is this one of those war flashbacks?

The other night around 2:30am, I was sleeping soundly and comfortably in my bed. Alas, this was not going to continue for long. I started hearing, "Hey, B! Wake up! Wake up NOW!" in a loud whisper. I pulled myself out of my slumber and awoke to see my husband standing next to my side of the bed holding his gun.

*sigh*

Me: "What the hell are you doing?"

Him: "There's someone out there!"

At this point, I'm really confused and rather startled. I didn't hear any noises or anything, so I asked him to clarify. He said he had gotten up to use the bathroom and saw lights in the window (our bathroom window looks out onto the street). He said it was a loud truck and it was driving really slow. After he got back in bed, he started hearing noises behind our house. He said it sounded like construction equipment.

*Side note: They're building the rest of our neighborhood behind our house, and they have all kinds of equipment back there and they make a ton of noise all day long.*

He was afraid someone was messing with and/or stealing the equipment. Made sense to me because I know those people wouldn't be working at 2:30am on a Friday. So I got up and followed him into the living room.

Him: "Me and Jers are going to go in the backyard and see if we can see anything."

Me: "You're not taking my dog with you."

He mumbled something about me babying her. I ignored him. He had a gun; she didn't. So out he goes to the backyard. I still haven't heard anything. After a bit he comes back in and says he saw lights behind the fence and it looked like flashlights. I cocked an eyebrow.

Me: "Is this one of those war flashbacks?"

Him: "I hate you."

He went to the front door and told me he was going to go down to the construction road and look. Out he went. I waited a bit, got bored, and went out front. I didn't see him, but I hadn't heard any gunfire so I was pretty sure everything was cool. Then a truck with a huge flatbed trailer pulled out of the construction road. Shortly thereafter, my warrior came back down the street with his gun tucked in his basketball shorts.

He said it looked like they weren't able to get anything. He had me Google the sheriff's office phone number. He called. The guy sounded less than concerned. We went back inside. The dog was snoring on the couch. We went back to bed. The end.

That was our big adventure for the other night. Too bad we didn't bust any bad guys. That would have been cool. And I would have taken all the credit :)

Other than that, it's been the same old story. Last night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch Monday Night Football. It was me and a bunch of guys. I got a margarita and a trivia game pad. After awhile, TJ jacked the game pad from me because he decided I wasn't pushing buttons fast enough. I got out my phone and played Solitaire.

I was then informed by one of the guys that I should be paying attention to the game. The others agreed. I had no clue why they cared. They said I needed to start watching ESPN and learning about all of the teams and stuff. Again, I was baffled. Apparently, they've decided I need to help them pick teams so that they can bet on the games. They told me that "chicks were good at that kind of stuff."

I said that the Bears would always win cause teddy bears were cute. They quit asking me to watch the game.

Well, I have to go take the dog to the gun range. She's gotta learn to shoot so she can accompany TJ on his neighborhood stealth mission next time.

xoxo

i'm such a slacker

No more promises and pretty words about how I'll write more and all that jazz. I mainly suck and I'll write when I write. How's that for brutal honesty?

Although, at this point it might actually increase. Life has been crazy lately, but things should be settling down in minor ways. Here's a recap:

I had my step-daughter, Kylie, for the last 3 weeks of June. We had a blast doing girly things, watching movies and eating popcorn, playing in the sprinkler, and watching the Disney channel. She's never, ever boring :)

The weekend of July 4th, I drove her back up to Ohio and spent the holiday with my in-laws. A few days after the 4th, I drove from Ohio to Texas to spend a few weeks with my parents. A few weeks turned into a month, and I arrived back in Alabama on August 9th. It was so, so, SO nice to be able to spend that much time in Texas though. I hung out with my parents a lot, and spent tons of time with my BFF, Stacy, and her daughter, Kaitlin. I went to a few weddings, reconnected with some old friends, and generally enjoyed myself.

After I got home, I had to tame my lawn, go through a ton and a half of mail, and do all the little projects that needed doing before TJ got home from his "vacation". The days took years, but finally he arrived stateside! He will have been back for 2 weeks on Thursday. We've been having a blast hanging out with friends, doing stuff around the house, and just being together (cue the sappy "awww").

