So I just had to make this quick post...

 

Q. How do you know that the Fleet is home?

A. You can't find a single can of pineapple chuncks in the entire commissary ;)

So the countdown is on people!!! Wooohoooo! Can ya tell, I'm pretty excited. Doug is on the move and running into our neighbors as he\they make their way home. It's kind of funny as the wives left back here all chat with each other and keep each other updated on whose husband has run into whose husband and where and how far they are from coming home to good old Camp Pendleton. Banners are starting to go up in the neighborhood and I'm scoping out the ATG building trying to figure out where to hang stuff... It's not looking to good right now to hang anything outside the ATG (Advisor Training Group) building... Seeing as how in the past I haven't been real big on the decorations, I don't think Doug or the team will mind much. As long as I bring the cooler with cold beers for the team after they check their weapons in at the armory, I should be good to go.

 

I'm still on the prowl for finding the last three bottles of Grant's Scotch. I've found the family reserve but am still searching for the 12 year old, sherry cask aged and ale cask aged. For those that don't know, Grant's is the favored brand of Scotch of one of the sheiks Doug worked with. So, I thought it would be nice to have a bottle when Doug gets back. The only problem is I don't know which type the sheik preferred so I'm altering on the safe side and getting all known kinds.

 

I'm set to take the humidor in this week for servicing and restocking and tomorrow the Bike Tow (888.bike.tow) guy is coming to tow Hvy Mtl to the Harley doctor up in San Juan Capistrano for some seriously needed loving.

 

The house is still a disaster from when my sister left but I'm helping out a friend and watching her two boxers so I think the house will stay messy until Friday when she gets home. Her dogs are Blue and Moon. Blue is a boy and Moon is a girl. The house they were supposed to stay at has two huskys (or is that huskies? - not sure about the spelling) and the boy husky wasn't liking Blue too much so they couldn't stay. It was a little nerve racking at our house as Shackleton and Blue vocalized to each other at first but now they seem to be getting along. It's actually kind of funny because Shackleton seems to dominate Blue but allows Moon to sit on him. Every once in awhile Moon will pin Shackleton and Blue will slyly move over and try to drap himself over Shackleton. It reminds me of the old watchamacalit where the guy yawns and tries to casually put his arm around the girl... similiar move. Except Shackleton is like, "dude, get the eff off of me." Right now, Blue is laying down in the living room next to me and Shackleton and Moon are outside laying down. It's interesting to see two pure bred boxers next to Shackleton. He looks little next to them. While I've always though Shackleton had more boxer traits than labrador, I now see the lab in him a lot more...

 

It's almost dinner time now so I'm off to feed and do the walk thing ;)

 

almost T minus 5 :)

 

 

So yeah - haven't been that great about posting have I?

 

Summer has gone by so fast. My sister is leaving and heading back to Wisconsin tomorrow. We camped out this weekend at the beach which was fun. It's pretty comical watching the Schoenick sisters put together the Luccio Condo and it's also humorous to watch us start a fire... Still had fun though.

 

Shackleton got neutered finally! No complications and he's doing really well. I know he will be really happy to see Doug when Doug gets back which won't be long now. Lilliputian has gotten out a few times this summer - the front screen door doesn't shut all the way and she manuvers her little kitty body right out the front door. She sticks close the house but I don't like her to be outside on her own as there are coyotes in the neighborhood.

 

We FINALLY got a move date to our new home. We get the keys Sept 8th and will move that week. Nothing like a little stress thrown in. This is around the same time that Doug is scheduled to come home... Don't you just love the military's timing? Pretty much everyone else in our neighborhood is in the same boat so we will all commiserate together :) my neighbor Toni received a gift from her husband - a maragrita machine :) so, we'll probably be hanging out in Toni's yard that week :)

 

I've got everything scheduled though - the cable, phone, internet, change of address, Doug's Harley is going to the Harley doctor. Now, i just have to clean the house and stock the humidor ;)

 

That's all for now. Will post more later.

 

Doug will probably post his photos when he gets home so check back later.

Woooo Hooo! It's been a pretty cool week I must say. Work was a little bit slow but I got all my arrangements made for Doug and I to go to Hawaii this fall!!! Yeah us! Neither of us have ever been but when we go, Doug will be able to say he has been to all fifty states. So, I'm pretty excited about this. We were able to use frequent flyer miles which was awesome because even flying to Hawaii from the west coast can be expensive. It will be the first time since 1995 that I have used my frequent flyer miles, not given them to someone else to use.

 

Let's see - what else? I went to an awesome work convention this weekend up in Irvine. What a blast. So much to learn and people to meet. It was truly awesome!!!

