Life's Lessons

If the Army taught me one thing, it has to be pissing on command. Even if i don't have to go, I can squeeze at least 60 ml out, just in case I don't have the opportunity to go for a few hours. It started with the urinalyses. 0530, I already peed an hour ago, and now i have to go in a cup with someone watching. Next came the 5 hour convoys across the desert with no scheduled stops. If that isn't motivation to squeeze it out, nothing is. The only other options are pissing in a gatorade bottle (very complicated for a girl inside a tank in motion) or hold it. or piss yourself. Urinary tract infections galore with the holding it in. So now that I have a job that requires me to clock in and out, its muy importante that I get it out on my breaks.

My dreams are rarely about me. My memories also. I can recall plenty of things about my childhood in terms of environment and objects, but often not my own experiences. From infancy to about 12 years of age I lived in a one bedroom apartment. In through the front door was a long hallway. There were two closets to the left. The living room was beyond them on the right. Beyond them on the left was an alcove, my room. I had a twin trundle bed with a bookcase at the foot and an end table on the side. I think it was almost room sized. The hallway didn't continue straight on, but shifted to the right and continued. On the left was a dumbwaiter that must have been last used 30 to 40 years before. One the right was a pantry and then the kitchen. Continuing to the end of the hall was the bedroom on the right, and terminating the hall was the bathroom. The living room was pretty large by Bronx apartment standards. To the left was a television caddy corner. To the right was a large upholstered chair. The Christmas Tree would go there. On the wall next to the tv, the wall shared with the kitchen was a huge book shelf. The stereo, books, and liquor were there. Beyond that was a swinging door to the kitchen and dining room. The far wall of the living room had two windows. The love seat was between them. There were side tables on either side. On the clockwise wall was the sofa. There was a kidney shaped coffee table made of driftwood and glass. And then another side table. There were always books and magazones around, as well as my toys. Into the kitchen from the hallway. The refrigerator was to the left. Shelves lined the upper portion of the wall from the fridge to the end of the kitchen. Next to the fridge was a double sink with cabinets underneath. It was an old style double sink with one deeper sink. There was flanking couterspace. At the end of the counter was a wall that extended about one foot past. On the right side was a fllor to ceiling cabinet and then more lower cabinets with counter space. The stove/oven was next. It was gas. I never had electric until 3 years ago. At the end of the stove was another foot of counter and then another wall sort of. Into that opening was the dining room, which was on the other side of the swining door from the living room. We had a drop leaf table. On the left behind the wall was a huge plant. There was a window at the far wall. A large window with glass shelves that always had plants. The wallpaper was this metallic blue chevron design. The bathroom had a sink on the right, then the tub. The toilet was at the far end, under a window. My parents' bedroom was shag carpet. My father's dresser was on the right and then a sliding door closet. It was a decent size also. There was a window in the middle of the next wall with a desk. Then a bureau with mirror. The next wall had two windows, with the bed between. The more left window had a fire escape. We had a grill out there in the summer. I don't remember what was on the last wall.

I have a migraine, poor me.

In English Only?

Why translation is good for us.
(CBS) Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News anchor and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.
In the ongoing effort to make our national debate about all the wrong things we may have reached a milestone with the controversy over whether its alright for the National Anthem to be sung in Spanish The blogs went nuts about it of course -- going nuts is their natural state. Talk radio saw danger ahead -- cover the children's ears. I'm with them on insisting that everyone who wants to be a citizen should learn English. In an increasingly diverse country, common experiences have become rarer and rarer and our language is one of the few things we all share. There is strength in that. But the anthem in English only? I don't get it. It made me proud to be an American when they tore down the Berlin Wall as We Shall Overcome -- an American spiritual -- played on the young people's boom boxes. And who among us can forget how we felt when those brave Chinese students brought a papier-mache Statue of Liberty into Tiananmen Square. When people take our symbols of freedom as their own, it doesn't weaken our values, it affirms they are universal. That makes us stronger, not weaker. So I hope our anthem will be sung one day in a hundred languages and I am not worried that translating it will somehow dilute its message. Translation hasn't seemed to hurt the Bible. And since I speak neither Hebrew nor Greek, I'm glad they went to the trouble on that one. Otherwise, I might have missed the whole thing.

