I love my babies

Aiko & Renji being naughty

Renji napping in the laundry

Renji with cute feets

Aiko sleeping on my pillow

Taco helping me make the bed

Aiko and her piggy on the bed I made.

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Recruiting Duty

Recruiting duty is just a fact of life for a lot of military members who serve until retirement. 

It's no fun, but for us at least, It really could be worse. I've heard stories of ruined marriages, infidelity, depression, even suicide. 

Paul and I don't like it but we really aren't having the worst time in the world. I can think of worse situations. He comes home almost every night, although not always in the best mood. 

Some of our biggest complaints are the hours. He works from roughly 8 am to 7-9 pm Monday- Friday and usually a few hours on Saturday and/or Sunday. Also there are often days that begin well before the sun comes up, 4-5 am and those days still don't end until 7-9.  Usually about once a month he'll have an overnight somewhere, normally in Great Falls, where his supervisor is. The first six-ish months the hours were longer, days were more like 14-16 hours long and he was working just about every day. Thankfully things have gotten better, if you call 12 hour work days better. 

I think it would be easier, at least on me, if we were in a more populated area. I have learned from our time here in Helena, that I am not a small town girl. I need a metropolis, at least in driving distance. The biggest big city to us I think is Spokane, WA, which is 7 hours away. The entire state of Montana has a population of less than a million. The Tucson metro area (where I grew up) has a population of more than this whole state. 

For Paul there is a lot of pressure. It's all about numbers, he has to talk to thousands of kids, and get hundreds into his office for meetings. And he has to get roughly two a month to agree to join the Marines. If he fails to meet his daily/weekly/monthly quotas he faces the wrath of shit rolling down hill. He likes his supervisor, he's a really great guy, but it's his job to make sure Paul is getting the numbers he is required. We have no ill will towards him, in fact we really like him and his wife, they are great people. But during business hours he is the boss, he is a good boss though, things have been better since he came on board about 7 months ago. 

It's just very hard here because the population is so small, and there is a high instance of drug use, mostly pot smokers. So even if kids want to they have to a. be smart enough and b. be able to piss clean. Many that Paul can even get to say yes, are failing one or both of the above qualities. 

Bad days are often, good ones are few and far between. To be completely honest what I mentioned above is about all I know about what Paul does each day. He doesn't like it, it makes him cranky, so I don't ask questions when he gets home at night. I try to make our lives as normal as possible so he can come home and forget about work. Until his phone goes off at 1 am, Because one of his kids has a question, or has done something. 

So my advice to wives facing recruiting duty, if you can, get a job. Otherwise you will be home alone, a lot. As much as I like my alone time I would go nuts if I didn't have a job. The first few months here I would go to target or walmart almost every day just to interact with other humans. 

Also, do what you can to make life easier for your husband. Don't expect him to do too much outside of work, because there isn't much time for him outside work and he's had a hard enough day, he shouldn't need to come home and make dinner, or worry about dishes.

Hopes for the future

This is Andrea, She is my favorite sister.

(and my only sister, but who's counting) 

I have been thinking a lot about the future lately, and I don't hide the fact that I want to go back to Okinawa. Every bit of me wants to go back so bad it hurts. 

(andrea walking on a little sea wall)

The coolest thing in the world would be if she was there when I got there. 

See her husband Matt is in the Airforce and they want to go back to Okinawa. He was stationed in Okinawa when they met, while she was visiting me. 

(new years eve, the night she met Matt)

She really is the coolest kid on the block. I love to hang out with her. Plus if she was there and none of my other friends had made it back yet I wouldn't need to worry about not having anyone to hang out with. 

(on the ferris wheel in American Village)

See I already have it all planned out, she will arrive in Okinawa first, and then me a few months later. Since she will be there Paul and I won't have to live in the hotel, we won't have to kennel the animals. She can pick us up from the airport and we can get some Taco Rice and begin another adventure in Okinawa. 

(i mustache you a question)

Sometimes I sit and think of the things I will want to do first when I get there. 

