Hello!

Okay, so I am way overdue for a blog post, but before I go and make up a whole bunch of excuses, I'll just be genuinely honest - I'm terrible at keeping up a blog. Tonight, though, I thought I'd drop in. Yes, I am still alive. No, my life is not exciting enough to keep you reading several posts a week. But hey, I'm drinking raspberry tea in celebration of spring-that's-almost-summer (even though it's pretty much the exact same thing as winter down here in Florida) and somehow it gave me the tiniest jolt of motivation.

Things have been good here in Florida since I last posted something of substance. We've had a lot of rain lately, but the temperature has been consistently just-about-perfect. We're trying to enjoy the weather, and the fact that we don't need air conditioning or heat, before the hot, humid summer works its way into our lives again.

Keagan finished Introductory Flight School (IFS), which ended in a solo flight. It was awesome for him to get back in the air again. Now, he is in the midst of Advanced Preflight Indoctrination (API), studying like crazy. He does get a little more down time than he did in Virginia, but he is still working very hard and I am very proud.

I've been volunteering at the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society a few days a week and love every day of it. I finished my Bookkeeping and Administrative Assistant classes last week, and will take a certification exam next week. I've also had a whole bunch of job interviews...but I don't really want to go down that road right now. :)

We've both been enjoying a good amount of time together and also enjoy getting more involved with our Lifegroup at church (making new friends!).

Zulu suddenly decided that she likes learning (but most likely just the new treats we got her...) and has learned a bunch of new tricks. She also has become a lot more enjoyable to walk, thanks to our new walking collar. Seriously. It's the best puppy investment so far.

Our friend Petra came down from Minnesota to visit us for a week. We loved having company (and a guest room!) and enjoyed visiting the Pensacola lighthouse, Fort Pickens, a few different beaches, eating fish, and lots of catching up. If only we could keep her here... :)

I had a birthday, and enjoyed sweet messages, as well as some thoughtful gifts. Birthdays are okay sometimes. I treated myself, and bought a keyboard. Of course I had to let my mom know right away so she could send me my favorite piano books in the mail. Moms truly are the best.

Oh, and we are still talking about the HIMYM finale at least twice a week....

:) Happy Weekend!!

Drizzly October

It's cold and dreary out. I just put slippers on- and a second long-sleeve layer. The heat's not on, the a/c is off. It's only 60 degrees outside! I opened my windows this morning, but shouldn't have, because the chill is still hanging around. My toes are cold. It must be October.

Zulu is sitting on my lap-trying to help cure me of my writer's block, which seems to be around more often than not lately. We've got a cozy apple cider candle burning to warm us up- if that's possible, which I believe it is.

I got up early to finish my library book today- I had already renewed it twice and really just needed to finish it and turn it in on it's due date. It's a checklist-lover thing. I sat on my couch, with a mug of chai, and Zulu curled up next to me. It was a good way to spend a drizzly fall morning. But now, I'm still stuck in the rut of not accomplishing much. We made it to the library, got some crockpot chicken ready to go for supper, and got the kitchen cleaned. I tidied up a bit, but that's as far as I've gotten so far. How is it that I am so efficient some days and struggle so much the next? Oh well...I'll catch up on my homework tonight.

As for it being October, I still can't really believe it. Slowly, I'm easing into the chill. I've been using my cast iron skillet more, throwing meals in the crockpot more, smelling vanilla and cinnamon more, and confusing myself by alternating tea or ice-cream for an after supper treat.

~~~

Last week was the week of organization. Other than reading and studying for my classes, I really had no other responsibilities. Keagan was gone all week, Zulu was spayed and had to take it easy all week, and I didn't babysit. So, out came the nerd in me. First, I started by pulling out a little fall decoration. Nothing big; I just switched out the brighter colors with lighter colors, for more mellow-fall-feel. I swapped out a couple lamps for additional coziness, and bought a new candle- because that's what I do. Then, I tackled every little cupboard, box, and drawer that needed a little organizing TLC and went to work. And finally, I took care of some long-lost to-do-list items. You guys, that's my favorite thing to do. Zulu just jumped off my lap- she knows how lame I am.

