Friday Fun

I did a Guest Blog for Simply Sunshine and Daisies today, wedding themed! So please check it out, let me know what you think.

Now for the Friday Fun!


Hosted by Wife of a Sailor

1. What do you see your life like in 10 years?

I am hoping by then I will be a mom, with one or two kids. We will have a dog and a house and be living somewhere we really like. Ryan will be home and not deployed and he will be preparing for his last re-enlistment round.

2. What do you like most about your job?

The people. Whether it is clients in the office or on the phone, most are wonderful. Some are pains in the butt, but they are the minority. Some of our clients get very interesting callers (I've spoked to Dominique Dawes, Glenn Beck, Jeff Gordon, and Anderson Cooper's Personal Secretary!). And it is close to home!

3. What are three things you do every day, no matter what day it is?

Oh geeze... besides the basics? Well, usually check my email, put on chapstick, and kiss my husband (whenever possible at least once a day!)

4. What would you do with an extra five hours in the day today?

SLEEP. Ooooh so sleep.

5. What is your favorite Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate) cookie recipe (please share!)?

See here and here!

Thank you!


Hosted this week by Ines from The Few, The Proud, The Wife!


I feel like such a grown up, but our office Christmas Party is tonight. Since we have about ten centers in the DC area we are all meeting at a restaurant our owner co-owns so it will be nice to put names with the voices I hear all the time on the phone. Ryan is coming too. Wish me luck!

COLD!

Who decided my last week in Florida would be absolutely freezing? Can I write a formal complaint to Mother Nature??? I mean, I think it is different being cold here. When it is cold in January in New Jersey or DC you expect it. That's how it should be. But in Central Florida? No way. It is a damp, terrible cold. We've been in the upper 30s in the day and upper 20s at night. It is crazy. Little girls are wearing jeans under their princess dresses with huge winter coats and hats over them! People are wearing the layers they wore to the airport in the parks because it is so damn cold.

It won't warm up again until next week. When I am gone. Fail.

The warmest day this week will be my last day in Florida. And it is supposed to rain. Joy.

The parking lot in Chatham, my apartment complex, is empty. Most people moved out and the new people aren't moved in yet. Chloe is gone, Amanda is almost gone, Kayla and I are all that are left in good ol' 29302.

Tomorrow is my last day of work. I cannot believe how quickly this has come. It seems like I just got here and I am getting ready to leave. Of course I haven't started packing yet!

Went back to the doctor this morning, last time here. I got my file to take with me as they haven't helped me much. I take six pills a day and I am still sick! I know now also that it is not celiac's disease, an ulcer, hernia, cancer, and my gallbladder appears to be functioning. Ugh. This is so frustrating.

I cannot wait to see Ryan this Saturday. Then I have to find a job in NJ as no one has gotten back to me. Eek!

I Saw Fireworks...

So I am just going to give an exciting highlight and then talk more about my family being here later...

Ryan arrived a day early and the next day I had to work. So he accompanied me to EPCOT where I work and spent the day seeing my shows, meeting my friends and co-workers, and basically walking around the park for six hours. In the world showcase he managed to get dinner reservations in the nice restaurant in Italy so after I got off of work we walked over and had a fabulous dinner together. I had spinach canneloni and we split a cannoli for dessert and had wine and a bellini and it was just delicious!

I love fireworks, especially Illuminations. I always said working the crowd control is one of the best parts of my job. I always ranted and raved about it so Ryan really wanted to see the show. A friend of mine, Marianne from Brazil, from Guest Relations was monitoring the VIP area near Italy so I went to say hi. I introduced her to Ryan and she let us under the rope! It was so sweet, especially since I still had no idea what was to come. Illuminations is in three parts and towards the end of the first part Ryan starts trying to talk to me.

So I swatted him and told him to pay attention, he was missing the show! I still had no idea. So he was quiet for a bit and then the globe came out and he was fidgeting and kept trying to talk to me but then stopping. Then the fireworks started again and he hugged me from behind, and it was quite cold so it felt great for many reasons! Ryan then tried to say something in my ear but I couldn't hear him over the fireworks. Again I told him to shush and watch the show! Suddenly he loudly said, "Hey!" and finally got my attention. I was getting annoyed so I replied, "WHAT?!" pretty loudly. He then reached into his pocket and got down on one knee and I saw him say "Will you marry me?" with fireworks exploding overhead.



