Before you go...

Before Ryan left I spent four days with him, I took off Thursday and Friday from work and we enjoyed our time together. Thursday we woke up and drove down to Busch Gardens... we hit only a little bit of traffic, stopped once at Chik-fil-a for lunch, and got there by 2pm.

On the tram going into Busch Gardens. Man was it hot! It wasn't as bad as most of the other days but it was still pretty warm!

Apollo's Chariot, fun on one of the big four rollercoasters in the park!

Then in the bird area Ryan was determined to make a friend. We had the option to spend $3.00 on a disposable ketchup container thing of nectar or do it on our own. We chose to do it on our own!

And it worked! I love this picture!

So cute!

Then we went on Griffin. It stops there at the top and holds you over this 90 degree drop for a few seconds than drops you. It is awesome! We went on this one twice. We made all the big rides and even the small ones we wanted; including the swings and bumper cars! Then we had a great dinner at the Oktoberfesthaus.

Pre-Fireworks

Ignoring the piece of the bridge we had a great view! They shot them off over the water. We got home after midnight and then slept very late the next day. When we got up, around 1:30, Ryan decided we should go to the Marine Corps Museum since I had never been. We get on 95 and do really well for awhile and then....

We stopped. Dead. We were in the HOV lane, it was barely 2pm and the road was stopped. You can even see the museum in the background there and we just were not moving. My car thermometer was saying 117 degrees since we were roasting on the black road. Two hours later we get to the museum... which is only open until five so we only had two hours to go through it sadly.

At the Marine Corps Museum

Such a Marine :P

Wearing a WWI uniform, not my best look!

I love the sayings all around the main hall.

View looking up, so cool.


Since we left so late we had planned to eat at Tunn Tavern, but it closed at 4. We wanted to do a nice dinner so we held of eating. It took us barely twenty minutes to get home and then we walked to Trattoria Franco up the street. I love this Italian place, we went for my birthday and wanted to go back. Now it is after 5:30 and we had not eaten all day so we were starving. We decided to make a production out of dinner. We ordered a bottle of Prosecco and some calamari with garlic bread and we started to eat slowly.

Then we ordered salads, I got my tomato/basil/mozerella favorite and Ryan had a caeser. A bottle of wine was next, then two different but amazing veal dishes. Dessert was a cannoli. They let us go outside to smoke then come back in and even after we paid they let us take our wine outside and sit and smoke in the cool night air.

This is Ryan's You are such a dork look. I get it a lot.

Much better!

Yea it was a hot day! Overall dinner took us over four hours and it was amazing. We talked about lots of happy moment from our marriage so far, going back to dating days even. Even when we talked about some of our biggest fights we remembered the aftermath and fixing things, but we forgot what most of the fights actually were about.

It is a great hole in the wall with authentic and wonderful Italian food and if you come to Alexandria ever you must go there! We walked home and then, in the Italian spirit, Ryan humored me at watched Moonstruck with me. Then we finished season six of Weeds. I may have cried once as we sat and talked, but it was a great night.

Saturday was Ryan's going away party. We borrowed a grill and had a mix of Marines, wives and babies, and neighbors. It was such a perfect send off. I made my corn bread and the awesome grilled cheese jalepeno poppers I mentioned earlier this week, plus we had burgers and chips and beans and tons and tons of food! Desserts ranged from peach cobbler to cheesecake stuffed strawberries (OH.MY.GOD. Carrie wins!) to smores.

Hanging out by the truck.

Ryan holding Baby Bentley, who is a month old. Ryan rarely holds babies so I had to take this. It just melted my heart! He will be such a wonderful dad one day.

Little Liam, our neighbor, is quite the camera ham!

The hosts

Ryan and Russ with Liam doing an adorable photobomb with help from Adam

Ryan and Liam... see what I mean? He will just be terrific. I can tell :P

Us with our neighbors, all of which have been great since Ryan has left. I am so thankful for them, those here and those not pictured.