Sunabe Gyro 

Pedicures @ Cocok

Coco Curry 

Ride my bike along the pacific sea wall

Sushi Zen

Soba at the food court in American Village
Take the dogs to the beach

those are some of my favorite memories. 

I really hope that she is there, while I am there. For more reasons than an instant buddy. 
She could be:

babysitter 

doggy sitter

and her husband:

someone for husband to hang out with too

We would have to live close to each other too, like less than 5 miles. 

So we could ride bikes to each others houses. 

or walk. 

I don't know what I'll do when we retire if she doesn't live close to me. 
She has to live in driving distance, like less than a days drive. 
are you reading this Andrea? that's the rule, you have to live close to me. 

More awesome Okinawa posts of mine: 
Cherry Blossom Festival
Shuri Castle
Pictures 1
Pictures 2
Pictures 3

Okay now that I am throughly depressed I am going to get ready for Zumba and try to take my mind off of the next year and a half of Recruiting Duty in Montana. 

Zumba

Source: unionyoga.co.uk via Monika Anna on Pinterest

(I don't have false expectations of ever looking like this)

I have been to two Zumba classes and I am in love. I recently quit Weight Watchers, for a few reasons, nothing against WW, I am just a diet quitter. I think I am better off eating what I want (within reason, and portion controlled) and just exercising more.
So that has been my goal for the last month or so, exercise more. It hasn't happened, at all. I am a lazy mo-fo. My weight is back up to 161 and I am just lazy.

But I made a friend! and she Zumbas and we went together monday, and it was AWESOME! like my favorite thing ever! It doesn't even feel like an hour has passed when the class is over. I went monday and today and I am hooked, today I even bought a punch card so I don't have to worry about bringing $$ to the classes to pay for it.

The class is given by a local girl who does them in a meeting room at the Holiday inn, it's really un-intimidating and everyone is about my age. But I am hooked, and I can't wait for Monday to come for another class. She does classes 4 days a week and I am going to try to go every week, the only class I may miss periodically is the Friday class and that's because of work, like this coming friday I work until 7 so I can't go. I am such a dork.

This is so true-

Source: media.tumblr.com via Alana on Pinterest

I need to learn the hip pop thing the girl in the front does, it looks awesome!

Source: youtube.com via Hannah on Pinterest

I need to take notes

When I lay in bed at night, sometimes at like 1 am I get these great ideas for blogs, and they sound just amazing. But I don't write them down. Morning comes, and I cannot remember my great idea. 
I hope it comes back to me. 

Source: piccsy.com via _Pavor on Pinterest

This would be great

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Billy on Pinterest

Things I love on Pinterest

This last few weeks Pinterest has been a huge influence on my life.

This may be a two parter post, today is about food. because I love food.

Things I have cooked:

Source: budgetsavvydiva.com via Alana on Pinterest

These really were amazing enchiladas.

Roasted Cabbage

Source: notexactlybento.com via Alana on Pinterest

I drizzled with olive oil and sesame seed oil and salt and pepper. Awesome!

Super low cal ranch dressing

Source: fabulouspinterestfinds.blogspot.com via Alana on Pinterest

Totally easy and pretty good!

Spiced Chicken Rigatoni (Buca di Beppo)

Source: tastebook.com via Alana on Pinterest

really really good. 
(i left out the peas, because peas are gross)

quick, easy, and tasty spaghetti 

Source: yumsugar.com via Alana on Pinterest

easy and you likely have the contents in your kitchen already.

crockpot chicken tacos

Source: mychocolatetherapy.blogspot.com via Alana on Pinterest

yum!

spinach artichoke pasta 

Source: budgetbytes.blogspot.com via Alana on Pinterest

really good and easy

(making this for dinner tomorrow)

and tonight I am making: 

Cheeseburger Salad

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Alana on Pinterest

I'll let you know how it turns out

She's Crafty: Dog Bed

For this wednesdays crafty project I made a fleece doggy bed. 

Pattern from Dog Under my Desk

Found on Pinterest:

hers:

Source: erinerickson.com via Alana on Pinterest

I ran out of stuffing, I'll have to buy more tomorrow. 