I gasped and my hands flew to my mouth, I was so shocked! I honestly did not see it coming. We had talked about getting engaged for awhile as you know but I was so surprised. Tears were flowing and I was in shock as people around us started pointing and talking and then I realized I needed to answer! So I just started nodding my head yes over and over again as he slid the ring on my finger. There may have been tears. Everyone around us started cheering and clapping, someone even dropped their cup of wine as they started they were so excited. We hugged and kissed and missed the rest of Illuminations, but it's ok...

We saw it again two days later.

It was amazing...

The Ring:

6 Days!

It is official. Ryan will be here in Disney in six days!!!!!!!!!!! He told me the other night and I am so excited. My family will be here in one week and I will have everyone who matters most to me in a place that means so much to me. Words cannot describe how hapy all that makes me.

I am still pretty sick on and off. I had the heida scan thing done yesterday. I got injected with a nuclear isotope and laid under a huge box thing for about three hours. Then I got another medicine that made my gall bladder squeeze which felt bizarre. You wouldn't expect lying still for so long would make you sore, but it did. I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic on tv and Wife Swap (some people in this world...).

My stomach still hurts and I have been nauseous, and worse, for days. I just cannot wait for this all to be figured out and over. I cannot wait until I do not need percocet to sleep or I can keep food down or eat whatever I want whenever I want. To not be in pain. It will be amazing. I go back to the doctor on Monday and I hope they finally have something to tell me!

6 Days. I just need to make it six more days and I will be with the love of my life!

More Troops

Obama made his announcement.... 35,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Meaning over 100,000 troops will be there. One Marine unit will be in before Christmas. BEFORE CHRISTMAS. There are Marines and Marine families out there who were planning a holiday together who now will be apart. Large numbers will deploy early next year as well.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091201/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_afghanistan

I am kind of scared Ryan will be in one of them. He only just got back from Iraq. He was only there about four months, not the full seven. I know he has to be home for a little while at least... but we're apart until at least January anyway and, well I have been dreading this announcement from Obama for weeks now and I am still kind of nauseous about it. Yes it could be worse. Rumors of troops ranged from 30,000-85,000 so this lower end of the spectrum is definitely a good thing.

Ugh.

Thanksgiving and the Future

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday!


So my mom found out Ryan and his friend Garrett weren't going home for Thanksgiving because South Carolina and Nebraska are kind of far... so that is how my boyfriend and one of his best friends ended up in New Jersey with my family for Thanksgiving with me in Disney!!! I was kind of jealous.


Garrett, Ryan, Jill and Derek (cousins), and my brother Stefan in front at my Babci and Poppy's for Thanksgiving

But apparently Ryan asked my parents' permission to marry me while he was there. How do I know that? Because he was nervous about it and told me! Haha. He also let me know that he had been looking at rings since he was in Iraq. He found a diamond and the perfect setting and looked every day for six weeks when he got back.... and he had to tell me THAT because it is so perfect.

Oh my god.

EEE!

Of course no one will tell me how the talk went. My mom pretends to know nothing and I can't ask my dad as I am not supposed to know and Ryan suddenly doesn't want to share! But apparently it "went well". Definitely a good thing. Now that I know that though I want to know when it will happen! And how! And where! I want it to happen so soon but I don't want to know the details and watch it ends up being a long ways away and he just took advantage of the fact that he could talk to my parents without me there. I don't know. Ack.

So now on to our favorite F-Word... the Future.

Ryan and I planned to move in together in DC when I left Disney. Well, I haven't saved as much money as I hoped and I am not having any luck finding jobs so it may not happen. Ryan "splitting" the rent went from 50-50ish to me paying most of it and him helping with other bills. With the money how it is right now I can't do that. So the only solution seems to be me moving home (ugh) again to NJ and working multiple jobs there to save money. It is just so frustrating. I cry over it constantly just because that's how my body reacts to stress. Which sucks.

I just love working at Disney. And if we're going to be apart, again, until February/May/August I wish I could just stay here and work. But I can't. Beneifts and more money and all. Ugh. I don't want to move home. And work in crappy jobs I hate. As I can't find anything, I am terrified I am just going to go back to Kohls and I don't think I can handle it.

I just don't know.

Can I fast forward please?

Meltdown

I sort of lost it last night.

