Mickey Really is the Sweetest Man

I mean that, too.  Not just because he pays my bills and buys me nice things.  (not that those things hurt, mind you)

A couple days ago FedEx delivered a box addressed to Mickey.  I e-mailed him and told him his box arrived.  He said it was for "our son."  I thought he had bought something for Gunny. 

I called and asked Mickey if he wanted me to open it and he said, "Yes."  So I did.  And in the box was a deployment flag with one star, representative of the one child that "we" have deployed right now.  A deployment magnet (for my car), and a Christmas ornament that says, "Proud of my Soldier."

It was such a sweet and thoughtful thing of him to do.   I wish Mickey was home right now so I could hug him.  I wish James was home so I can take that flag down.  I have two wonderful Men.  I am very lucky.

James is Deployed again

..to some armpit of the world.  He left early this morning and he will be gone 6-12 months with very little contact to me or his wife and kids.

I know this is part of military life, but damn, it really sucks.

I hate knowing he is in harm's way and not knowing and not being able to help him.  I hate that he won't be around for Christmas or his birthday.

I'm so glad he'll be getting out after this deployment.

Tonight I lit a prayer candle for him.  I'm not a praying type.  But tonight I am praying for his safety and his quick return.

If you are inclined to do so, please keep my son James in your thoughts and prayers.  He's a good son, a good father, a good soldier, and a good man.  I know he has important job ahead of him.   And I am very proud of him for the sacrifices he is making for this Country.

But I'm still worried.



Thankful

It's not often that I write or post about the good things in my life.  But I really do have a Wonderful Life.  I have very little to complain about, and the good definitely outweighs any bad. 

I'm Thankful that my son and his family are doing well.  I worry about him deploying next month, but I am grateful that he has had 2+ years of intensive training to prepare him for this mission.  I'm very proud of my (not so) Little Boy.

I'm Thankful for my two Dogs, who are Loyal to the Death, Gunny to the perp's death, Lola to her own (she would have a heart attack).  They're boy big old sweeties and I love them more every day (even though Lola still digs holes in the back yard).

I'm Thankful for my wonderful, drop dead Sexy, generous, successful, loving Husband, who goes out of his way to make me happy.  I don't know what I did to deserve this man, but I'm grateful to have met and later married him.

I'm Thankful for my health and sanity.  Life for me is Good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

London, Here We Come!!!

For once I won't have to purchase a Rosetta Stone prior to traveling.  Saturday night we are leaving for London, and will stop in Amsterdam for a couple days on the way home.

I hadn't originally planned on going.  This is a business trip for Mickey.  He's visiting clients there.  He was supposed to take his Operations counterpart with him, but the Ops guy had to back out.  So instead of going alone, he is taking ME.  Yay, me!

And I'm not going to just sit in the hotel, either.  I'm going on the client visits with him.  Since I'm a Recruiter, I'm going as representative for the Staff Aug portion.  But mostly I'm going to smile and nod.

What I've eaten and heard about authentic English food is that it's boring and bland.  But I've heard that the Indian and Chinese food there is awesome.  I will not be eating any dish, with the main ingredient of blood.  And as always, I will not voluntarily opt to eat something that requires me to pick it up with my hands, with the exception, maybe of fish and chips (although I have heard that they wrap it up in newspaper, which seems gross that you would get INK on your food. WTF?).

And the food in Amsterdam, where I have been, is disgusting.  I love cheese, but their cheese is disgusting.  And a large portion of the indigenous diet consists of pickled fish.  Fortunately there are lots of hamburger and pizza joints in Amsterdam, no doubt to accommodate tourists' munchies.  And last we were there, we found an awesome Argentinian restaurant that served obscene portions of red meat.

So basically I am going to Europe to eat food from Asia and South America.

I plan on takings lots of photos.  Stay tuned.

Mooches

I know I've posted about this before, but it's worth reiterating, since it seems to have escalated.

My Husband attracts parasitic mooches in droves.  I don't know what it is about him that a predatorial gold digger can smell him from miles away.  EVERYWHERE he goes, people are asking him for loans or gifts or expecting him to fund their retarded "business" ventures. 

Just recently the Texas Rangers won their pennant and he got hit up by a dozen people for World Series Tickets.  Keep in mind, Mickey does not work for TicketMaster or the Texas Rangers.  These people expect him to buy THEM tickets to the World Series.  WTF?!!!  Who asks for shit like this?  World Series tickets are about $600 each.  The list of beggars includes:  neighbors, Mickey's family members (all of them), co-workers, clients, and scumbags at the GYM.

This is in addition to the regular incidences of just being hit up directly for cash.

I just don't get why people feel they are entitled to even a piece of OUR money.  What happened to Pride or Shame?  It pisses me off, really.  And it makes me want to move far away to a remote locale with lots of acreage and growing a garden and buying a cow for milk, and no telephones, just so we can have some peace.

And here's a concept:  BUY YOUR OWN FUCKING WORLD SERIES TICKETS!!!!!!!!

Freaking Out!!!

The wedding is in 3 days.  Actually it's 2:00 on Saturday.  Only I'll be there at noon until 5:00.  It's been a long time since I worked a job that required me to be gone for most of the day.

I wish I could have my bottom round roast tomorrow instead of Friday.  Tomorrow is Turkey Day, then.  In the morning I will stuff my prepared herb marinade under the skin of 4 turkeys.  During the day I will boil the pasta and then soak it in rice wine vinegar.  Some time tomorrow I have to go to the Facility and check it out and get the Lay of the Land.  

Friday I will go to the grocery store again and get the beef and the remaining vegetables and fruit.  I will briefly marinate the beef.  And then around noon I will braise it.  And then I will roast it for about and hour and a half.  And then let it sit.  Meanwhile I will chop the tomatoes and the mozarella and puree the pesto with balsamic and start marinating the tomatoes.  I will mix the pasta salad and put them all into containers.

Then I will begin brewing tea. 

Saturday morning I will begin chopping the meats and putting them into trays.  By noon I will be setting up a cheese/fruit display.  And before 2:00 I will have a buffet table set up and ready to go.  And then me (and my staff) will have fed 250 wedding guests.

Mickey and I are supposed to go to a dear friend's 50th birthday party at a swanky restaurant downtown.  Mickey thinks I won't be up for it.  But I think I will.

We'll see.  Wish me luck!

The Dress

I went online and ordered what I thought was the perfect dress for a formal wedding that Mickey and i are attending together next month.  It arrived today and let me say that it was less than perfect.

It's satin, yes.  But I can't begin to describe how wrinkled this dress is.   Were I to try to wear it, I would have to PAY a dry cleaner to iron it for me. 

But that's not the worst of it.  This dress that I've been anxiously anticipating is also a fucking TENT.  It's gigantic.  It's a fucking MooMoo.  Complete with elastic on the back, in case I gain the 50 pounds required to wear this fucking canopy.

I'm really pissed off that I have to drive to the post office and pay to ship this ugly ass tent back to the company.  I'm pissed that they wasted my time.  And I'm pissed that they don't, at a minimum, absorb the shipping costs for my returning it.

Tomorrow I'm going to have to drive into town, which takes about 20 minutes each way, to the post office.  I've twisted up this TENT called a dress, into a tight rope and bound it all together in duct tape and am sending it back return receipt requested.  I'm going to call and harrass these assholes until they credit my card for the bad purchase of this dog of a dress.

Now I have to go find another dress.  Assholes.

Mickey thinks I'm over-reacting.  I kicked him in the balls for suggesting it.