Digusting.

Yeah, it's been a minute. Shoot me.

I've been having a blast out here, which makes the time fly, bringing me one minute closer to going home to Eric and the cats.

However, a cloud is over me at the moment. My initial reaction was to vomit. Then I was shaking with rage and disbelief. Now I have calmed down a bit.

Since I've been here, I've met quite a few R&R peeps that are really cool. We make new friend every week as they come and go, people I hope to keep in touch with for years to come. This week we met Josh, Cory, and Ben, all army deployed to Iraq. Well, apparently Cory had developed a crush on me. He left for Iraq last night, and this morning I had a message from him on MySpace telling me how guilty he felt about considering we were both married, and apologizing if this offended me. I was a little surprised, but willing to look past it because of his honesty.

Then his wife stepped in. I think it's safe to assume that this woman has his passwords and whatnot, because she straight up asked me if I was the woman her husband had a fling with in Qatar.

This is why I don't have many female friends.

I was unable to reply to her, which is probably a good thing because it would not have been nice. Instead I e-mailed Cory, telling him I accept his apology and informing that he should probably get a hold of his wife and and give her some assurance of his love.

I feel as if I have been touched by something unclean. Why do people do this?? It's like when I first got here and Shane and I were becoming such good friends, and out of nowhere his supervisor starts going on about appearances and assumptions and how if we're not careful someone might say the wrong thing, leading to us getting investigated for adultery!! WTF?!?!

Needless to say, that made for an awkward conversation.

For once, can I be friends with someone without somebody getting their panties in a bunch over it??

Laughter for the masses.

We celebrated Derek the marine's birthday Saturday night. It was...interesting. I'll say this: Never mix Corona with a marine, a blue marker, and a passed out airman. Poor Shane... =P

Shane and I went off base on Sunday with the salsa instructor, Danny, and a some R&R guys. We went to the mall where I bought some Adidas (I love my Converse and flats, but they were not meant for this terrain!!). From there we went to this super supermarket called Lulu's, where I bought some shirts (variety, yay!!) Then we went to buy some jewelry. I got two necklaces, one for me and one for Trish, and if I go back I'll hunt down some loose stones and gold for Mom.

On the upside (or downside, depending on how you look at it), I learned who I can and cannot trust. Fortunately this was picked up without anything bad happening.

Anywho, nothing new really, just having a blast and calling Eric whenever I get my hands on a phone...not an easy feat.

Gotta go, Happy Presidents' Day.

Sobriety: More fun??

Last night was three nights in a row, but I still haven't been able to answer that question.

Finally got a roommate. But she's pretty cool.

Monday night, we met two army guys here on R&R, Reuben and Michael. We've spent every night since with them at the Top Off, and they are kick-ass!! We're bidding them farewell tonight, sadly, as they must return to Iraq. Reuben is Mexican, stationed in Germany, and Michael is guard from Minnesota.

We've been running around every night being silly as fuck. It's been awesome. Last night, I think, was the most fun and the most hilarious. Erik came out for a little bit, but eventually dipped out to do his laundry. I kept snatching Shane's hat, and at one point he came chasing after me. However, he was drunk at this point. I faked to the left, and then to the right, and as he was coming at me he kinda did some weird barrell-roll-nosedive into the ground. I'm like, "Oh, shit!!" and I ran to him to see if he was okay, and his drunk ass has the audacity to wink at me!! I was feeling nice, though, so instead of leaving him there I helped him up.

Then we were playing pool. This random guy (weird as hell) challenged Shane. Well, I was playing with this guy Adrien earlier, and a ball had gotten stuck. Shane is racking the balls when he realizes two are missing. We assumed that they were stuck, we're dropping balls in every hole, shaking the table, everything, to get these balls out. They're not coming out. So Shane dropped down and crawled under the table to have a look...and his head got stuck. Michael had to lift the table to free him. Then someone noticed two balls at another table, and said, "Hey, we'll just take those since they match what we're missing." Then it hit us: Those are the EXACT balls we were missing!! Michael (also drunk) had snatched them earlier to toss around on the other table!! I thought Shane was gonna kill him...it was so funny!!

So, as you can see, I'm having fun out here. And this weekend should be more fun. Later!!

Bottoms up, mates!!

When I left the states, it was a certainty that I would remain faithful to my husband of nearly two years. I love him, and nothing can ever change that.

However, temptation has come knocking, and I have succumbed. I have a lover. This lover is so sweet, so intoxicating. My lover is called sangria.

Oh, I'm a foooool for yoooouuuu, you know it's truuuuuuue, can't get enough of yoooooouuuuu...