I have been training for a new venue at work, my third, called Where's the Fire?, which is basically like a game show of sorts about fire safety. It is pretty fun, but training is draining. It means very early mornings, 8:15am Saturday, 7:30am yesterday and today, that go until 16:00 or 17:00. It is a long day. And I am not a morning person. So I have been soooo drained.

Ryan's mom and aunts were in DC visiting him for the first time since he got back. So between that and my interesting hours we haven't gotten to talk too much the past few days. I've been asleep early so I can get up early, and he has been up late. Plus he is going back and forth to Fredericksburg because his room mate and best friend Josh had a hole in his lung that leaked into his chest cavity and landed him in the hospital. Eek. Josh is ok, but Ryan is driving a few hours when he can to see him. So it has been a lot of texting lately.

But last night when he called me, even though I had been asleep for an hour, I picked up. I was tired, and stressed (my face is awful, so many breakouts! ugh!), so I was trying to keep things light. But he knew me too well to let that slide. I told him the early mornings were wearing me down and I hated the long days that started so early. Being at work by 7:30am means clocking in by 7:15am which means being on property by 7am. That means I pick up Karli at 6:45am and leave my apartment by 6:30am and I am up before 6am. See the stress?? But he replied, "At least you get to earn a lot of money!"

That was the key phrase that made me lose it.

I said, "I am so SICK of thinking about and talking about fucking money!" and then I burst into tears. Yea, I sort of shocked the hell out of him, he didn't see that coming. Neither did I. I am broke. Why?

Plane tickets to DC, one doctor emergency clinic visit, perscriptions from said visit, gas, perscriptions I take, a flat tire that came out of nowhere, groceries, rent, going to another doctor this Wednesday to finally be checked out, my GPS breaking and dying that day (I need it, it is pretty sad), and knowing my brother's 13th birthday and Christmas are approaching.... and I have no money. I am supposed to be saving to move in with Ryan so we can live together. I am living paycheck to paycheck. I had to turn to my mom for help which makes me feel so ashamed at 22. Money is the reason he may not come see me in Disney, which is so important to me (I need him to see me and my life and friends here or he'll never get what this place means to me).

So I cried. Or sobbed. I couldn't breathe. It was awful. He calmed me down and talked to me and got me to stop and get myself calm and sleep again. I felt so terrible for unleashing on him like that. I still feel hollow today from letting it all out.

Ugh.

I hate money.

Reunited!!

Ok sorry this took me so long to get to! But this is how my weekend with the love of my life went!

So I woke up at about 4:30am and was in the car by 5am with Don, Patrick, and Karli who all came to see me off. I was on the plane by 7:20am and in DC by 9:30am!!! As soon as I stepped outside of Regan Airport I was cold!!!!! It was FREEZING! My poor Florida body was in shock! I got on the metro platform and I knew I was in for it when it came to how cold it was. I took the metro to Union Station and I met Cat, which was awesome. It was sooo good to see her again too. We had breakfast together and then we went to the Smithsonian and the Mall (and our tree!) for awhile and just caught up before Ryan could get up to DC.

Ryan texted me that he was on his way and we agreed to meet at the Eastern Market Metro Stop... doesn't sound too exciting, but that was where we had our first kiss over a year and a half ago! So our first kiss after the deployment was in the same spot. And it was a long one. I literally jumped at him and just hugged him for so long, it was wonderful.

We got on the metro and went back to Union Station so I could get my suitcase from the baggage storage area and then we went out to Branch Ave (at the very end of the Green Line) where we stayed.

I was so nervous about seeing Ryan, and being with him again. It had been a long time since we had seen one another... hell we didn't even talk on the phone that often while he was gone. He was in Iraq, he had a lot go on... I moved to Florida, we had grown and changed, and I was terrified that we might not click like we used to or something would be different. But we were wonderful. I was still a little nervous when we were together but that all fell away.

The first night we hung out around the hotel... and the only place nearby to eat (we were carless remember) was Red Lobster, so we walked there and had dinner. The next day we slept in and it took us awhile to get going because Ryan wasn't feeling the best. I walked to the gas station and got him medicine (had to force him to take it!) and then we went out into DC. We hung out in Georgetown since it was Halloween, had this wonderful dinner at Clydes where we talked about a LOT of things (ie the future, plans, ideas, hopes, what's going to happen...) and then we went and saw Couple's Retreat. I already saw it but it was funny and worth seeing again. Ryan got pretty sick so we just went back after that. He had a fever that night and wasn't doing well, but his fever broke in the night while I was taking care of him.