He went back to work today, so it's my first day home alone after all the togetherness. I'm finding it rather lonely. I'm supposed to meet him at his unit at 4:30 so we can go grill shopping. After that we're going back to the unit to use the gym there. He's been offering to be my "trainer" for years now, and I finally took him up on it. Mostly because I'm not working. Now I have the time and energy to make myself really get in shape. He promises I will meet my abs for the first time in years. I remain skeptical. Either way, it's better than some gym trainer cause I don't mind looking stupid or whining in front of my husband :) Poor guy. He's going to realize that I wasn't kidding all those times I said I really, really HATE the gym.

In other news........we are trying our darnedest to get pregnant!!! :) I got the itch really bad this summer while he was gone, and he's ready too. So here goes nothing! Hopefully it won't take too long. We're on a tight schedule. The military doesn't much care about our baby making, so we have to plan around those pesky TDY's and deployments. Plus, it requires precision because I would actually enjoy it if he could be here for the birth. This is going to be some very structured procreating.

TJ has taken to saying the word "impregnate" because I hate it and I get really mad. He's also convinced all of the guys at his unit that our child should be named Mick. He rationalizes this by saying it would be really cool if we could call him "Mickey G". He had all the guys toasting to "the Mick" the other night at a party. He gets sick pleasure out of making me crazy.

On that note, I'm out. Gotta eat some lunch and take a shower before I have to appear at TJ's unit at the designated time for Operation Cookout. I say things like that because he hates it. I get sick pleasure out of making him crazy :)

xoxo

take a ride on the rain train

So, if you'll recall, in my last post I ranted about the plight of watering our lawn. In my quest to make my life easier (this is never ending, BTW) I found a genius invention called "Rain Train". This fantastic gadget drives around the lawn while watering. You never have to move the sucker because it moves itself! Why do I not think of things like that??? Anyway, my very own Rain Train should be arriving today via the United States Postal Service. I can recall few times in my life when I have been this excited.

How cute is that??? There was one that looked like a John Deere tractor and I really wanted that one cause it was way cute, but it got really crappy reviews. So I went with the original. Apparently it's cast iron and weighs 22 lbs. As long as it cruises around and waters my grass, I don't care if it's made of cookie dough. I will be sure to post action shots as soon as it makes its maiden voyage.

In other news, my step-daughter Kylie is visiting me for 3 weeks. We've been having little adventures. She now wants to take a trip to the American Girl store in Atlanta. For those of you who don't know what American Girl is, here is a brief description: a money-sucking, wallet-draining piece of plastic in the shape of a doll. They do it up big - there's a doll hair salon, an ear piercing place, a restaurant that serves you and your doll, and a huge store with thousands of accessories (think beds, pets, clothes, jewelry, etc.) You can get dolls that look like you or choose one of their historical characters. Those come with their own series of books about the time that they're from. I had one when I was younger, and they are lots of fun. Plus you get the whole experience.

Anyway, I told her I'd have to talk with TJ about it because they were really expensive. So he called today and I told him about it. Here is how the conversation went:

TJ: The way you said that makes me think it's gonna cost me.

Me: Well yeah...a doll with the basics, lunch, hair styling, and ear piercing are going to be pushing $250.

TJ: Holy shit! That is ridiculous! For a doll? A DOLL? Insanity!

Me: I know, but that's the deal. It's the experience too. But that isn't counting like an extra outfit or accessories. And it's pre-tax.

(I'm going to interject with an explanation...Ky got accepted into a program at her school for excellent students. It's a separate class she goes to once a week and they do cool things. We have told her we were going to take her to do something fun to reward her for working so hard. She wanted to go horseback riding when TJ got home.)

TJ: Well, lay this out for her: You can get an American Girl with the BASICS or you can do horseback riding. If you get the doll, it's your congratulations gift.

Me: Ok, I'll tell her. But what if she wants an extra outfit or something?

TJ: Then tell her she can't have lunch with the damn thing!

At this point I started cracking up. Tears were streaming down my face. Just the way he said it...all outraged and incredulous. It was hysterical. For those of you who know TJ...I'm sure you're laughing too.

And one last bit of news...I saved up for some patio furniture to go under the canopy that the in-laws got us. I ordered it and had it delivered to the store and I got an email yesterday that it was ready for pick-up! So we're going to head over there and pick it up. Then we're going to assemble it. What will likely happen is I will assemble it while Ky plays in the sprinkler. Oh well...I get furniture!!!