In one week's time, I have become an alcoholic and a chain smoker. I totally blame Shane for this. *shakes fist*

I miss my friends.

I miss home in general. Not the weather, mind you. I haven't comletely lost my mind. But I miss home. Husband, cats, house, friends, IHOP. I miss it.

But I am having a blast out here, I'll admit it, even if I'm still not getting quite as much sleep as I'd like. But it's fun, and I am determined to make the most of this. This may very well be my only trip to the Middle East for life, and I'll be damned if I spend the whole time moping around.

I'm so lucky to have made such cool friends so quickly. Marquez and Shane are the awesome, and it's good to have two strong men to ward off the desperate army guys and make sure my drunk ass passes out in the comfort of my prison cell. Though I honestly believe they only hang around for the amusement of seeing me slurring my words and being silly as hell. Ah, well.

And I'm finally eating normal again. Thank God.

*sigh* I am the Dread Pirate Davi, and I miss my fellow pirate hearties. Ar.

Mmm, popcorn and marshmallow jelly beans!!

OMG, you've never tried vomit-flavored jelly beans?!

I was in a boring briefing the last two days. I was thisclose to proving that one can and will die (or at least sink into a coma) from overexposure to Powerpoint. Death by Powerpoint, they call it.

Mom and Dad went to Seaworld yesterday with Trish and Gaby. They fed dolphins and seals, and Mom got jumped by a squirrel...

Wait, what?!?!

Ha ha...this little kid says in Spanish, "Look at the squirrel, how cute!!" And Mom and Trish say, "What squirrel??" Trish looks down to see a squirrel standing between her feet, putting it's paws on her leg and looking around all cruious-like. This squirrel was fearless. He jumped up on the fence and was looking around at everyone, and then...HE POUNCED!!

He lands on Mom's head (she had her hoodie on, luckily), and is looking around at everyone, oblivious to the chaos he is causing. It was comical, from what I am told; he was pushing the hood over Mom's face. Patricia managed to get the most awesome picture (will post when available) of the squirrel leaping off of Mom.

Ha ha.

Moron Chronicles, Part II: A Reprieve from Madness

If someone told me that the fate of the entire universe rested on me finding the [highway], that the galaxy would otherwise implode if I could not find the [highway] from [one of many named after a state] Avenue, then we would all cease to exist.

Gr.

Anywho, spent the week at Esther's. Friday night was amusing and exasperating at the same time. Gaby and Lisandra wanted to take me to the mall because I had mentioned that I wanted a swimsuit. But, naturally, I got lost and it took me an hour and a half to meet them, and when I finally did they didn't give me time to change my DCUs, they said I was fine.

Hell.

We walk into Champs, and as if on cue a guy says, "Be all that you can be!!"

"That's army. I'm Air Force."

"Oh. Aim High??"

"Yes."

Then a guy approaches me with his girlfriend, in awe, and asks, "So you're really, like, in the war and stuff??" I wanted to laugh, but he looked so honored to be standing next to me, so I said, "Kinda. I'm not a soldier, I work on computers." And he says, "Wow, you must be smart." I smiled, but I still did not laugh, I could not be so cruel. Gaby thought it would be funny to keep count of all the "compliments".

Then we went to Red Lobster where a couple bought me a drink. I was very honored, and it was touching. Lisandra whispered to me, "Damn, girl, you need to get me one of those uniforms."

The next day I was completely lazy and watched TV with Lisandra and her sister, Suli. Titi Esther came in to listen to the baby's heart with her stethoscope, but when she saw us watching the Ring 2 she got all worried and said the baby wouldn't like that. So she grabbed some holy oil (where in God's name would you get holy oil?!), and drew a cross on Lisandra's belly. Then she did the same to me!! I thought that was kinda superstitious, but I was afraid to wipe it off; I am not without my own small superstitions. Then we went to the mall and shopped and giggled and got all girly. I love getting girly, 'cause I don't have many girlfriends except for Sarah and Nicole and Chris (ha ha!!), and I don't get to do it often. She's eight months pregnant with a boy, due March 2nd, so when I get back I'm gonna have a baby to play with!! They're naming him Ivan Gabriel, for a friend of Gaby's who died. Lana is a sweetheart, and very pretty, though she thinks herself fat at the moment, which is crazy. It's called pregnancy, silly.

Let me explain the family tree real quick: Esther is my mother's sister. Her husband is Abel, and he is step-father (more like father) to her sons Juan Carlos and Gabriel. Juan Carlos is married to Lisandra's mother, an older woman, Cita (or Sita??), who has two other daughters, and a son. I remember meeting Lisandra once, years ago, and one other sister, but I don't remember which one. There's Suli and Monica, who I am told is a little wacked out, and I've never met the brother. I like Suli, she seems crazy in a good way. Gaby and Lisandra have pretty much grown up together, and they fell in love in high school. It would seem odd to some people, but they're all one big happy family, so I don't care.