 

Lilli and Shackleton are doing well. I've been weaning Shackleton off of his prescription dog food and I think he is gaining weight. Not sure how I feel about that but he is scheduled to be neutered this Friday so I'll have to ask Dr. Massey when I take him in. Lilli is good. She loves her new furminator. I continue to be amazed at how much hair I brush off of her. Now I REALLY want to get the new Dyson Animal DC14 vacumn cleaner!!!

 

I heard from Doug and he is doing well. I'm so excited - two more months and he will be home!! Yeah!

 

No news on the housing front. I'm kind of annoyed on that one because you would hope that we would have at least 30 days notice before moving but I'm still being told we will move in August but no paperwork or arrangements have been made. That's really annoying especially since I know from past experience that it takes the packers two days to pack and the movers one day to move which means I need to take three days off of work but right now I don't know when - hard for my boss to do any planning... In the back of my mind, I'm kind of wondering if they aren't going to move us until September which would be a pain in the butt (because who wants to deal with a move when their husband is coming home after seven months and what husband wants to deal with a move when he's just been in the blazing hot desert for the last seven months) but I would appreciate having the time to plan at least... Oh man, don't ya just love Lincoln Military Housing?

 

That's it folks. I've been gone most of this weekend and need to catch up on chores around the house. See ya next week.

Okay – where to start. So much to catch up on so I’ll just start with the most recent stuff.

 

As most of you know Doug is currently deployed (see photos above). As usual, I’m keeping busy while he is out. My sister and I just did a 5k on the 4^th of July. It was her first ever and my first since the marathon in 2002. It was a nice flat course through Coronado Island. While we were there, we found out about the surf monkey 5k that is scheduled for August 2^nd here in Oceanside. Sounds like a fun course – all packed sand.

 

I started a new contract recently and it’s pretty fun – it’s a very pet friendly environment so it’s hard to get too stressed when there are happy dog faces and wagging tails everywhere you look J It’s a pretty cool place considering how much I love animals. I get to do what I’m good at, hang out with animals and get paid. Not a bad life huh?

 

Let’s see – what else is going on… I started kendo classes which are a blast. Through the classes, I’m also learning a little bit of Japanese. I can count to three J Of course there is sailing as well. I tried sailing the 4^th of July weekend but got fogged out.

 

Brittany took surf lessons this past weekend and can’t wait for the next opportunity to hang ten.

 

In housing news, we received notice that we have been assigned a new house! The house we are currently living in is scheduled for demolition (I’m not kidding) and the new houses have been built. Right now, the grass is growing and everyone is excited about moving into brand new homes. We gain another bedroom in this house so lots of room for those that want to visit. No firm move date but it is looking like sometime in August which will be perfect since it will enable me to move before Doug gets home. Yet again, he deploys & I move. We will have to find each other at the loading zone when he gets back or he won’t know where his new house is!!! This will be the second time that I have moved while Doug has been deployed… do we see a trend?

 

Shackleton & Lilliputian are well. Lilli had some fur balls the other week but the vet recommended a tool known as the furminator. It’s awesome!!! I couldn’t believe how much hair I brushed off of her. She’s good now and romping around. She’s gotten very attached lately and I can’t wait to be able to bring her to work with me J Shackleton is good as well. He’s gotten a clean bill of health regarding his demodectic mange so he is now scheduled to get neutered the end of this month!!! Yeah!!! The holistic vet has been really awesome. I’ve also started weaning him off his prescription dog food and on to regular food – we’ll see how that goes.

 

That’s it for now…

Oh this is too funny - I just had to pop in and share...

 

So, as you all know, Doug is currently deployed to a place in the middle east. Apparently, the culture where he is subscribes to the point of view that children are a status symbol (wait, what am i saying, that's true here in the US too - 3 is the new 2).  The more you have, the better off you are. Anyways, one of his counterparts became VERY concerned that Doug does not have any children. There was much discussion on whether or not all of Doug's or my part's are working correctly :) He was SO concerned that like many of us, he shared this with his spouse. His wife was so concerned that she went and got me a present :) While I'm not sure I could succesfully explain the concept of birth control and why I think it's the best thing EVER!!!, I totally appreciate this nice ladies concern. She bought something for me, gave it to her husband to give to Doug to give to me. Once Doug got back to his little hooch (the guys live in an abandoned stable and each of them have their own "stall" affectionately called a hooch or can), he opened it up and it was lingerie!!! When Doug told me this story, I cracked up laughing for a full five minutes. I laughed so hard, I nearly peed my pants :) This is a funny story to me for several reasons. Many people assume that under the berka, Islamic women wear very unflatering and baggy clothing - think granny panties... Well, the fact that they produce sexy lingerie is such an opposite thought from that. Think G strings! Also, it's funny but in a very sweet way, that this lady that has never even met me, was so concerned that she took the time, effort and expense to purchase sexy lingerie for me in the hopes that it would help me get pregnant.

