tiny backyard and the way it collects all of #4!

6. the funky smell that sometimes happens here (may have something to do with that wind)

7. living one and a half hours away from a restaurant, a mall, any craft store, and the movies)

8. living 40 minutes away from Starbucks

9. Fort Irwin Road

10. CA gas prices (see photo!) (This is an on-Post price... it's about 40 cents more off-Post!)

So, the next blog will be from my parents computer(?) in SC. Or, from Dan's parent's computer in FL. But, I have to get there first. 2000+ miles across the country. Two vehicles, assorted luggage, random junk we can't live without, two cats, and one boy... We would appreciate your prayers!

Random Thoughts

It seems like my head is full of these lately. There is no rhyme or reason to anything going on in my noggin... There is no way to "connect" these ideas or even to see how they all make sense. Part of it is just me and my lunatic self in preparation for a move. I don't know why, but I have this idea that "blogging" will make me feel better. Sort of like an new-fashioned diary. Or like talking to someone without actually burdening them with listening to me. So, here they are (my random thoughts) for anyone who might be interested.
1. I was so sad to hear about the tragic death of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter. My heart hurts for them and their son, who was the one driving the car. Wow. If you're like me, it feels like you know them. I've listened to his music since high school, and I've followed the stories of his daughters' adoptions. It just makes me sad.
2. My little nephew is feeling bad. He hasn't been himself for a few days now, and I just talked to his mommy. The sweetie woke up when I was on the phone with her, and I could hear him crying. It could be reflux, but they just aren't sure. I want him to feel better. And, I know that would make his parents feel better, too.
3. The boy brought home a TON of stuff from school today... "End-of-Year Cleaning" is what they call it. I am surrounded (already) by piles of stuff that I don't know what to do with. Now, I have more piles. That's OK, though. I still remember what it's like to teach and how good it feels to purge the classroom of all that stuff. Especially because in your heart you know that you are about to purge the classroom of all those little people!
4. I dropped my sewing machine on my foot today. The top part... where the bone rises up. If you are a sewing person, you know how heavy those things are. If you aren't a sewing person, take my word for it... they are heavy. I was attempting to put it up on a shelf (over my head) so the movers could pack it with other sewing-type objects. To put it in simple terms, it HURT. I have a huge bruise and a gigantic knot. Dan says, "It's broken." I say, "I can still walk on it, and I cannot move across the country with a cast." I cried because it probably won't work again (the machine). I cried because I am now trying to get ready for the packers while limping. I cried because I don't know what I was thinking... they were gonna pack that sewing machine with some random items from the garage and a few Legos from Eli's room, and a shoe... not with the sewing things.
5. I didn't eat lunch today... I had a Cappuccino Blast from Baskin Robbins. I deserved it after dropping a sewing machine on my foot.
6. The RIGHT "David" actually won "American Idol" last night. Praise the Lord. Little David was cute and can definitely sing, but big David is the BEST! We (me and the boy) whooped and hollered like a bunch of fools when his name was announced. It's been a bright spot in my day. Is that so sad?
Well there they are... my random thoughts at this moment. And, if anyone wants an update, the mystery hives are gone. Life.

Home with Hives and a PCS

I knew it would happen. I even told myself that I needed to be prepared. But, as usual, it didn't work. I am beginning to stress. The move is quickly approaching, and I am not ready. I knew it would hit me this week. Karate is over, PWOC is done, AWANAS is finished, we've been "farewelled" as a family at evening chapel, Dan's been "farewelled" at the Regiment, and school is winding to an end. And, I am no more prepared to pack up and move than I was a year ago. This was going to be my week to start. To start taking pictures down (the packers don't do that), to start organizing and putting away my scrapbook stuff (the packers don't know what that is), to start taking things to the thrift store (the packers don't do that), and to start putting aside things that we are taking with us (the packers don't do that). I know some of you are wondering why I didn't start this week. What is my excuse? It's a 2nd grade boy who's missed 3 days of school with a major case of hives. We even went to the doctor yesterday. The best part is, we don't know what's causing them. Being parents of an "allergic" child has made us amateur detectives in some ways and mini-medical experts in other ways, but this one has us stumped. Hives all over his arms, legs, hands, and face. The doctor says "contact dermatitis." We say, "From WHAT?" We have racked our brains, and we cannot come up with anything new or different that he's touched or eaten or been exposed to. Oh well. With Elijah, you learn to accept the unexplained. And, I hate that. I know that's why God gave him to me. I like ANSWERS, and with this boy... sometimes there are no answers. Anyway, he's got enough ointments, creams, and potions to grease up the entire neighborhood. So, with him home, not much "packing" or "preparing for packers" gets done.
Which leads me to my main complaint. The term "PCS." The Army loves its acronyms, but this one irks me. "PCS" stands for "Permanent Change of Station." Ha! Their version of "permanent" is 2 or 3 years, and then you do it all over again! I really don't mind this way of life; I even encouraged Dan to stop talking about it and join. But, I would like the Army to be honest about it. Call it what it is. A "temporary" change of station.
So, I sit here typing a blog with Scooby Doo blaring in the den, and I haven't begun to prepare my house for the packers. That is another misconception. They should be called "Dumpers" instead of "Packers." They love to take the carefully sorted and organized contents of a cutely color-coordinated plastic bin, and DUMP them into a large cardboard box. Then, they pack the cute empty bin in another box. Then, they label those two boxes with some random wrong description. I am sorry if anyone out there is a professional packer. I am sorry if anyone out there happens to love a professional packer. I, however, have issues with them and their methods. So, I will arm myself with about a trillion Ziploc bags, and I will begin to prepare my worldly possessions for dumping and mislabeling and breaking (I can't even talk about that aspect.) But today, I will have the assistance of a greased-up, red-speckled, itchy, Benadryl-infused 9-year old. Wonder how much I'll get done?