Anywho...I saw my Uncle Junior Saturday, I haven't seen him in several years, since he was married to that psycho Jenny, and he brought his grandson with him. I didn't quite catch his name, the little guy told me Tubby. Eh. Anywho, he's my cousin Teresa's boy. I knew it when I saw him, he has the look of her, and he's the right age. I remember hearing about her pregnancy a few years ago. Her older sister, Gladys (never met, though she may have seen me as a baby) adopted him.

Something about my mom's side of the family: I have too many cousins to count. There are some I've never met, some I don't recall, some whose names I don't know. My grandmother had thirteen children, ten of them now living, and except for one all have married and had children and even grandchildren, and some of them have gone through more than one spouse. It's so confusing. And the majority live in PR, so I don't see them often.

Onward...Tubby is a little cutie, but very shy and quiet, I think, though the moment he laid eyes on me he decided following me around was the thing to do. And he's not tubby in any sense of the word. He's thin but healthy, tanned, and adorable. Then Juan Carlos came in that night, he's a trucker, always driving around the country. He didn't even know I was married, and this was the first time I saw him since I was sixteen. Let me tell you, BIG DIFFERENCE. He's 300 lbs and has long curly hair. I showed everyone a picture from the last time I saw him, and they all laughed. He doesn't seem to care, though, so it's all good, I guess.

Sunday was also kinda lazy, I only left the house to get groceries for my aunt. My parents started driving last night and stopped in GA, they'll be in late the morning or early this afternoon, depending on what time they set out. Yay.

I wonder...I know this blog is getting lengthy, but I can't help myself. There are times when I see a picture, an object, a plant, whatever, and something about that one thing, whether it's the colors or the outline or whatever, reminds me of a time period in my life. No specific moments of delight or despair, not solid memory, just a period of time, such as when I was a child in Delaware or a teenager in PR. For the briefest moment I am transported back to that time in my mind, and just as quickly I am back where I am in the present, and I'm left with this almost nauseous feeling of apprehension or fear. I don't know why. I delight in memories with the exception of those that cause me to shudder with remembrance, but for some reason these moments leave me feeling ill. I don't know if it's what those vague memories stand for or if it's the mental transportation, like when you're driving to visit an uncle several hours away and you get carsick.

In contrast, I'll hear a song I used to jam to in middle school or high school, one that I haven't heard in years, and I relive those carefree days before the loss of innocence (forgive me the dramatic wording), and I am happy for a short time.

And then there's those time when I smell a certain smell, and I know that scent, I have smelled it before, long ago, but I don't know when or where or how. I can't bring up the memory no matter how hard I try, I can't remember if the smell is from a person or a place. But I know it, I could never forget it, and to smell it again drives me mad because I can't remeber, I just can't.

Anywho, I'm done with my rambling. Take care.

Deployment Update: The Moron Chronicles

Alright, I flew here to Tampa Tuesday night. I went from 16-degree weather, snow and ice, to hot and humid in less than three hours.

Tuesday was hell. I woke to find that my inner moron had reached new heights of stupidity. That's what I get for making assumptions and not reading my checklist the whole way through.

Anywho. Got to Tampa, checked in at MacDill Inn. Wednesday: began inprocessing CENTCOM, got a rental car (PT Cruiser, wheeeee), and went to see my aunt Esther. Got lost coming back to base and ended up on the other side of the Hillsborough River. Somehow made my way back. Today: Got lost trying to find CENTCOM and was half-hour late. Got booted out of the Inn because they no longer have room for me. Got released at noon. Checked into a room with a king size bed and complimentary drinks. Cannot say where at. *HAPPY* Went to see Esther again and chowed on Chinese.

Tomorrow: More inprocessing. Then I'm off to spend the weekend at Esther's and see my Uncle Junior. My parents will be here on Monday, hopefully with my sister in tow, if she's still mad at her boyfriend, though I sincerely hope that won't be her reason for coming. That would suck. They're shooting to get me off to Qatar on the [date blocked], hopefully with a group so that my dumbass isn't left without adult supervision for more than five minutes. *sigh*

I miss my kitties. And I miss Jed.

The first of many.

Hi. This is my blog. This is the beginning. I have another blog. On MySpace. But this is the first post on this blog. So this is special.

I'll be in Florida on the 16th for my "deployment". Check back for updates. I'll figure out how to put picture on here. 'Bye.