 

The more Doug shares his interaction with people where he is, the more i realize that we are the same basic people no matter what country we come from. While we may not agree on certain philosophies, at the very core of us, there are people that have love and compassion and a need to try to help people. So, while I really don't need any help in getting pregnant (aside from the usual partner), I do appreciate this very nice lady trying to help me. And I can't wait to try on the new lingerie!!! :)

So hey everyone! Long time, no type. I'm actually not going to post so much just now as I'm tight on time but wanted to check in and let everyone know we are still around and kicking. Lots of ups and downs in 2007 and 2008. However, things are getting better and I'm finding my way back to the groove :) Life in sunny SoCal is not too bad :) can't complain. Lilliputian has learned not only how to go through her brother's dog door (we always thought she was too small to get the flap open) and even unlock it but she has just recently learned how to slide the patio door open using leverage!!! what a smart but naughty little kitty. I tried explaining that there are coyotes and vultures out there but she doesn't listen. So, during the day she is quarantined to the bedroom side of the house.

 

I have to fly now but I'll be back soon and try to catch up on everything that has and is going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we made it to the left coast finally. We checked into our last hotel of the trip on a Sunday and Doug immediately ran into two Marines that he knew from OCS.

 

On Monday, we turned ourselves into the Base Housing Authority. NOT to be confused with Lincoln Housing Authority. Base Housing Authority took our paperwork and told us to report to Lincoln Housing Authority. So, off we went to the other side of the base. Lincoln Housing Authority took the paperwork that Base Housing Authority gave us and sent us to the Del Mar Housing Office. Del Mar Housing gave us the keys to a house in Del Mar area. We drove out to check the house out and found that despite the fact that Base Housing Authority told us in March that they had no housing available and we needed to be put on a wait list, the paperwork showed that the house they gave us the keys to had been vacant since December 24 of 2006!!!! Not only that but Base Housing Authority stated that they do not assign the houses but when we asked Lincoln, they said that the BHA assigned us our house. Whatever! I almost lost it. It’s not a bad deal. It’s an old house that looks like it hasn’t been updated since 1967 but once you get past the brown laminated cupboards and the green Formica counter tops, it’s pretty nice. The back yard is HUGE compared to the town home yard of our house in Alexandria and everything is on one level here compared to three levels in Alexandria. On weekends we can walk to the Oceanside harbor for breakfast or coffee and the views are pretty nice throughout the neighborhood. We discovered a rose bush in our front yard. We originally didn’t know what it was and it looked dead but we watered anyways and before you knew it, we had a proliferation of blossoms. It’s a Chrysler Imperial rose bush for you rose aficionados. J

 

That first week we were in the house, we had no furniture but made due with our air mattress and sleeping bags. The night before our furniture was delivered, Shackleton jumped on the mattress and tore a hole but it was nice while it lasted. Our neighbors on our right, Rich & Shelly, invited us to go with them to see a play at an outdoor theatre in Vista on that Friday. It was fun. I packed a picnic from Costco and off we went. There is nothing like being outside with good food, good fun and great night air. Also, what a small world we live in because Doug and Rich eventually figured out that they use to be dive buddies in Okinawa. What are the odds? On the actual delivery date of our stuff, our neighbor on the other side, Kasey brought over dinner. That was really sweet of her considering she had company herself at the time. It’s also pretty sweet that her husband, Todd, is the base vet. That’s got to be worth a lot considering how much time we spend at the vet with our pets.

 

In the following weeks, we spent time getting new driver’s license, plates, time with the cable guys, etc… All the stuff you need for new house set up. We also went shopping. A LOT.  With so much more lawn, we needed water hoses and sprinklers and timers – it was quite the project. Also, this house is 1400 sq ft less than our place in Alexandria so storage is at a premium. We had to get pretty creative with where to put stuff. Doug’s office competes for space with Shackleton’s crate as well as the washer\dryer and the furnace (yes, it does get cold in SoCal – in the winter, it dips to the fifties!!!). I gave up my office and am now reduced to a small space on the counter in the kitchen. Eventually, we will unpack the file cabinets and set that up in the garage. The dining room table had the leaves taken out and stored in a closet but we want to find a picnic table for the back yard. We can always have dinner parties outside as the temp doesn’t get to cold (at least not when you have outdoor heaters) nor too hot (with the exception of some funky weather this August where the humidity even on the coast seemed awful). That’s a good change from Alexandria.

 

In between all this, we also unpacked – there are still boxes in the garage but we have made a definite dent in weeding out stuff we don’t really need. Doug bought some bookshelves for the garage and that will be where the majority of our books will go - along with the poker table ;) There is room for our bar in the house off the kitchen. We even found bar stools that we both agreed to!

