So I'm in line at the check out and you know how they have magazines there for you to get sucked in by while you wait? I pick up a random holiday cooking magazine, and hidden behind it was a thick, chunky special edition mag of the New Moon characters and such. I was so thrilled to see it, because, cheesey fan that I am, I wanted this issue, but it seemed to have sold out the minute it hit the racks.
So, as I reach out to triumphantly pull the magazine from the rack, the "lady" behind me bumps my hand out of the way and snatches it! She tucks it under her arm and smirks right at me!
Oooooooh HUH UH. So I say, "Seriously? You saw me reaching for that! Hand it over!" She gives me the "psssh" sound and rolls her eyes. Just then, the cashier asks me how I'm doing today and starts ringing my other items. I act like I'm going to step forward to the debit machine, but instead I yell, "YAW!" and grab the magazine from under the wench-bag's arm and thrust it at the cashier, who's too dazed to take it from my hand.
Wench-bag, unwilling to just let go, grabs at me but I move forward and she falls on the floor. I start to run away with the magazine, to pay for it on the other end of the store (after hiding for a while in the pickle aisle), but Wench-bag grabs me by the ankle and starts pulling my leg. Just like I'm pulling yours!
Happy Friday!
I was driving home from Mesa the other day, and down the long, straight stretch of Ironwood, a bird flew into my windshield and stuck there! It totally freaked me out, so I turned on the windshield wipers and the bird whipped off the side. Next thing you know, I look in my rearview mirror and I see a cop car with it's lights on. He gave me one quick "boop" of the siren and I pulled over to the side of the road.
The officer stood, writing on a pad, outside my door. He then handed me a ticket. "What's this for?!" I asked.
His reply: "For flipping me the bird!"
Just a little cheesey joke for your Thursday!
Usually in the Valley of the (Blistering, Sweltering, Beat-You-Down-and-Torment-You) Sun, the weather doesn't cool off until Thanksgiving. Seriously, Thanksgiving. We might have a few cool days in the weeks before, but nothing permanent until T-day.
This year brought such a lovely surprise, though. The cool weather arrived almost 2 weeks early, and I am so skip-happy! Back in Virginia, I would call this "sweater weather." That was an appropriate name, because I would snuggle into a big cozy sweater and walk through the forest, kicking up leaves and smelling the smell of fall. It was the ideal time to be outdoors.
Here in the Brown Dirt, it's a slightly different story. There's nothing (other than the cool air itself) to lure me outside when I don't have to be. So, I pretty much live in my jammies and declare this lovely time of year: JAMMIE WEATHER!
Yesterday the doorbell buzzed (our new doorbell buzzes instead of chimes or rings; not sure how I feel about that yet...it's kinda 50's retro or something, so I might like it) and it was the mail lady. She had a "signature-required" package for Jennifer somebody. I told her there was no Jennifer somebody here. She thanked me and then looked over my jammies (it was about 2:30 p.m.) and said, "Sorry I woke you!"
Teehee.
I thought I would share a few memories from my time serving as a Russian linguist in the United States Air Force in honor of this day.
1989 Boot camp memories: scared to death, missing home, developed an amazing respect for those who serve (especially in war), really liked my TI (training instructor aka "drill sgt") by the end (much surprise there), felt like I could do anything after it was over
'89-'90 DLI (Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA): hot GI's, beautiful scenery (not just the GI's), exploring, biking, learning Russian (from real Russians...some mean, some sweet as sugar), beaches, mountains, Big Sur, Carmel (a story-book town of ornamented cottages and vines); the Poker Run with my Army buddies (Steph, I miss you!); the freaking huge and scary earthquake that cracked walls in our building and took out streets and bridges in San Fran
1990 San Angelo, TX: top secret training, getting in trouble with my buddy Nate in class (you big butt!), the lovely botanical garden, photographing a wedding (so pretty); driving to see my auntie and unc down in Corpus Christi
'90-'92 Misawa, Japan: strange but amazing and fascinating; some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen; Rene and I regularly driving to Tokyo with the over-the-speed-limit warning bell chiming the whole way (10 hours!), Derek throwing Rene in a pile of trash in Tokyo, dancing in my BDU's (camoflage) to Bella Lugiosi's Dead while Mish got it on video, the fantastic music stores; Gretchen; undercover in-the-field work for the OSI (kinda like the CIA of the military); Laura and the Goth clan: Ande, Marty, Nathan, JJ, Jose, Frosty, Danny; The Garage...dancing 'til 5 a.m.; clubbing in Tokyo; some of my favorite people: Ross, Jimbo, Rich, Mish, Rene (I miss you, girl-ann!), Kim, Gretchen, Shane, Marty. I'm so glad so many of you are still in my life!
1992 NSA (National Security Agency, Ft. Meade, MD): the puzzle palace, getting lost several times in the building; Goth/techno clubbing from DC to Baltimore; almost overdosing on Ben & Jerry's and Cadbury Creme Eggs
Life in the millitary wasn't military 24/7. My fondest memories aren't of my job, but rather the people with whom I served. We shared events (can't talk about it; top secret...sorry!) and knowledge that bonded us closer together. Sharing secrets does that, doesn't it? And from that grew a personal bond and friendship that can't be described in civilian terms.
To all who have served, still serve, and will serve: THANK YOU
Without you, we'd all be speaking German, Russian, or Chinese.
So I woke at 3 this morning because I heard something in my bathtub. It's a very distinctive sound when something's moving in your bathtub...you know what I mean...that hollow-ish sound, and the scrapey-scratchy sound of the textured bottom.
I lay there wondering what it could be. A mouse? A rattlesnake? A GILA MONSTER? (This is my brain at 3 a.m.)
Finally around 4, seeing that sleep had no plans of returning to finish out it's shift, I carefully approached the bathroom and turned on the light. No mouse. No rattlesnake. No gila monster.
Just a random sound (so I'm telling myself), my imagination, and 3-a.m. brain.
But it could've been a gila moster. You just never know.
Can you believe 2009 is almost over? I have to say, I'm glad. It's been a weird year. Lots and lots of things happened this year. It's definitely been one of those times for reevaluation and change. I shed a lot, and I mean a LOT of tears this year. Yet here I sit, exactly on the path I know I'm supposed to be on. When the haze of chaos clears and the view is sharp and in focus and it's good, that is a happy thing.
18 days 'til NEW MOON. Can you STAND IT?
24 days 'til Thanksgiving Dinner! I'm salivating already!
And now, as a treat for you, you should go check out my Irish friend, Barry's art. He is amazing amazing amazing. Click this > http://mooliki.blogspot.com/
