Tuesday, June 2, 2009
We have a tentative job offer!!!
We finally got word that Anton has been offered the opportunity to interview for the job we wanted here in Washington. While an interview doesn't sound exciting to some people, with the FAA an interview pretty much means you have the job. As long as you don't royally mess up somehow or fail your background check or medical exam, you have the job. HOORAY!!!! I am so excited. Of course, he may not start working until a long time from now, and then he'll have to do years of training, but at least it's a paycheck. I love when long waits come to an end!!!! And now I have to go work some more, even though I am too excited to think straight. Air traffic control, here we come!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Free Money
I love free money. How about you? I just found a company called Swagbucks that lets you earn points for doing your regular internet searching and you can then redeem those points for money, like Amazon gift cards. Since I search the internet all the time, I figured why not get something for it? Their search engine uses Google and Ask.com so the results aren't any different than I was getting before. I've been a member for 3 days and have 16 points so far for doing nothing but search the internet.
So why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to sign up and help me earn more! If I get friends to sign up then I get points when they get points. So you should all sign up, then get your friends to sign up, and then we can all buy our Christmas gifts for free this year with all of our free Amazon gift cards! Sound like a plan? Good. So go here, and sign up and start searching! Thanks for helping me help you help me get free money!
Swagbucks
So why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to sign up and help me earn more! If I get friends to sign up then I get points when they get points. So you should all sign up, then get your friends to sign up, and then we can all buy our Christmas gifts for free this year with all of our free Amazon gift cards! Sound like a plan? Good. So go here, and sign up and start searching! Thanks for helping me help you help me get free money!
Swagbucks
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Missing the Military
Excuse me while I indulge myself in a little self wallowing.
I miss the military. Like REALLY miss the military. And I know a lot of you will think I'm crazy for even feeling remotely sentimental about the military, but let me tell you, once you're on the outside it's a whole new world, literally. Now, there are some things I don't miss about the military. I don't miss the crazy work schedules or the constant possibility of deployment, the constant hurry up and wait, and we did a lot of that towards the end. But the things I miss far outweigh the bad things in the current moment.
The number one thing I miss the most is the common bond you have with everyone around you. There is nothing that brings a group of people together as friends better than the military. Then if you throw some common religion in there, that bond grows even stronger. I miss having military friends. I read all their blogs and about all their get-togethers and feel so left out. Out here in the "real world" people have families to visit and work to do and just don't seem to care so much about (or need) the close friends that you rely on when you're in the military, when those friends are all you have.
You know what else I miss? Moving. I love going new places and seeing new things. The idea that I may live in the same place for 10 plus years has me a little scared. My itchy traveling feet may not be able to handle it. And buying a house? That's a huge commitment, and the military kept me from having to make it.
The military also made me feel special. When you tell people you are in the military (or in a military family) they think that's really cool and oftentimes they will thank you for your service and make you feel really guilty that all you've really done is spend 4 years in training and not doing a while lot of service. And you can't tell me that it doesn't make you feel super special to get to drive on a military base and just flash your ID to the guards and get to drive right past. Before I was in the military I would drive by the bases and wonder what super secret things go on inside those fences, and when you're in the military you get to be on the other side of the fences. Of course then you learn that nothing too special goes on inside, but those on the outside don't have to know that.
Uniforms. Need I say more? My husband looked soooo good in his uniforms. Khakis and polos just won't be the same.
I miss being taken care of. Regular paycheck? Check. Housing allowance? Check. Food allowance? Check. Medical Insurance? Check. Most of it tax free? Check.
So I guess that's enough self-pity for now. Poor, lonely, unspecial me will now go find something to happy about not being in the military. Maybe.
I miss the military. Like REALLY miss the military. And I know a lot of you will think I'm crazy for even feeling remotely sentimental about the military, but let me tell you, once you're on the outside it's a whole new world, literally. Now, there are some things I don't miss about the military. I don't miss the crazy work schedules or the constant possibility of deployment, the constant hurry up and wait, and we did a lot of that towards the end. But the things I miss far outweigh the bad things in the current moment.
The number one thing I miss the most is the common bond you have with everyone around you. There is nothing that brings a group of people together as friends better than the military. Then if you throw some common religion in there, that bond grows even stronger. I miss having military friends. I read all their blogs and about all their get-togethers and feel so left out. Out here in the "real world" people have families to visit and work to do and just don't seem to care so much about (or need) the close friends that you rely on when you're in the military, when those friends are all you have.
You know what else I miss? Moving. I love going new places and seeing new things. The idea that I may live in the same place for 10 plus years has me a little scared. My itchy traveling feet may not be able to handle it. And buying a house? That's a huge commitment, and the military kept me from having to make it.
The military also made me feel special. When you tell people you are in the military (or in a military family) they think that's really cool and oftentimes they will thank you for your service and make you feel really guilty that all you've really done is spend 4 years in training and not doing a while lot of service. And you can't tell me that it doesn't make you feel super special to get to drive on a military base and just flash your ID to the guards and get to drive right past. Before I was in the military I would drive by the bases and wonder what super secret things go on inside those fences, and when you're in the military you get to be on the other side of the fences. Of course then you learn that nothing too special goes on inside, but those on the outside don't have to know that.
Uniforms. Need I say more? My husband looked soooo good in his uniforms. Khakis and polos just won't be the same.
I miss being taken care of. Regular paycheck? Check. Housing allowance? Check. Food allowance? Check. Medical Insurance? Check. Most of it tax free? Check.