 

We made a trip up to San Clemente one Sunday which was fin. We went back to our favorite breakfast place – The Sugar Shack – otherwise known as the Omelet Nazi Lady place. – She’s still there too J We told ourselves that we would make it a point to go up to San Clemente the first Sunday of each month but so far that hasn’t worked out as planned.

 

Doug’s new unit, Anglico, had several parties since we checked in. The first was family day on the beach.  A company in town has adopted 1^st Anglico and they hosted a catered affair. It was really nice – right on the beach with perfect weather. The next party was an 80’s costume party. I went as Ms. Pac Man while Doug went as an 80’s rocker. I think folks took pictures but I haven’t seen them yet – If we get them, I’ll have Doug upload to the blog. After that, there was another party at someone else’s house and then his boss’s 40^th birthday was celebrated as well.

 

In August, we got to go to a concert on the beach at Camp Pendleton with Phil Vassar. It was his way of saying thanks to the Marines. That was pretty cool too because we got to sit steps away from the Pacific Ocean while the stage faced the ocean. The stars were bright and the music was good. Doug even recognized some of the songs J

 

I’m settling into my new position. It’s an interesting place that keeps me on my toes. Doug loves his new unit and has spent quite a bit of time in the field or at school. Speaking of the field, Doug lost his wedding ring the other month while he was out in the field and he searched forever for it. His Marines helped too and when they just could not find it, one of Doug’s Marines made the comment, “Sir, I think a lizard took off with your ring.” – When Doug told me that, I thought it the most hilarious thing. So, I went and bought the exact duplicate ring and a stuffed lizard (it’s nice having the San Diego Zoo around). I gave the present to Ben (he lives in our neighborhood and works with Doug) to give to the young Marine. He in turn showed up outside Doug’s office one morning and said, “Sir, I found the lizard that took your ring!” At first, I think Doug though he really HAD found the ring.  Anyways, somewhere in the desert of 29 Palms, a lizard is running around with Doug’s original wedding band ;)

 

In September, Doug’s brothers came for a visit. On Friday night they took in a ballgame at Petco Park (see pictures above) and then Saturday was the big day – Paul got a tattoo!!! His first. Oceanside Harbor Days was happening that weekend so we wandered around the harbor some checking stuff out. Sunday we walked back to the harbor for dinner at Rockin Baja Lobster. It was yummy!!! Sunday night everyone got to try on Doug’s gear as he was getting ready to go back to the field. It’s really heavy and I can’t imagine having to wear it for hours on end in 120+ degree weather.

 

This past weekend, Doug and I headed to Julian, CA for Apple Festival. It was super crowded but we tried the bbq and the pie. The drive out was pretty though crowded. I’m glad we live near the water.

 

The pets are good – Shackleton has ringworm again. Yuck! But hopefully, we have caught it in time before spreading to Lilliputian. Other than that, he is good. He loves to play with his good buddy Hank but since Shackleton has ringworm right now, he’s on barracks restriction. Major bummer because he still has a TON of energy. We are back at working on discipline and all the things we learned while attending Olde Towne School for Dogs back in Alexandria. I really think he likes it and feels better because he has a job to do. He’s finally learned how to use his doggy door. YEAH! We close off half of the house so Lilli doesn’t get out but it enables Shackleton to have free reign over the backyard while I’m at work.  Lilliputian has made quite the name for herself in Oceanside Harbor. Every weekend morning, we are down there with Shackleton and Lilli in her stroller. The fishermen think it’s funny but maybe a bit of competition for the fish? J It also makes all sorts of people stop and chat with us about how we trained her to ride in the stroller. No training, she just does it. The best part is when we head back home, Lilli hops out of her stroller and walks the board walk. Then as we hike up the hill, there is a white retaining wall that she walks on while the humans and dog stay on the sidewalk. It places her higher up with a better view. The only thing she doesn’t like about our early morning strolls are the garbage trucks that come through.  She feels very strongly that dump trucks are bad news.

 

Well – that’s about it for now. I think we are all caught up. I’m on the prowl for a ball gown for the Marine Corps Ball and looking up recipes for Thanksgiving and for when we come up to Seattle this winter. Doug finishes one of his schools the end of this week and I’m not sure what we will do this weekend but hopefully after we take care of the chores around the house, it will be something fun!!!

The below is a recap from the last time I posted up until when we got to California. More to follow....