Russ, Lauren, Ryan and I.... Russ worked with Ryan and Lauren is a great friend. They were our first official 'couple' friends.

My love... he was a tad tipsy at this point! I may have been too.

<3

Ryan and Jack. Jack is now out of the Marines and the last time I saw him he was bald and clean shaven. I honestly had to double take because I did not recognize him when he arrived!

Smores

Love the fire pictures! We destroyed some wire hangers to make the roasting sticks. Lauren and I then drove the truck to take the grill home since we borrowed it from her and Russ. Of course it is my second time driving the truck and of course we get pulled over for an inspection at the main gate to base. So I am trying to open everything and find where Ryan keeps the paperwork and just cursing my luck. And the guard did not prop the hood open right so it started to fall and I dove and saved his neck. Literally.

The party ended late and Ryan and I stayed up in bed just talking. There may have been sobbing on my part. It was my last night with him and I lost it. He calmed me down and we eventually fell asleep. The next morning we got up and walked to Southside for brunch one more time.

Post - Eggs Benedict euphoria.

Before I knew it we sorted his luggage and Adam was helping Ryan carry the bags to the car. My heart started racing, it was too soon! How did this happen!? We planned on taking the metro to the airport but trying to fix his bags we took too long so we drove.

Adam and Ryan, the three of us were staples on the front stoop.

One more before we go, this is where we took our first picture before moving in.

As we drove I got so teary, I tried to hold it together. I parked in the wrong terminal and we had to shuttle to the right one. We hurried through and Ryan had about an hour and fifteen minutes before his flight. We get his bags in and ask about a buddy pass for me to go through security with him. They send us to the ticket counter and after an agonizing wait the woman tells us, "No it can only be for minors and the handicapped." AND MILITARY ORDERS. I may or may not have sobbed that at her and Ryan had to pull me back away from the counter.

Suddenly I am hugging him and kissing him goodbye in line at security. Tears are streaming down my face as I give him a letter to read on the plane. I watch until I cannot see him anymore. I then walked the whole way down the airport, no shuttle for me, back to the car, silently crying. Once I got in the car I burst out into sobs. The kind that made my ribs hurt and I felt like I was going to throw up. 8 months. It had been ten minutes and I was losing it.

I finally calm down and start to drive home. I called my mom and talked to her. I then meet up with my neighbors at home. I was teary but they plied me with wine and we sat outside and talked for ages. Ryan texted me until his flight took off.

Once I went back in the apartment and forced myself to eat I cried again. It seemed so so empty. I calmed down, went back outside to relax, and then got into bed. I set up my Big Fat Greek Wedding in my DVD player and got into bed and.... sobbed my heart out. It was too big, the air conditioner too cold, my stuffed animals came out of the closet (including Mutsy wearing Ryan's tshirt) and it was still awful. I just cried and cried. Then Ryan called from Phoenix and his connecting flight to tell me goodnight. I finally settled into sleep.

I woke up about five times. I was hot, I was cold, I was thirsty, I needed water, I heard something... each time I restarted the DVD. I was so overtired I overslept this morning and barely made it to work on time. Ryan texted me around 4:30am telling me he was there and safe.

Today we texted back and forth. A guy he deployed with in 09 is now a SSgt and out there and got him from the airport. Ryan stayed with him last night until he checked in today. During my lunch break I got to call him and talk. Ryan was pretty shocked to see a real live roadrunner so he enjoyed telling me that. They made him check one of his carry ons, Phoenix sucked because they booked three flights at one time at one gate, there was lightening.... but he made it.

I haven't cried today. Talking to him makes it easier. Hell my phone is buzzing now as he is telling me it sucks, he does not have a room yet and is in a temporary room. And his classes start tomorrow so he has no time to situate when he does get a room. Seriously?? Like they didn't know he wasn't coming? It makes no sense, which Ryan said makes perfect sense as it is the USMC!

