A prelude to a....Spartan race!

Feet flying over rocks and dirt. The sound of my breathing attracts stares as I pass the walkers that dot the trail around the lake. With my pink cheeks, voluptuous butt and tattoos, I run without the natural grace that some possess. I think I might look downright scary. But, I cannot stop. The old cadence rings in my head from my old Army days, "pick 'EM up; put 'EM down!". That's what I think when I want to stop. 7 miles later I was truly done. 7 miles. It's good. I'm proud but I need more. On November 18th, I have to give more. 12 miles and 25+ obstacles worth of more. Lazy me balks at this challenge but the girl who had to show she could must complete this race. What does your inner self compel you to do?

Stuttgart, thoughts and such

So, we have been here not quite a week in Germany. It's interesting. I love it but there are key differences here. For the first time in a long time, i felt a sense of culture shock. That feeling hasn't overcome me since my first trip overseas that I could remember as a young woman. We live in the Bad Canstatt area of Stuttgart. Vineyards and trails are nestled in amongst the urban sprawl. It's like having pockets of country amongst the city. The hill we are situated on allows an expansive view of the area. The beauty is incredible. Lush and green are the best descriptors. My frustrations have to do with my own lack of knowledge of the language. My remedy is that I've signed up for a German language class. Negatively, we've had the worst time getting television and internet connected. Customer service in Germany is NOT the same as in the states. Despite the drawbacks of a language barrier and managing with one vehicle, I can see that our time here is going to be fun. My first excursion occurs Monday with a friend. We are taking the kids to the mineral baths in town. I'm really looking forward to it. My apologies for such a disjointed post. It sounds choppier than I intended. My thoughts are scattered with trying to adjust to a new environment. I'll post later and with pictures as I encounter new things. Tschuss!

Change is good, right?

So, I have things scheduled for the move to Germany. Movers arranged, check. Carpet cleaners and house cleaners, check. Yard guys, check. I've done this a zillion times so it should be old hat. Panic and frenzy always overtake me at some point for some reason. This time its the pets. Shipping pets overseas is quite the adventure. Scratch that, it sucks in a big way. If it were possible, I think it might be easier for me to take them over on a rowboat. The timing is a real pisser. A health certificate from the USDA is required not more than 10 days from the date of flight. Oh yeah, you have to go their office in person at some point during that time to get the official seal on the papers. Add to all this the fact that the first lady booked my cats on a nonexistent flight the first time. Thank God I called. We rescheduled a flight on two days later that I sure as hell hope exists. So, the moral here is that if you need to take pets overseas, expect a pain in the ass process of epic proportions. In the meantime, I'll be waiting for the movers to come pack the enormous amount of crap that I own.

Weekend Disconnect

It's the weekend and I'm on a mission. No cell phone, no facebook, and no tv. I'd say no internet but I don't want to stroke out. Spending the past few years glued to my smartphone has left me handicapped. If I'm not constantly checking my emails or other crap, I feel like a junkie coming off a high. That's a little too much for me. My emotional health shouldn't depend so heavily on a bundle of computer chips. So, I've decided to spend the weekend seeing how much I can do in the time I would normally waste on my phone. What can you do if you disconnect? Ready, set, GO!!!!

वही अल थे हते फॉर मोम्स?

Okay, first it was Hilary Rosen and of course, Bill Maher had to pile on. I get it, you guys think that women who stay at home and raise their kids are lazy, out of touch morons. I don't dispute that Ann Romney can't relate to the family who is hurting financially. She probably doesn't know what it means to not be able to afford the field trip or food for your family. If these two birds wanted to make that point, I could have respected their opinion. Hell, I might have even agreed with it. What I cannot agree with, however, is the notion that women who do not work outside of the home are somehow less in touch or even lazy! Let me call it like it is folks: Bullshit! I've been a working mom and a stay at home mom. Both choices have their merits, their challenges and their rewards. I've know working moms who deserve mother of the year. There organization and nuturing leaves me in awe. I've known stay at home moms who make me feel the same way. I've also seen moms in both categories who really suck as parents and frankly, as women. As a woman who has done both, I am more than qualified to put my two cents in. So, my dear Ms Rosen and my dear Mr Maher, each of you are uninformed, divisive jackasses. When I worked, I understood the pressures of childcare and worklife balance. You see, I was active duty military along with my husband. You don't want to know the delicate juggling act that entailed. I worked for some years in the civilian sector and continued to juggle. For personal reaons, my husband and I decided it would be great if I could stay home. We sat down with our budget, made some hard choices and did without so I could do that. My ability to stay home was not a luxury. For several years, I fed our family of four on not more than $360 per month. We didn't have nights out because we couldn't afford a sitter. Believe me, at times I would have welcomed a day at the office. You see, Mr Maher, moms don't get to call in sick. We have deadlines that don't disappear. I've dealt with teenage and preteen attitude that would make the nuttiest coworker seem tame. I'm glad I've been able to pursue both paths. What I am sick of is folks like you who seek to divide women in the most personal way. The value of a woman lies not in whether she chooses or is even able to stay home with her children, it lies in her character, her spirit and her heart. Attacking a woman for choosing to raise her children as a sole pursuit is so base and pathetic.

What's new in 2012

Well, 2011 has rolled on by with some changes. Hubby returned safely from yet another tour in Iraq. The kids got older. We fell in love with Colorado. 2012 brings new challenges. We are headed to Germany in the summer. Yay! Unfortunately, we lost our two hamsters (Ben & Jerry) and our precious dog Chloe to illness and old age. So, 2012 is off to a bittersweet start. I can't promise I'll be a good blogger but, hell, I'll give it a go. I need something and reviving this blog could be it. So, I'm off to supervise our movers as they pack the last of our storage items. The next post will have pics. Not great pics but pics. Later ya'll.

Moving and clumsy

Well, I'm moving to Germany in the spring. Really excited about that! I love to travel and just adore Europe so I'm already making plans for what I must see. In other news, I severely sprained my ankle in what could only be described as the worlds lamest dunk attempt on the ball court. Never known for poise and grace, my ankle is bruised all the way up my shin. Somehow, I avoided a fracture which is a huge surprise considering that I normally sustain maximum damage with minimal effort. Sigh. Oh well, nothing to do but heal. In the meantime I will continue my obsessive list making and finish some abandoned projects. More posts with pics to follow. Later!