 

Wow! So, been a long time since we posted eh? Here’s a recap –

 

Spent most of June getting ready to move. We did some maintenance work around the house, got some estimates for replacing the HVAC system, made appointments for future work to be done, etc…. Doug’s mom and dad came for a visit in the last part of June which was fun. They were our very last overnight guests in our home in Alexandria, VA. They came on a Saturday a bit earlier than I was expecting and as Doug was at work and I was out grocery shopping, our neighbors Mansoureh and Ahmed saw them sitting in their car so invited them in for breakfast. Wasn’t that nice of them! Saturday afternoon I prepped for our brunch the following day and then we took off for the BBQ at Charlie’s house. One last get together with some of the Georgetown EML folks. Charlie bbq’d venison burgers that were delicious!! You know me, I can never have to much venison (HINT, HINT to Kurtie – please send venison sausage ;)) We ended up hanging out some more in the evening and that to bed we all went. On Sunday, we had brunch for EML at our house and it was actually nice enough out that we didn’t swelter from humidity when hanging out in the backyard. On Monday, Doug and I went to work but Doug’s Mom and Dad got to tour the Pentagon, compliments of Clark Burner. That evening Doug’s Mom and Dad took us out to eat and I picked the Austin Grill because I know how much Doug likes Tex-Mex food. Tuesday morning, his folks headed down Quantico way to check out the new Marine Corps Museum. Doug was able to break off from work and tour with them.

 

I can’t remember what we did the following weekend but on the following Monday, the packers arrived and packed the house. Wednesday was the 4^th of July and then Thursday the moving van arrived and loaded everything up. On Friday I cleaned a bit and then we had the neighborhood over to help clean out the beer fridge. Everyone had to bring lawn chairs as we no longer had furniture. Heath made some awesome salsa of course and Mo brought fresh baked cookies. Terry & Debbie brought snacks and paper plates as well napkins and we ordered some pizza. One of the nice side effects of not having furniture in the house was that we could let the dogs play. Ivan brought Otis over early and it was awesome fun to watch little Otis (ten pounds) play with Shackleton (60 pounds) and have Otis consistently pin Shackleton. They were really cute too when they both got into Shackleton’s travel crate. As the night wore on, more neighbors came and the house was filled with dogs and people. It was awesome! We really miss our Belle Haven on the Green neighbors.

 

Saturday morning the cleaning commenced again and Mary, our tenant, stopped by to do the walk through. We finished around noonish or so and stopped off at Andy and Laurie’s. They were really incredible. Laurie had made us lunch and while initially I did not want to stop but just wanted to get on the road, I was truly grateful for her efforts. It was nice to just sit down after all the non stop cleaning and loading vehicles from earlier. Thank you Laurie!!!

 

We made Wytheville, VA that first night and stayed at a hotel right next to a Harley Davidson. That seems to happen to us a lot. Anyways, the pets did really great that first night and the following morning, we were on the road again. Shackleton had a play date in Knoxville, TN but it turned out that not only was the park closed but his playmate’s (Hollie, a Basenji\Whippet mix) Mom had woke up late that morning and was still at church (she called me in between hymns). So, we bypassed Knoxville and went straight to Dickson, TN. I originally had wanted to check out the Drive In movie theatre there but it wasn’t a very interesting movie playing. Instead, Doug and I went out to eat and met another Marine and his wife. He left the Marine Corps many years ago but spotted Doug’s high and tight and recognized a fellow Marine immediately. We chatted with them for a little while until our dinner came. After dinner, we did laundry. Well, actually, Doug did laundry and I laid in bed with an ice pack on my back. Seems I pulled something somehow. Getting old stinks… As we drove through TN, I have to say that I have never seen so many advertising billboards along a road (Interstate 40) that advertised for Rehabilitation centers. Does TN have a lot of drug and alcohol abusers??? What’s up with that?

 