So now I'm off to shower after our incredibly hot, sweaty run (me and Jers)/bike ride (Ky) this morning. Then it's destination furniture!!!!

xoxo

vote for jess now!!!

Ok everyone, I need for you to visit this link and vote for my friends Jess & Carl so that they can have new wedding photos! Believe me, they deserve it!!

Go vote for Jess & Carl now!!!

hayley scares me...

So, I've been given a blog award by my love Hayley. With it she included a sharp and pointed reprimand: "Heaven knows you don't deserve it since you haven't posted since MARCH!" Talk about a sharp kick in the you-know-what! But it also works out, timing wise, because I have recently quit my job! So now I'll have time to post again! I know there are cheers going up all around the country.

I quit my job because it sucked. Not the job. The boss. And that's all I'm going to say. Basically, I was incredibly unhappy and life is just to short to dread waking up every morning. Plus, since TJ is gone so much I like to have the freedom to visit friends and family if I so choose and I can't do that when someone expects me to be somewhere at a certain time everyday. Inconvenient. So now I am in the beginning stages of starting my very own business. A work from home venture that will be portable. And being a military wife, needing to be portable is just a fact of life.

I'm dipping my toes into the world of Virtual Assistance. Basically, I'll be providing office and administrative support services from home. This saves the business from having to pay the overhead that an employee would generate (office space, equipment, supplies, etc.) because I provide all of that myself, as an independent contractor. Also, I wouldn't require benefits, sick pay, vacation time, retirement plans, and things of that nature. And since I'll work on an as-needed basis, they will never have to fill 40 hours a week for me.

I went to the county probate office today to file for my LLC. Once that comes back, I can really get in gear and get everything set up in my business' name. I'm also working on my website at the moment. I purchased my very own domain name yesterday, so I'm super excited about that! This has been brewing in my head for a few years now, and I am so glad that I'm finally able to give it a go.

Now, let's all pray frequently and fervently that I don't fall flat on my face. Ready? Go!

Anywho, I'm sure you've noticed that my blog has undergone some changes. I decided a face lift was in order. And I am no longer "Tile Me Beautiful". Sad, sad day. That was hard for me to take down, but with everything on my plate right now, I just don't have the time for that. So now it's just little old me.

Anyway, back to the blog award from Hayley....

Rules of the Award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Share seven things about you.

3. Pass it on and let the recipient know.

So, thanks Hayley! And seven things about myself...I'll try not to bore you with stuff you already know.

1. Watering our immense lawn has become the bane of my existence. However, if my husband arrives home from "vacation" and our lawn is brown and dead, it will not be pretty. So I drag out the front and back hoses and move the sprinklers a total of 15 times over about 5 hours. Unbelievable.

2. Being an official Alabama resident isn't nearly as painful as I anticipated. I have the driver's license, car registration, and I own property in the state and I'm still breathing. Don't tell me miracles don't happen.

3. I have recently become a vitamin/supplement addict. I now take a total of 16 pills a day.

4. My new guilty pleasure is tuning my TV to HGTV, turning the volume down low, and drifting off to sleep on the couch in the middle of the day. I only allow myself to do this about once a week.

5. I was totally gung-ho about painting my new house when we moved in. Now I look at the walls and cringe at the thought. That doesn't stop me from spending at least 30 minutes in the paint section every time I go to Home Depot though.

6. I have horrible, awful, traitorous knees. They hurt incredible amounts from just sitting too long. Heaven forbid I'd do something like walk...

7. I plan on being the first person ever to own a dog trained in Shiatsu massage.

So, that's that. And now, I'm going to pass the award on to someone I truly, truly adore...

Angela!!

She is one of the sweetest, most entertaining, most dedicated bloggers I know. She always has super cool pictures and stories that make me want to live in her life! Plus she makes me smile and laugh and just feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Mainly I just stinking love her! So go check out her blog. It's guaranteed not to disappoint :)

Gotta go move the sprinkler now...should be the 2nd to last time. I started at 6 and it's now 10. Hopefully I'll get to sleep at some point.

xoxo

random pictures that i feel the need to take...

There's something about having a camera phone that makes me take the weirdest pictures just because I have a camera convenient. Some I send to my sister (because she understands and shares my weirdness) and sometimes I show my husband. He's good about nodding and acting like he cares. Bless him. However, my phone memory only has room for so many of these pictures. I was deleting pictures the other day and thought these needed to be share. Mostly because it makes me sad to delete them. I am that strange.