The next day I got sick.

So we were both sick!

You take someone from the hot dry heat of Iraq and someone from the hot humidity of Florida and put them in the cold dampness of DC in November, of course they'll both get sick!!!

So we were both drugged and struggling for a few days. Sunday we went back to my campus and went to church at the Basilica and then I saw some of my friends on campus. After that we went to Chinatown and got Ryan a cellphone charger but I was pretty sick at that point so we went back. It was my turn to have the awful fever so we just watched tv and I was miserable in a ball under the covers. (But we watched UP when he was sick and The Ugly Truth when I was, so we got some movies in! And I think Jumanji was in there somewhere too....)

Monday I was a little better. We went down to the Mall and saw some of the monuments and met my friend Kristin briefly before having a nice dinner at Jaleo in Chinatown. We were walking around after that and all these guys were scalpling tickets outside the Verizon Center. We were tired of being asked so we finally caved and asked what the tickets were for, turns out Bruce Springsteen and the E St Band were there! Guess who ended up at the concert?

That would be us!!!

It was fun, and I know Ryan wasn't a huge fan so it meant a lot to me for us to go. After we went back to the hotel and then it was suddenly our last day. We took a long metro ride to Virigina and went to IHOP for breakfast, I didn't eat much since I was still sick, but I was getting there. Then we sat on the National Mall and talked for hours until it was time to go to the airport. We had dinner at Fridays in the airport and then I had to say goodbye again. Leaving him at security physically hurt, I cried the entire way through. Then I was suddenly on the plane and back in Florida.


I also finally quit smoking. Being sick prompted it and then I just didn't want to anymore. It has officially been six days. And I am still sort of sick. I finally have a voice again but it comes and goes. Not good when you talk for a living.

Since our visit we text constantly and we talk on the phone every night, usually for an hour or more. Last night was two and a half hours.

We're planning on moving in together after I finish here in Disney. Ryan thinks he will end up in DC until at least August (*fingers crossed*) so we'll get an apartment together. I just have to ask my Dad first... eek. My mom is cool with it though.

Talk of an engagement and rings has also come up.

Multiple times.

Whew. Ok, all written! Thanks for keeping up with me and this deployment saga. I cannot believe we made it through our first deployment. Yes it was shorter than expected but we still did it and so far we're still going strong, if not stronger than before. I love him so much, he is worth every bit of this.

Semper Fi readers, Semper Fi.

I know I am supposed to ignore the news...

But this one caught my eye...it is about possibly sending more troops to Afghanistan in the next year. Anywhere between 10,000 and 80,000. 80frickenthousand. That is insane.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091014/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/bc_us_us_afghanistan

Especially the last paragraph:

"An Army brigade generally has between 3,500 and 5,000 soldiers, while a Marine expeditionary brigade could be built up to about 17,000 troops. However, sending a high number of forces would put more stress on troops who are already stretched thin from fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, and likely would reduce the time they would get at home between deployments."

Oh God I hope not.


I talked to Ryan for nearly three hours this morning. We did fight for part of it unfortunately. He is upset Disney will only give me four, maybe five days off for me to come see him. I thought it was a good thing they were willing to give me that many in a row at ALL and he thinks it is not enough. So a fight naturally ensued. But we worked it out.

And we talked about possibly getting an apartment together when he gets back (: Try living together and all. Once I am done with Disney that is. I have an audition on October 29th which will decide if I stay here longer, if not back to DC possibly? Or California? Not sure where Ryan will be stationed, but the chances of me going with him are pretty darn high. I cannot wait to fall asleep next to him each night and wake up next to him each morning. Just to see him anytime day or night, it will be so so amazing....

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo Deployments!

I saw that bumper sticker on a fellow Marine girl's site and I had to use it. Because it is so true. I don't know if I have really talked about how much Ryan being deployed is really awful. Yes I have complained a little and said they suck, but I never took the time to put an emotional thought or feeling behind it, suddenly I kind of feel the need to try.