Speaking of which, as we drove through Arkansas, I’ve never seen so many billboards advertising “Christian homes for Children” – Does Arkansas have a higher adoption rate than other states? Couldn’t figure that one out either. Monday night we stayed in Arkadelphia, AR where they had a HUGE Wal Mart. Not much else but nice Wal Mart J Tuesday we made Plano, TX in excellent time. We were able to stay at a Candlewood Suite which was a nice change for all of us from the Motel 6’s we had been staying at. Lilli was able to run around a bit and Shackleton appreciated the space as well. Tuesday afternoon we went to meet Anya. She is the brand new baby of Jill and Arnold Kriesten and she is totally adorable! Jill turned us on to a Texas favorite of Chipotle Raspberry Jam poured over cream cheese and served with crackers (http://www.jelly.com/products/sauce.htm ). Yummy! I’ve since bought a case or two!! They have a gigantic home and lots of cats which of course I loved. When you visit, you have to ask about the stories of each one. Shackleton came with us and got to play in the backyard which he enjoyed immensely. So much room to run around. Of course, not sure he liked the Texas heat too much. I should point out that until we hit about 20 miles east of Dallas, the temp was in the 70’s. Then we hit something and the temp soared up to high 90’s with a humidity level that felt worse than DC. And that is saying something!!!! We eventually left Jill and Arnold’s and headed for Sheila and Michael’s. Sheila was out of town on business but we got to meet their new baby who I think is going to grow up to be a rugger. Uncle Norm and Aunt Mary were also there and while we ate Michael’s delicious ribs (it’s a Texas thing), we got to catch up on all the family news. We also got to hear how Uncle Norm and Aunt Mary met and got hitched – next time you see them, you should ask. J Before we knew it, it was time to go. It would have been nice to stay longer but I was exhausted. Back to the hotel we went. Wednesday we made the HUGE drive from Plano, TX to Fort Worth, TX (it’s like 50 miles) so we could hang out with our friends, Dawn & Chuck. We all first met when Doug was at Camp Pendleton the last time. It was awesome to see them again. I couldn’t believe how much the kids have grown and I really wished we all lived closer than we do. Shackleton got to play with their dog, Tasha and I know he had a blast. He wasn’t too sure about the pool in the backyard but he liked chasing after Tasha ;) As usual, whenever I’m with Dawn, I somehow end up getting overserved… I don’t know how it happens – one minute I was having a meaningful conversation and the next, I was on the living room floor telling Dawn she had a beautiful ceiling…? Go figure – I really do wish we all lived closer to each other.

 

Thursday morning we were back on the road and headed for Amarillo, TX where we went to dinner at The Big Texan – home of the 72 oz steak. (www.bigtexan.com) We just had the regular sized steak but we did hear some stories – our waitress was a Marine and she said that her daughter (11 years old, 90 pounds) ate about 60 oz but that was all she could manage. Apparently, it is usually the smaller person whom you would never think could eat so much – they are able to put away the 72 oz steak, baked potato, salad, shrimp cocktail and bread!!! There was a guy there that night who worked there and that night was his last night before he entered boot camp. He was going to attempt to clean it all up but it was about an hour after we finished so we didn’t see if did it or not.

 

Friday morning we stopped early to check out Cadillac Ranch (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/TXAMAcadillac.html) Both Shackleton and Lilliputian HAD to check it out and Doug got some video of them sniffing around the cars. Lilli decided she wanted to walk through the muddy field instead of being carried or transported in her stroller. J Then it was back on the road and we headed for Albuquerque, NM to say hey to Jeff and Krista Scofield. We stopped to drop off our bags at our friend Madelyn’s mom and dad’s house. Madelyn is married to Mike Sandstrom whom we first met when Doug was at 2/11 and then they got sent out to us at OCS a few years later. Anyways, Madalyn is originally from the area and when she heard we were going to stay at hotel, she wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted we stay with her folks. I have to say, it was nice to stay with a friendly face versus an impersonal Motel 6 and they had the nicest bed I slept on during the whole trip! Once we off loaded and got Lilli set up, we took of for the Scofield’s to get caught up with Mason and Mitchell. We had dinner from a near by restaurant where Doug and I fell in love with some artwork (La Puerta Azul at http://www.studio-w.com/Atkins/Art2/art2.htm ) by local artist Jack Atkins. We took the dinner back to the Scofields and by then Jeff was home from work. We stayed up talking but I got sleepy and didn’t want to leave Lilliputian by herself to long so I headed back to Madalyn’s mom and dads where I found them still up. Her dad was preparing to go on a mission with some of the kids from his church group. They drive down to Mexico and have been working on a church and school down there. He and Madalyn’s mom were making burritos for breakfast the following morning. What was really cool is that the meat in the burritos was elk which was tagged by Madalyn’s little sister. I thought that was the coolest thing! Doug and I had them for breakfast the following morning and I thought they were delicious!

 

Saturday morning we drove for miles and miles – it was our longest driving day of the whole trip. We stopped in Kingman, AZ (we had to pass the Grand Canyon – dogs are not allowed in several parts and it was too much to do with the limited schedule – hopefully we will make back out there just to see the Grand Canyon while we still live on the west coast) and had dinner at a place called, DamBar and Steakhouse – I had a Damn margarita and Doug had Damn Beer – the chicken was the best chicken I’ve ever had – unfortunately, they do not sell the seasoning they used. Bummer.

 

Sunday morning we were up and at ‘em early so we could hit Hesperia, CA to stop and see my cousin Jon and his wife Leslie. The house is HUGE, the kids are great and my cousin makes the best damn brats this side of the Mississippi!!! It was nice to have a home cooked meal, especially brats on the grill. Yummy! It was great to see Jon and Leslie and catch up. I can’t believe how big the kids are – where does the time go? Pretty soon, it was time to move on – Doug wanted to miss as much traffic as possible so we could get to Oceanside Sunday night, get a hair cut and check into Camp Pendleton first thing Monday morning.