~~~

Getting a dog spayed is a very interesting experience for someone who's never had a real pet before. I was nearly in tears when I left her at the vet- in a cold building with a slippery floor that she really didn't like. The vet tech was not personable. Without saying a word, or looking me in the eyes, she took Zulu out of my arms, slipped a leash around her, and whisked her away. I finished filling out paperwork, hearing Zulu cry the whole time, and then had to leave her there for four whole hours. It was miserable. After picking her up, she whined non-stop for a couple hours, before finally allowing herself to fall asleep- her head balancing awkwardly on the cone she had to wear. She was pitiful the first day, but was ready to get back to real-life the second day. Sorry, Zulu. We still have a few days before you can run, jump, climb stairs, and play. We're almost there!!

~~~

As for having fun...don't worry...I didn't just organize. I went for a walk with a friend, had supper with a bunch of military wives, and spent Sunday in Richmond with Kiley and Keagan. We went to a very Southern Baptist-y church, enjoyed some food (of course), and swam in the James River. It was almost 90 degrees, believe it or not! I guess the Midwest isn't the only place with bi-polar weather.

So far, the current week has been lovely. Keagan has been getting off at a decent supper-time, and we're looking forward to enjoying a long Columbus Day Weekend.

And the best news? It's 3:24 and I just got a text saying Keagan is on his way home!! What a treat. TBS you're being nice this week.

On a Walk with Zulu

I love that our apartment complex is big enough and pretty enough to enjoy puppy strolls. Usually, we walk the sidewalk loop- about 3/4 of a mile and then head to the backs of the buildings, where they mow the grass...yay! I let Zulu have more of her leash and she runs around to explore every sight and smell possible. The hills help me get a good workout too! I love getting fresh air for an hour each day and I appreciate the effort the apartment owners put into keeping the grass, trees, and plants looking so beautiful. This doesn't feel like concrete rows of buildings...instead the sights are pleasant. It feels wonderful to get out and walk the pup. Here's a little picture of our walks together.

"Hurry up, I'm waiting!!" We know she's anxious when both ears are sticking straight up.

Our apartment complex has some really neat trees and plants, filled with butterflies.

"Seriously? You're taking pictures? I want to run!"

Walking the perimeter- beautiful wooded areas.

And believe it or not, a creek runs through the complex! I would have never known if I didn't walk so much with Zulu.

I love that we have trees in our apartment complex.

Gazebo/Pool area

More plants

Front of our building

The grassy areas behind the apartments are perfect for burning off puppy energy.

Little puppy, big world.

Can you spot the puppy?

She thinks she's in charge.

Living life on the edge.

Back upstairs and back inside. 

Puppy Time, Clean Cars, and Broken Teeth

Owning a puppy is a little bit like...well...nothing that I've ever done before. One minute I'm oohing and ahhing over her abilities to sit so quietly when asked, to walk so perfectly, and to be so cute. The next? I'm emotionally spiraling out of control, mad at her for chewing on electrical cords, not walking like she should, and stinking up her little corner of our apartment. Pretty soon I forget the cute, drop into a terrible attitude, and let everything bother me- including the crooked vent above the stove. Really? Who put that in there, an amateur?

I'm not sure if I've had a worse week of feeling sorry for myself in a very long time. But eventually, I gotta pick up the pieces, remember she's a puppy and needs me to show her what's right and wrong, and strive for a better, more patient attitude. This little one sure is testing my patience. I'm so used to doing my own thing on my own terms. With just Keagan and I in the apartment, it's so easy. Even when we don't agree, we still understand each other. This puppy? Well...she speaks puppy and I speak selfish-human-who-likes-her-own-way.

Patience- that's the word of the week.

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It's been a very hot and humid week. I think I broke my record for most showers taken...ever. We're getting more and more used to Virginia- the place where people back into parking spots, walk outside with umbrellas on sunny days, and always have really clean cars. It's really not a bad place.

Besides the puppy that's taken up so much of this week's attention, we actually had a pretty eventful week! Keagan's hours were not bad, which really helped relax his emotional, overtired wife. (That's me, by the way). On Wednesday, I got to join a group of spouses for a recipe-swap party...something I had decided to host, not knowing at the time that we'd take be taking in a little yapper. Thankfully, another spouse graciously offered to host at her place. We got together, ate delicious food, and came home with fun new recipes to try. Food...it gets me so excited.

Thursday, I got a text from Keagan saying- "Guess who lost a tooth?" I responded by immediately making Jello. Turns out helmets don't always prevent injuries, but are sometimes the cause of them. Keagan's since been living with half of a front tooth. Hopefully, they can get him in to the dentist tomorrow to get it fixed. Until then, we're learning to appreciate the new look. :)