Aiko is cute as hell. 

But I need to get more stuffing tomorrow. 

Then it wil be even cuter. 

Nails

It's no Pinterest perfect manicure, 

but:

Pin It

I am loving turquoise & cacios by Essie

($7.50 at walmart)

Makes me feel all springy, even though it's cold and gloomy outside. Montana wont see real spring for another month-ish.

I've been hoarding nail polish lately, I buy it almost ever time I go to through Target. 

I especially am loving the pastel colors. 

She's Crafty!

In honor of national craft month I will be doing one new crafty project each week. I'll try to have them up on Wednesday.

Today's Crafty Craft is a necklace holder!

I've had this idea in my head for a few weeks now, I don't think I was inspired by any one thing. Just sick on hanging my necklaces on the towel rack you see in this picture.

It's just a piece of molding I got at Home Depot (for free!) and some little nails, and spray painted red.

Now I did get the hanger idea from pinterest.

mine:

theirs:

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Crystal on Pinterest

And that's it for our first week of National Craft Month!

DIY Soap

This is a followup to: She's Crafty: Lets make our own soap

Last week I ran out of laundry soap (oh noes!) So it was time to make more. This time I still followed the recipe at Being Creative: Homemade Laundry Soap But I did one thing different.

When it came time to shred my bar of Fels-Naptha I decided to be lazy and use the grater on my food processor. Well this didnt quite work right and it just cut it up into uneven pieces of chunky mess. So once I had created this mess, I took out the grater and put in the blade, and pulsed it until I had created a powder, much like the other powders in the recipe.

I then combined all the ingredients and mixed.
Same as before, Just now there are no chunks of grated soap, it's all a fine powder.

One batch of the recipe and this is what I have:



Wine bottle to show size.

Social Anxiety

I think I have a problem.

(beware I'm putting my crazy out there today)

I've never really had a problem making friends until I moved to Montana.
Maybe because I was younger with all of our moves.
Maybe because before now I was put into an environment with other young military wives.
Maybe I'm just too old for this game now.

I've met a few people over the last few months that I think would be cool to hang out with.

But each time it comes time to contact them about getting together or whatever I get serious anxiety.
This is why I have lived here for over a year and still have no real friends, I have practically given up.

This last week I've been trying to get together with one girls who I met a few weeks ago, and she needed to drop something off to me, I've been sick so that was part of the reason it took me so long to get back to her, but I had major anxiety about calling her, and seeing her.

The stupidest things were going through my head
What if she decided she didn't like me.
What if she thought my house was messy.
What if she thought I was rude for not calling sooner.
each moment that went by these fears got worse, so I procrastinated further.

Finally I called her and two days later she called me back, All I could think was that she hated me.

I am totally irrational.

She just came by and dropped my things off and said she lives real close and we should hang out.
I am totally excited.
But now.
What do we talk about?
What should we do?
Should I invite her over?
She has kids, she may not want to come over, and I have rowdy dogs, that may jump on her kids.
Maybe we should go to lunch...

I don't have this problem at work, I can talk to anyone.

But I am almost shaking right now.

So I ask you:
How do you make new friends?
What do you talk about?
What do you do on a first 'friend' date?

Kony 2012

Please take 30 minutes to watch this video.


KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.



Children, no matter where they live, should have a childhood free from fear.

March!

Source: tumblr.com via Alana on Pinterest

I think I have finally awoken from the haze that was the flu. Good thing too, I am scheduled to work tonight.

This month my goals are:
sew my purses that I bought fabric for two weeks ago.
hang out with females more than once.
eat less fast food and more veggies.
exercise my portly little doggies.
welcome spring with a clean house!

I feel like a whole new me since getting over the flu. Maybe because I have not been that helpless in a long time, and I have a strong urge to do something productive since this has, by far, been the most unproductive week in a very long time. Or maybe because, despite the fact that it's 24 right now, and it snowed yesterday, Spring is in the air. The grass should start turning green again soon, be bunnies are loosing their snow fur and becoming brown, and I think the sun is peeking out from the clouds. well maybe not that last part yet, but any day now.