Red Rover, Send Me on Over

Where have I been?
I was in Florida from Friday until last night, visiting relatives, drinking, and getting a sunburn. I participated in a fundraiser for Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. We missed our return flight and had to wait for the next, which thnkfully had empty seats.
For the past 2 months i've lost 20 pounds. I've gained more than that in the last 2-3 years, and got tired of it, so I've been "dieting", exercising, and attempting to avoid the computer. That added to getting out of the army has made me a naughty blogger. i don't really find myself very interesting right now, so not much to write about. I'm still ever-present though.

free at last, free at last

That's it party people, I'm a civilian, in the flesh. No more 15 hour flights to nowhere with my M-16 under my seat. It's a little strange feeling right now.

Doggy Update

He's still here. We're keeping him in when anyone's outside and I bought a soft nylon muzzle for when I take him out. It's for everyone's peace of mind. I think it'll be okay. Until he eats a kid.

I'm having trouble writing this without crying, and I think I'm an idiot. My dog bit a kid today, and the kid is fine after 2 stitches. I rent form my boyfriend's cousin and they have two small children. How can I keep my doggie whom I love so much? I can't with good conscience keep him in the vicinity of more kids because now i have a dog that bit a kid and I'm afraid he might do that again one day. He's such a sweet heart and he's lovable but he's had a bad life before me and it stays with him. When there are too many people around he gets funky... I'll sleep on it.

I have a twin.

She's from Ireland and her name is Katrina, well, she isn't really my twin. She's 6 years older than me but there is a striking resemblence. I went to a kick ass wedding yesterday, and she's a sister of the groom. My boyfriend's cousin married an Irish guy and his awesome family flew over for the week. I have Irish ancestry, but it was ridiculous. I'll have to scour for some pics.

my new commute for the next five weeks is 80 miles one way. Through New York City. not Manhattan, but through Brooklyn and Queens and I could seriously fucking scream. I wisely check the traffic report and the parkway was closed a few miles up due to flagran shithead behavior no doubt, forcing me to take local roads for the last 30 miles of my trip. Joyful.

My cup runneth over

Between moving, wrapping up my ten year adventure, trying to eat well, and every other fucking silly thing in my life, I have no time to sit and create clever strings of words. I'm not gone, I'm just really fucking productive right now. I will definitely be here.

I hate moving. I really do. From the bottom of my cold heart, I do. i want to be in my new place. Not making 47 gajillion trips up and down my second floor ghetto apartment. Frig.

busy busy busy

The weather forecast today for Fort Monmouth, New Jersey is "Ice Pellets".

Speak up please

I am losing my voice. My melodic, nasal, New Yawk voice is fading into the moonlight in a very Brady way. I just called my fav buffalo chicken delivery with the madness that's escaping my mouth. Good times. I sneezing pretty much constantly and cough a bit also. Maybe I need hairball formula buffalo wings.

So much time and so little to do

So it's only Tuesday and I'm learning a wealth of things:

Dental hygenists are cruel and get off on shredding my gums with their evil tools of torture.

My truck stereo can play fm through the front speakers and satellite through the rear speakers - at the same time - all by itself.

I need a job, soon.

I'm not the only person who buys a Valentine's Day card on Valentine's Day.

Thoughtful ... and totally implausible.

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all youwant.

When you say, "I love you," mean it.

When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

Believe in love at first sight.

Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreamsdon't have much.

Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's theonly way to live life completely.

In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

Talk slowly but think quickly.

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer,smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

Remember that great love and great achievements involvegreat risk

Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it inyour voice.

Spend some time alone.

Check out my cheesy countdown. I haven't updated my page in a fucking while, but hey looky there.

a study in random thought

How is it that I don't cry when someone dies, but an episode of CSI gets me tearing up?

"Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk."
Henry David Thoreau

A deep sigh and it settles to the bottom. Each death is silt in the river.

And I thought you might come home this summer
And maybe there will be sun in Seattle

Jen Foster, Sun in Seattle

I sit here with my wine glass, french fries with vinegar, and internet. I had a close call with having the rug pulled out today and it scared the ass right off me. I hate being out of control sometimes.