Coming up for air

So the Household Goods are here. My house looks like a war-torn corner of Baghdad, or a cheap flea market with all the boxes and un-assigned stuff lying around.

3 beds are built (2 all by myself! - yes, I'm proud of that). The middle heathen wants her's painted black and grey so I can't put it together until after it stops raining, I get it sanded and painted, then dried. Have I mentioned it seems like monsoon season here in Virginia?

We've got family inbound on Saturday. At least the living/dining/kitchen/office areas are ready for visitors/habitation. The girls rooms not so much...Our room, not at all. Our bed is together but that's about it bud.

We own too much crap! I'm throwing away boxes worth after going through them on un-pack. But, its moving along at a slow pace, but moving none the less.

Hope all have a good weekend! I'll be 31 on Sunday and all I want is a hand-dipped DQ cone. :)

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes

My whole world isn't made up of boxes, but I'll be danged if it doesn't seem that way sometimes. Unaccompanied Baggage came in yesterday. Household Goods today and tomorrow. I have the plan of this time next week the house being put away properly even if I have to be a mean task master where the hubby and kids are concerned.

I did pull a bonehead and forget to get the guys some bottled water. I've got sodas, ice, tea, and cups but I forgot the water. I'll pick some up today so they can have it later. We'll buy lunch for them tomorrow and I'll pick up some donuts or something as well.

The house, the house, the house is...

Packed. 12 1/2 crates, and 2 days later my goods are on a truck somewhere in Italy heading to VA. Yay!!!! 2 more weeks and I'm on the way too!

Accomplished

I feel like that, at least for the moment. I've got PCS wheel's up dates, billeting dates, housing pre and final out inspection dates. I've got Medical Clearance paperwork, I've got Hard Copy Orders. I've got a truck shipping date, and a date for FMO to drop off loaner furniture. I've got a date to get our household shipment, and unaccompanied baggage, dates. Yeah, yeah my husband did most of that but I put in a fair amount of leg work too.

I just typed up our housing request for the gaining base now I only need to fax it.

I've typed my PTA newsletter, board meeting minutes, I've made all the beanbags for our upcoming carnival (though I need to sew a few more closed). I've finished the new Nomination Forms for the incoming board nominations.

So now I sit, somewhat vegging. Our PCS is moving along smoothly, though we won't be going to TX as hoped. We will go directly to VA, with no leave in conjunction. Now, just a few more things to stress over, but other than that things are coming together nicely. Yay!

I don't need no stinking title

Actually, I can't think of one so here we go.

Had fun at my Hafla last night. I'm very sad to see my friend go, even though I'm terribly excited for her and wish her a wonderful life in all her future adventures. At least I know I'll have someone to stay with if we ever go to the west coast.

Sometimes it seems my good friends PCS as soon as we get here, and then I get new ones right before we leave. All the rest of the time I'm stuck with back-stabbing bitches who are passive-aggressive. Eh, one of the not fun parts of the military life.

I'm waiting for June 1st. On that day, I get to tell certain people to kiss my bright white ass. I am greatly looking forward to it.

Updated the recipe blog with recipes (several of which are reposts, but many more are shiny and new!) I've even set up recurring posts so you'll get a new recipe every week - on Monday. Yay me!

Off to make chalk with the heathens. I hope your weekend has been relaxing and recharging. I know mine has.

No, Stupid, I won't

Pay your balloon mortgage! Just because you're an idiot and opted to get one does NOT mean I feel the need to take it over and "rent to own" your home! By rent, I mean "RENT", not purchase. I have no desire to settle in Virginia, nor will I buy my first home there.

Also, WTF is with the 5' between you and your neighbor's house? If I wanted them that closed I'd live with them! I don't want them that close (or living with me) so no, I do not want to live in a suburb. I don't dig people telling me my lawn is 1/4" too long, that my hedges aren't perfectly level (yes, they've actually done it), or that my dog is too big for my yard. Unless you can guarantee that the neighbors will keep their dirty little noses in their own stinky little messes, I don't want neighbors! I generally used to go out of my way to be nice to the neighbors. Aviano has sucked that right the fuck outta me! I don't want anything to do with ANY of my neighbors here. They could be sociopaths, lawyers, or even saints and I still want NOTHING to do with them. Why on god's green earth am I going to want to live within spitting distance of the next house?

Oh, there's a new recipe up on the recipe blog. It isn't even a re-post from previously, it's a brand new one. Don't you all feel special? I really hope a recipe on my blog is not what makes you feel special.

Oh, and the family blog has been updated as well. See? I'm trying on the Tacita front! Today is a holy day to Dea Tacita (the goddess of Silence, and hence the dead). It is also about mid-way through the Parentalia festival dedicated to the souls of departed parents.

Somewhat getting ready

I haven't done much for our PCS. Can't really until the med clearances go through and that requires contacting people on base who are off today. However, I have begun packing the kiddos' carry-on with all their workbooks (I am a hard task master), coloring pads, and a change of undies. I won't pack snacks until the end, same with the MP3 players. They aren't generally permitted to take their electronic gismoes but I think their little GameBoys will go in at the end as well.

As more than one flight crew has commented - my children are well behaved, quiet, and tidy. They have a healthy fear of mommy and daddy and know what we won't tolerate on an 8+ hour flight to anywhere. I also firmly believe children will be children and need something to entertain them on those flights. I find education to be both entertaining and knowledge building (haha, can you tell I'm from teachers?) hence the workbooks. The fun should be silent as well, hence the color pads and crayons/markers/pens/pencils and then electronic junk. I'm not best pleased with the electronic junk, but the games they have are at least not stupidity for stupidity's sake such as Sponge Bob.

I've also gone through all my clothes, and the youngest one's. Everything that's too small, old, or what not has been parsed out. Now, back to typing cookbook recipes. Happy President's Day!

My first born for a house?

You have got to be shitting me! The price of real estate in Virginia, just for rentals, is astronomical! Someone needs to let them know that it's a buyer's market and the bottom fell out of the housing market. They haven't got the message yet.

We're on the way

We've gotten a rip, waiting on hard copy, but we will be headed to Langley AFB, Virginia in about 4 months. As much planning as I need to do, and the stress that will go with it, I'm just happy right now to know where we're headed.