Friday, we had a much-needed, relaxing night, watching Robot & Frank and eating ice-cream. It was a fairly delightful movie. The ending, though, not so great.

We got ambitious on Saturday and decided to finally de-gravel our Iowan cars. Remember when I mentioned that people out here always have really clean cars? Well...they really do. It's almost compulsive. I once had a lady apologize to me about her messy car and I looked around and saw one rock. One. We finally got self-conscious enough about our cars that are so used to a comforting dusting of gravel, and went to town. We scrubbed every surface that could be scrubbed, hosed down every nook and cranny that could be hosed down, vacuumed out every piece of gravel and several bobby pins, and then went out to Gelato Cafe to cool down and relax. We probably need to stop rewarding ourselves with ice-cream...even if it is Italian. It was so satisfying though...these high-90's days with 100,000% humidity can really drain a person.

It's been nice to relax this weekend and have a little help with Miss Puppy. We even snuck out of the apartment to enjoy a date at Zibbibo 73- a lovely Italian restaurant with live piano music. 

This week? I guess it wasn't so bad. We're looking forward to a cooler week ahead...with a chance of storms.

I wish you a week filled with patience, fully-intact teeth, and cars that fit your regional standards of cleanliness.

Dear Puppy

I've wanted one of you for as long as I can remember, but I think that is because I have mostly hung out with the older versions of your kind. I knew I wanted a friend, though. Someone I could walk with when my husband wasn't around. Someone who would sit next to me and watch me be my boring, but content self, and love me anyways. Someone to laugh at and cuddle and simply just...have.

We've been looking for you for awhile now. We were hoping you'd be a little bit older, a lot more trained, and a little less expensive. But those stinkin' cute eyes tugged our heartstrings and caused us to make an "almost" impulse buy.

We drove an hour to find you. I think Keagan feared for his life as I drove, nervous and excited, Sunday evening to get you. Honestly, I didn't know if I was ready for you. But those eyes. Ugh...those puppy eyes. They captured us. We got to pick you up and bring you home and you didn't even pee in the car...until I parked it in front of our apartment complex. It was a heroic effort, puppy. It really was!

You actually had a pretty good night, considering how we tore you away from your comfortable home and set you on a pillow and blanket in our bathroom. You had a little accident, but that's to be expected, I suppose. I, on the other hand, did not have such a good night. I panicked, and worried I made a mistake, and didn't sleep more than 3 hours all night. I alternated between sleeping on the bathroom floor next to you, and right outside of the door where you could see me. That's the only way I could keep you happy.You poor, nervous, girl. I tried to google puppy advice to soothe me to sleep. It actually...kind of...worked.

We started a journal last night, trying to discover your habits and develop a routine with you. I think that was a good puppy-parent move. We have made a few mistakes- like not buying your crate until this morning (but I made it to the pet store and back without you destroying a single thing), stuffing a pillow in it that was was too fluffy (but you can't do without it) and still not naming you...because nothing suits you quite right yet. Oh, and I bought a food and water dish that's too big for your crate. Hmmph. We'll make more mistakes, but puppies forgive with enough petting and loving, right?

We have had some victories, though. I taught you how to climb the stairs that you were so afraid of. We've made it outside a few times without getting anything on the carpet today, and you crawled in your crate when I wasn't even looking. I dramatically thought that I was never going to get you to go in there, and that crate training was never even going to be an option. (Yes, we're crate training, but we're also keeping her active! It's the best of the options we considered for our lifestyle and hers). Now, you're peacefully sleeping in there, and I think you kind of like it. In fact, you won't even exit out the wide open door! I tried to nap beside you, because I'm tired and don't want to grab that toxic can of Mt. Dew in the fridge. I just couldn't do it, though. You've got my mind running a million miles an hour, but I think that's a good thing.

You're kind of a silly little thing. You like to dart around and chase the end of your tail. You can't go more than an hour without plopping yourself right in my lap. You don't really like to play, but maybe we haven't found the right toys for you yet. We're gonna get really good at walking, I hope. You did make it around the block today, just fine!

If you forgive me for my puppy-parent mistakes, I'll forgive you for turning our normally tidy apartment into this...

But we're going to work on it.

You scare me, a lot. I know next to nothing about actually training puppies. I just know about what I've read. We've got a lot to learn, you and I, but I think we're going to get along just fine. I really do. Sometimes, I think that I can't wait until you're older, but I know I'll miss the puppy days. And this blogging thing? Maybe it will be a good thing. You can sleep peacefully, as I relax by letting my thoughts flow through the fingers on my keyboard.