Work was rough, I was sent to our other office to help out and it is such a different environment. It was just for the afternoon but it was like agony for me. Then Carmen, who I worked with at camp last year, invited me to Theology on Tap at an Irish Pub in Old Town. I really enjoyed it and it was something I needed! The speaker was a man who ran across America. Ran. Check out his website here. He used prayer to motivate himself. Jeff ran with no music, no ipod, he just prayed and communicated with God. He was such a funny speaker and very motivating.

Day one down. A lot more to go. No tears yet today... I am hoping I can get into bed and fall asleep without them.

Thanks for reading so much if you did. It is a little lonely here at the moment so I definitely rambled.

Today at 5

... Ryan leaves. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this.

Ugh.

Oops, Hello Blog!

So when your mother calls you and says, "Allie you haven't updated your blog since Friday. You are being a slacker blogger!" you know that you're a bit behind. Properly chastized indeed! So here I am filling you all in on the past few days so my mom doesn't drive down here from Jersey and ground me for a lacking of blogging!


Friday apparently was the last time I blogged... since then Ryan and I have been spending a lot of quality time together before he goes to school. He has leave so he has been doing a lot of errands around the house and such and nights and weekends we do as much as we can! Friday we dragged a whole bunch of neighbors out in front of our building. It was literall 105 degrees, even when the sun went down, but we had wine and beer and liquor flowing so it was a blast! The dogs were out, people were chatting, cigars may have been lit, we had so much fun.

Saturday we slept in (finally for me!) and then went with our neighbor Adam to the indoor shooting range. We had about a two hour wait and once we got in there it was BOILING. Apprarently the fan or the AC was not functioning, so we literally had sweat pouring off of us. Icky. I was so hot I honestly had a hard time aiming, I did much better in March when it was cold! :P

When we got home I made Ryan these amazing grilled cheese jalepeno sandwiches that I borrowed from another blogger and he liked it so much he asked me to make them for his going away party on Saturday! Done deal my love. I am also making cheesey cornbread ala secret family recipe since I love you so.

Sunday was church, IHOP (tradition!) and then we went and saw Friends with Benefits. Hilarious at times, predictable at others.

Monday we hung out at the apartment, watched season 6 of Weeds on Netflix, then went and finally regsitered me at our church. We'd been going since January but we thought we were leaving, now knowing we, well I, have 8 months left I might as well.

Yesterday we had a delicious steak dinner, curtosey of my husband and George Foreman. It was so nice out we decided to walk down the street to King St and get some ice cream at Pops. We sat down at the waterfront and enjoyed that. Going back Ryan realized he had never ridden the free trolley, so on we went!



We snagged a seat and Ryan had his arm around me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. The old lady behind us smacked his arm saying, "Stop that!" It was hilarious, she was joking around so it wasn't creepy I promise. I said, "I can't take him anywhere." to which Ryan looked quite affronted as the woman offered to call security! :P

We got off the trolley at our favorite bar Murphy's where they were having TRIVIA NIGHT. I was pretty stoked. I love pub trivia nights, even did one at my bachelorette day! We didn't win and ended up being out way too late for me (since I do have work in the mornings)so I was totally dragging today!

Tonight I am going to see JOSH GROBAN! So so so excited.

Tomorrow Ryan and I are going to Busch Gardens, gotta love places that let military in for free!

Notice how I am being upbeat? Trying not to panic that he is leaving in about four days? Yea... we'll pretend that is really working!

Part of the life...

While sitting at work today, frustrated because the phone won't stop ringing and it feels like 118 degrees outside (according to the weather channel) and other things, I was reading through my many blogs when I saw one of those entries that makes your breath catch and your heart hurt. It was actually posted on another blog I read.

So I diverted my phone and sat at my desk reading this entry with tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat.