Anyway, without further ado, I present my randomness.

This is a picture I took from my front yard. The guys that are in jump school on the base are practicing. Their drop zone is right behind my street so I get a front row view of the little parachutes floating down. My crazy husband does that.

This is my super cool thermos with a sweater. I was admiring it one day in a Starbucks and a few weeks later my husband surprised me with one. I take it to work with me everyday. It keeps my water sooooooo cold!!

This is a random sign that hangs over the road on my way to work. There are like 3 lines of these in a row and they all have a big red "NO" sign on them. I want to know what the "NO" is for! It's not over a turn lane to signal there's not left turn there. It hangs over the side of the road I'm driving on, so it's not to indicate that you're driving the wrong direction. I haven't the slightest idea what they're for.

We were grocery shopping and I saw this sign for kumquats. I had never seen an actual kumquat before so I was excited. Plus, kumquat is fun to say. Kumquat, kumquat, kumquat!

Ok, the sign is kind of hard to read...But I was driving somewhere with TJ, and on the way there we saw this sign and laughed our asses off. So on the way back I told him that he had to slow down so I could get a picture. The sign says, "STRIPPERS. Need we say more?" and it has two little drawings of girls on poles on either side. Talk about direct advertising...

This picture and the next one are from brochures in the military clinic. When TJ tore his Achilles tendon during Ranger school, I had to drive him to the doctor cause it was his right foot. So we were sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor and I saw this brochure. The pictures are backwards and I can't make them move and I'm too lazy to delete them and re-upload them, so the bottom one is the front of the brochure. I laughed so hard I cried. The little cartoon people look so disgruntled and you can just tell how serious they're trying to be. But really..."nothing to rave about"??? Hahahahaha!

This one makes me miss my hubby :( I love, love, LOVE Krispy Kreme donuts! I always get excited when the light is on because it means that there are fresh, hot donuts - straight out of the oven. YUM!! So one day he was driving by without me and snapped a picture to send me. The message attached: "IT'S ON!!!!!" I adore my husband :)

This picture was taken in College Station, TX on the way to my sister's graduation from Texas A&M University (so proud of my baby sissy!!) Anyway, we were sitting at a stoplight and there were THOUSANDS of birds sitting on the power lines. I have never seen so many birds in one place. I couldn't even get them all in the picture. They were behind us and on either side of the road too. It was insane. Why do they all sit there? Crazy.

I took this one the night that TJ and I went to see "A Christmas Carol" in 3D. We were rocking those glasses!!! Plus we were wearing matching colored shirts. Not on purpose, I swear!

Hahahahahaha! This one was sent to me by the lady who owns the daycare place that Jers goes to everyday. Yes, my dog goes to daycare. Get over it. Anyway, they were taking cute Christmas pictures so they could make ornaments, and Nancy thought that Jers was hysterical. She looks so stinking pissed off. Like she's screaming, "You fricking idiots!" in her furry little head. Classic Jersey. I love my puppy.

So I hope you enjoyed my random pictures. I've already started replacing these on my phone. It's a sickness...

xoxo

i'm baaaaaaaaack!

Not that I really went anywhere in the technical sense. It's just been really busy and I've been spending time with my hubby. However, hubby is now gone again on an extended vacation. The sand, the sun...lucky man!

Anywho, I pretty much won't have a life for the foreseeable future. That means I'll have time to blog again and to work on something I'm very excited about! I'm going to start another Etsy store. I really, really miss selling on Etsy. It's not just a place to sell stuff, it's a whole little community. Kind of a lifestyle, even. It was a ton of fun and I felt so accomplished. I just don't have the time to make enough of my tile stuff to keep a store stocked. Each piece takes days, and I just have too much other junk going on right now.

Plus, in the next few years (years, people, years...don't get all excited...you know who you are!) we're going to try to have a baby and I want to be able to stay at home with him/her and still bring in some money. So I'm going to begin building a new store. Something that takes a little less time per item than my old one. I am going to turn another one of my obsessions into a business. I'm going to make bath stuff!

I'm more than a little nervous. Failing miserably is never a fun experience. But even if I bomb, at least I'll have a whole bunch of yummy bath stuff in which to drown my sorrows.

I have yet to choose a name. This is will probably be the hardest part of the whole process. If there are any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

And cross your fingers for me cause hubby left the credit card here and I just bought about $250 of various supplies...