Well, we made it.  2700 miles, 2 cars, 2 pets, and 2 humans.  We've got a house in Oceanside on the southern tip of Camp Pendleton and after a quick stop through the secutity gate we are 3-5 minutes walk to the Oceanside Harbor.  3-4 restaraunts/bars within stumbling distance.  The Camp Pendleton Del Mar Marina is also a short walk (25 minutes...or short drive..3-4 minutes).  So sailing and the smell of ocean breezes are real close.  Our stuff gets delivered in a couple days, but Bethany and I are using the time to run errands and get ready for our new location.  Today Shackleton is 11 months old.  He is stoked about being able to walk to the harbor and check out the sailboats.  Lilliputian loves the new place since there are so many windows at accessable level for her to hop up and watch birds.  Hawks, Hummingbirds, Crows and Sparrows.  I'm sure there are others, but that's what we've spotted so far. 

 

Our trip getting here was a lot of fun. Once we get caught up we'll chronicle the journey.

 

Cheers!

 

Doug Bethany, Shackleton and Lilli

So - the furkids got to go on their first roadtrip!!!! We packed up the Passat and headed for the open road on Thursday June 7th! We drove about five and half hours to PA to visit the Capper's and their new farm. Lilliputian got a little overwhelmed by the chickens, roosters, kittens, cats, dog, puppies and horses but Shackleton had a blast. He and Katie Dog rough housed all over the place. We got to see the puppies that Katie Dog had about nine weeks ago. There is one yellow that Kenn is keeping named Samson but there are still two little adorable black labs left. If I could, I would have taking them with us but we can't have anymore pets for awhile. They have HUGE paws which of course I like because I like big dogs. Shackleton is my lap dog ;) Anyways, we spent the late afternoon with the Capper's and Veronica made a Doug favorite - lasagna!!! Yum! After dinner, we sat outside and watched the sun go down while the dogs played and Lilliputian hung out in her stroller.

 

Friday morning dawned early and Veronica made us breakfast before we got on the road around 8:30AM - It was a long drive but we were making good time until we hit the Indian\Illinios border. YUCK!!! Traffic construction and congestion was awful. It took us until 7:30PM to get to my friend Steph's house. We had originally planned to meet my Aunt Arleine, Uncle Larry and Uncle Dick to go out for Fish Fry Friday but our timing got to late. Instead, Doug and I ordered pizza to go from one of my favorite Pizza Places in Milwaukee - Barbierre's! I used to go their when I was in high school and their pizza is still awesome! We took it out to Steph's house and had dinner on the patio. It turned out to be a good thing in some ways. I had been worried about Lilliputian because she didn't eat or drink anything Thursday (except I heard her crunching a little bit of food in the middle of Thursday night and Friday morning I put her litter box in the bathroom with me so she at least went once) and had actually called the vet Friday during the day. Our vet told me not to worry to much, cats come from the desert and they can be like little camels sometimes. If she didn't start eating\drinking\using her box by Saturday morning, she said I could take her to a local vet for IV fluids. However, she really settled in at Steph's house and started gulping down the water. Shackleton had a blast in the backyard with Sonny but Steph had taken Sonny for a walk earlier and Sonny was a little bit tired. Liana came over and we had a good time catching up with what is going on in our lives. It was great timing too because Amber was in town from Bali with little Blessing. I can't believe how much he has grown this past year. We went for a walk before bed and Blessing was babbling in Balinese - he has great rythm and even though I couldn't understand what he was saying, he felt very strongly about it! ;)

 

Saturday morning, Amber made scrambled eggs with lots of love and Steph made my favorite - door county cherry stuffed french toast!!! Yummy! After that, we loaded Shackleton up and put Lilli in her car seat and got back on the road again. We headed up to Appleton for my sister's high school graduation party. That was fun - my Aunt Arleine and Uncle Larry made it up from Butler and my cousins Karla and Krut plus my Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Kenny were there. Uncle Kenny was in charge of the grill and my Mom made awesome potato salad. Shackleton hung out with the guys guarding the tub of beer ;) After Bud opened her presents, we headed over to Kurt's house for a quick tour and chat. Then we were on the road one more time!!! We stopped off to load the trunk with Leinenkugel's plus the new Miller Chill! In Milwaukee, we stopped at the Sentry's on State to pick up some door county cherries (plus a quick stop across the street for subs from Cousin's) and then we were back in the car.  