So I guess that's enough self-pity for now. Poor, lonely, unspecial me will now go find something to happy about not being in the military. Maybe.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Getting Older
A few days ago we celebrated Anton's birthday. He couldn't decide what he wanted to do for his special day so we kindof just winged it. We left the kids with a friend and drove downtown. We wandered Pike Place Market, sampling all the foods. We got some specialty cheese to nibble on while waiting to get piroshky from a Russian bakery. Then we decided we were cold enough, so we went and got hot chocolate.
We headed back home and got the kids. Then Anton opened his presents.
We got him a light that clips on his hat for while he's running, and an iTunes gift card.
Grandma and Grandpa got him a shirt...
and a weather station.
He loved all his new stuff and played with the weather station for a long time.
For dinner we had buffalo chicken, just like last year. It was super tasty. We invited friends over for cake and ice cream later. I made Anton a coconut cake from a Paula Deen recipe. It wasn't the kind of coconut cake I had wanted to make, but it ended up really good. I made coconut because when we were dating we had coconut cake all the time.
He blew out his five candles (only 5 were real, the rest were left overs from the RS cake), and then we ate. And that's about it. Not a terribly exciting recitation of the birthday festivities, but I guess I'm not feeling the writer's spark tonight.
We headed back home and got the kids. Then Anton opened his presents.
We got him a light that clips on his hat for while he's running, and an iTunes gift card.
Grandma and Grandpa got him a shirt...
and a weather station.
He loved all his new stuff and played with the weather station for a long time.For dinner we had buffalo chicken, just like last year. It was super tasty. We invited friends over for cake and ice cream later. I made Anton a coconut cake from a Paula Deen recipe. It wasn't the kind of coconut cake I had wanted to make, but it ended up really good. I made coconut because when we were dating we had coconut cake all the time.
He blew out his five candles (only 5 were real, the rest were left overs from the RS cake), and then we ate. And that's about it. Not a terribly exciting recitation of the birthday festivities, but I guess I'm not feeling the writer's spark tonight.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Relief Society Birthday
Yesterday was our Relief Society Birthday Enrichment night. (The Relief Society is the women's organization in our church for those who don't know.) We had a service auction for our activity and decorated the room like a birthday party, streamers and ballons everywhere. Not only was I in charge of the activity, but I also decided it would be fun to make a birthday cake for it too. So while trying to get all the last-minute details in order, I was also baking a cake.
I had the cake gods working against me on this one. First of all, the bottom layer of the cake was in the oven for almost 2 hours and still wouldn't cook all the way through. Finally I deemed it cooked enough and just chopped the uncooked top off. Then when I was taking that layer out of the pan and layering it, it was cracking like crazy. Then I made a new type of frosting, and while it was a super smooth frosting, it tasted like Crisco. So double the amount of sugar later and it was finally passable. Then it was time to make the filling. Instead of boiling down raspberries to make this filling like I normally do, I decided to just mix some seedless raspberry jelly into some of the frosting to make a raspberry cream type filling. I mixed and mixed and mixed and mixed, and no matter how nice it looked while I was mixing, as soon as I stopped it seperated. It looked like pink cottage cheese. Not good. So no raspberry filling.
After all of this I was ready to head to the grocery store bakery and call it good. But I gave it one last go, threw it all together, and managed to make it work out in the end.
The bottom layer was bright pink in my kitchen, but under the gym lights of the church it looked salmon. Oh well.
It was the 167th birthday. It's not everyday you get to put that large of a number on a cake and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
And since we couldn't have real candles in the church, I made them out of chocolate. Those were my favorite part. Yum.
As far as the rest of the activity, it seemed to go well. I was too busy running around arranging things to even notice much that was going on. People gave good feedback, and someone even said it was the best Enrichment they had ever been to. This was huge since it had been a bit of a struggle to get the powers that be to even let me do the activity. So all in all everything worked out in the end. And now I can take a week break before starting to plan the next one.
I had the cake gods working against me on this one. First of all, the bottom layer of the cake was in the oven for almost 2 hours and still wouldn't cook all the way through. Finally I deemed it cooked enough and just chopped the uncooked top off. Then when I was taking that layer out of the pan and layering it, it was cracking like crazy. Then I made a new type of frosting, and while it was a super smooth frosting, it tasted like Crisco. So double the amount of sugar later and it was finally passable. Then it was time to make the filling. Instead of boiling down raspberries to make this filling like I normally do, I decided to just mix some seedless raspberry jelly into some of the frosting to make a raspberry cream type filling. I mixed and mixed and mixed and mixed, and no matter how nice it looked while I was mixing, as soon as I stopped it seperated. It looked like pink cottage cheese. Not good. So no raspberry filling.
After all of this I was ready to head to the grocery store bakery and call it good. But I gave it one last go, threw it all together, and managed to make it work out in the end.
The bottom layer was bright pink in my kitchen, but under the gym lights of the church it looked salmon. Oh well.
It was the 167th birthday. It's not everyday you get to put that large of a number on a cake and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
And since we couldn't have real candles in the church, I made them out of chocolate. Those were my favorite part. Yum.As far as the rest of the activity, it seemed to go well. I was too busy running around arranging things to even notice much that was going on. People gave good feedback, and someone even said it was the best Enrichment they had ever been to. This was huge since it had been a bit of a struggle to get the powers that be to even let me do the activity. So all in all everything worked out in the end. And now I can take a week break before starting to plan the next one.
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