To sum it up, they suck. Easy assumption and oh so true. Having the person you love the most be so far away is heartbreaking. For about fourteen months I was so spoiled. I could call him whenever I wanted, yes if he was working I would miss him, but I could leave a voicemail. Or even text him. We had a nightly phone call before we went to sleep at night. Nearly every weekend and holiday we spent together. Sometimes even during the week if I didn't have class or he got off work early we'd have that time together. I could fall asleep in his arms, not have to rely on my stuffed dog in one of his old tshirts to have the smell slowly fading away from it. I hate that I cannot talk to him unless he can contact me, and if I am working or out with friends I feel so awful to miss him. I see couples around Disney all the time, holding hands or kissing or just waiting in line together and I get so jealous I swear my eyes turn green. I constantly worry about him and his safety. Any song I hear I can think of him, any movie or tv show we ever watched together makes my heart hurt, There are so many things I just want to tell him as they happen or just hear his opinion on. Days sometimes seem endlessly long because I cannot stop thinking about him or missing him.

My mom told me for years the right guy would come along for me. I went on a few dates, had a bad botched relationship in high school that was barely a blip on the radar, and had a few meaningless hookups... but never met the right guy. I began to honestly think he may not be out there for me, at least night at this point in my life. So I stopped looking. I usually hate it when my Mom is right, but this time was worth it. The instant I stopped caring so much and fretting about being single Ryan walked into my life. Since then he went from being that cute guy at the drama party I had never seen before to the guy I love and want to spend the rest of my life with. It is amazing the difference a year can make. I never imagined I would meet someone like Ryan and fall in love so deeply, but I did. And that made him going on this deployment all the more difficult.

I think I have been overly stressing lately for a lot of things. I have tried to thinking beyond Disney. The only reason I will probably stay longer is if I get offered a role in entertainment, but those auditions apparently are not until November. So I can't really plan. With Ryan coming home early I am trying to figure out the future, but it is so overwhelming. Health insurance, benefits, car insurance, rent, jobs, money... I wanted to crawl under my bed and cry. I have been trying to save money here but with my pay not so great it has been hard. I wanted to have a nest egg after this, but it isn't looking likely.

Ryan said I am enough, my love and me is all he needs. But I don't think I can go into a future with him with nothing. It doesn't seem fair. He should not have to support me as well as himself. And that is stressing me out. I cannot look for a new job in DC, since I don't even know where I will be yet. What if Ryan gets stationed in California and I move with him and then he gets deployed again and I am left all alone there?

No wonder I have a headache. Thanks for reading the rambling if anyone did. It's appreciated!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Ok instead of doing a daily update I decided to do a highlight entry of sorts. I can just say work has been going well, I started training on a new venue , Don't Waste It, and the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival started. AMAZING. I love the food (and drink!) plus I got to sit front row of a Big Bad Voodoo Daddies concert, for free! No complaints here. As you can see from the title of my blog, the focus is on Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!



The Halloween Party was a lot of fun. I went with my room mate Amanda and some of her friends from work and some other people. Most people were dressed up which totally added to the experience. The people I went with were in the Peter Pan theme, we had 2 Tinkerbells, 2 Captain Hooks, 2 Indians, and a tick tock crocodile. Me and another guy Ron missed the memo, so I was a Roarin' 20s Flapper and he wore his family's kilt since he is Scottish. We still all had a blast!



I went trick-or-treating in Dsiney World!!!! I got lots of free candy, my face painted for free, saw the fireworks and the parade which was awesome. I got my picture taken with Woody and Bullseye, his horse, from Toy Story; Captain Hook and Smee; and with the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter totally danced with me in the 20s era way which was awesome. We also went on the Haunted Mansion, since it was appropriate for Halloween, and on Stitch's escape before we went to the fireworks and parade.


Still rumors of an early homecoming but nothing definite yet. I miss Ryan so so much. I really want to see him so badly it actually hurts. I started going to the gym (ick) since Ryan kind of goaded me into it. I got to talk to him on the phone and we had a pretty serious talk about future sort of things. I want to audition with the CPs in November to try and get into entertainment down here or try and maybe go full time for a bit to save money (shame about the hiring full time freeze for now) but Ryan was like, "Do you really want to spend a whole year apart?" if I extended til June. If we can make Iraq and Florida work we can make Florida and anywhere work in my opinion, but he seemed a little unsure which kind of worries me. I know if I wanted to stay down here we would be ok and make it work but what if he ends up in California? I just don't know. I want to be with him more than anything, but does that mean not following this job for now? I have a lot to think about over the next few months. I know entertainment is so competitive, so I may be worrying for nothing, but I am a worrier so I am still worrying.

Especially since he asked me (just a thought, in his words) if I prefered a ring to be a surprise or to pick out my own. Naturally I said a surprise! (:

All for now. More training tomorrow!