 

Lilliputian must have some sort of traffic radar going on because she had been fine in her car seat for the whole duration of the trip until that Saturday night when she start fussing. Each time, about five minutes later we were stuck in traffic. I finally gave up when we hit the 294 just south of Chicago and traffic had come to a screeching halt. We sat parked for what seemed like forever. I finally said, screw this and made my way across three lanes to get off but somehow ended up back on an on ramp by passing everything and to open road. Doug drove for about an hour after that but then he too decided to call it a night and we found a hotel to crash in.

 

Sunday morning we were woken up by Lilli telling us to get out of the rack, feed her and get back on the road. So, off we went. On Sunday we drove over 700 miles and the furkids did awesome!! We learned some stuff to take into consideration for our trip cross country but overall they were awesome and exceeded our expectations!!!

Let's see - what's been going on.  Memorial Day weekend we just did stuff around the house and went to a friend's house on Sunday for a bbq. Other than that, it was uneventful. We had thought about going to the Rolling Thunder parade but everyone we talked to who has done it said that they just sat on the blacktop at the Pentagon Parking Lot and baked all day so we decided to skip it.

 

The following weekend, my friend Bonnie came to town. For those of you that need a reminder, Bonnie was the first person to call me when I moved to CA the first time. She was really awesome to me when I was a brand new Marine wife. Anyways, her husband is going to be moving his job from 14th Marines CO to the Quantico base and they were looking to buy house near our neighborhood. So, I picked her up from the airport Saturday so she could look at houses. While she was out looking at houses with her realtor, I tried to get laundry done and then Doug and I went grocery shopping. Saturday night we hung out with another friend of Bonnie's while rehashing all the various houses she had seen. On Sunday, it was more of the same only this time Bonnie decided on a house!!! We all went to check it out and then came back to our house to write the contract. While Bonnie and her realtor were writing the offer letter, our neighbors Sara and Craig invited us over for some smoked ribs!!! yummy!!! These are our neighbors that just had the baby (We dog sat while they got the baby in FL) - It was fun. We got to meet the new baby and Sara's mom and dad who had driven up with some baby furniture from Texas. Bonnie's flight got delayed on Sunday so she ended up flying out Monday morning. On Momday evening, Doug and I headed out to WolfTrap to meet up with our friend's Ian and Danielle along with three others. Danielle packed an excellent picnic dinner that was very yummy!!! We drank champagne and wine and the best part was listening to Tony Bennet - He is over 80 but still has an incrediable voice. It was a great evening.

Last week I dog sat for one of our neighbors. They have two corgis that are absolutely adorable. It was fun to take care of different dogs. They have such diverse personalties. Reese is kind of shy and as soon as she was done taking care of business she wanted to head back home. Levi on the other hand, is a total ham... He took off as if there was a race. They may have short legs but man, do they go fast. Most evenings I would come home from work, take Shackleton & Lilli for a walk and then go over to Reese & Levi's house, take them for a walk. Come back to my house for dinner and then go back to Reese & Levi's and hang out with them in the evening until their bedtime at 9:00.

 

On Friday, I left work a bit earlier than normal, rushed home, took care of the animals and then caught a train down to Quantico where Doug picked me up and we headed to our friends' the Sandstroms. There was a party for one of the former officers of 2/11, Battery G. It was a fun evening. Lot of stories and drinking and much merriment. Sandy made smoked "yard birds" that took forever but tasted mighty good. The guys drank 2/11 malt liquour (yuck) and told lots of stories. All it all, it was a fun evening. Saturday we took Shackleton to the dog park where he exhausted himself playing with the other dogs. After that we went to PetSmart to fill up on puppy & kitty supplies (speaking of which, there was an adoption fair going on and Doug and I saw the cutest little puppies. They were two brothers and they looked like mini Shackletons. I doubt they were much older than 8 weeks. I wanted to adopt them so bad but we have our hands full as it is). Then it was off to Denny's for breakfast and then Olde Towne School for Dogs to load up on the treats and toys we can't get at PetSmart. Shackleton also gets his nails trimmed there and its fun to bring him back so the trainers can see that he is still behaving himself ;)

 

On Sunday, I woke up with a cold and was quite miserable. I think I caught it from Doug but it might also just be allergies. Tis the season. I rallied enough to take a shower and get dressed to go with Doug to Baltimore. One of his classmates from Georgetown lives up there and had invited us up for a late lunch. We met at the harbor and then took a water taxi to a neighborhood known as Fells Point. We had a fantastic lunch and great conversation. Walter is pretty amazing. He just got accepted to law school and this will be his fifth masters' degree. Way to go Walter!! To soon, it was time to head back. Doug and I made it back where we parked and headed back home.

 

Not much got done around the house this weekend but hopefully we will catch up next weekend. Our neighbors with the beautiful rose garden are teasing us because we have to weed and I bought some flowers two weeks ago that I still haven't planted!!!! Yard work! yuck.