Please head over to The Dudley Family's blog and leave some kind words on her entry
Three Knocks at the Door. Please send a prayer up tonight for SSgt Thomas Dudley who has paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, two weeks before he was due home from his sixth deployment. Please also pray for his wife and children.

It is a scary part of military wife that we all know can happen. It just takes your breath away and makes you want to hug your husband a little tighter tonight.

I may be extra emotional with Ryan's departure for school in just over a week, (Sunday will be a week). I did cry lying next to him in bed last night saying ridiculous things like "Who will block the air conditioner for me? And get the get its (bugs, since I usually point and yell Get it!)? And make sure I don't eat sandwiches for dinner?" I had serious ones too but he started trying to make me laugh and I was just a teary snotty mess. Sigh. Reality is sinking in that in nine days my husband is leaving for eight months to go 3000 miles away.

I know it is not a deployment.
I know he will be safe.
I know we can talk a lot. Or skype.

But damnit I am still going to miss him. A lot. I got uber spoiled having him around on a daily basis for a whole year. I was lucky and I know it. I don't care if people scoff because he is in school and the choice we made (which is our decision and it is logical and best for us financially and for him to study and train) but Ryan is still not going to be there. Our apartment will be emptier and I am going to miss him like crazy. I will cry, I know I will, and it will be lonely.

Ugh.

I am so all over the place this afternoon.

Stay cool my friends.

Orders

They came in. Seriously. Waiting and waiting and waiting and... my husband got orders today.

He texted me this morning "Orders! Orders! Orders! Report in on August **!" And nothing else. So I'm texting him back saying "What? What? What? Just you? Me too? What?!" To which I get the reply... "Call me please."

So I get up from my desk and call my husband. As far as we knew he was going to school, it would be about six months, 3,000 miles away, and unaccompanied. Well, we were wrong. It is eight months, two schools back to back, 3,000 miles away and may be accompanied. What do we do? Do we move across the country, slash our BAH in half and live on base (or off base in unfamiliar territory) for eight months just to PCS again? Would I be able to find a job? Would any place even hire me for that short of time? Would we see each other?

Right now I have a good job. I make good money, have great neighbors and friends nearby, and family not too far away. If I move 3,000 miles we take a huge hit to our budget and I am unemployed in a place where I know no one. Especially since Ryan has this huge aversion to living on base I'd be living off base knowing no one. As much as I want to be with Ryan, it isn't the sensible decision. As one of my clients put it, "The military will give you a lot of separations you cannot choose. So why choose to have one when you can avoid it?" to which I had to excuse myself and go cry in the rest room a bit.

Because Ryan and I think it is best for me to stay here. I have support, a job, we have an income and savings. Half of me wants to say SCREW THAT and go with him and cling to his ankles for dear life. Lord knows we will have deployments and moving in our future... but this feels so difficult. Me moving unnecessarily for 8 months and losing half of our income just to move again... but to spend another 8 months on a semi-daily basis with him. He will be in school and have training. He will be learning a new job, studying, getting acclamaited and adjusted. The last thing he will want is to come home and deal with a wife who is lonely or bored (just speculating here). Even if he comes home at all... nights will be spent at the barracks and training will happen and I will be on my own any way.

I thought we made the best decision. For me to stay and we'd PCS together when he graduates. I can visit, we can call and skype... but why does my heart still feel like it is four tons in my chest? How do we know if this is the right decision? Do finances and the needs of one spouse override the other?


Sorry, this post got a little all over the place. I am so happy Ryan got orders. He needs to get out of the barracks before he loses it. It just sucks that he has to go so far. I know I know, it isn't a deployment. But we'll still be apart for a long time, which sucks no matter who you are or what you're doing. Sigh. Time to put on the big girl pants and get over it, huh?

Snake on a ... Wall??

Last night Ryan went shooting with one of our neighbors. When he and Mike got back Mike's wife Courtney came out with their son Liam and we all sat outside enjoying the beautiful evening and a beer. I was sitting on a blanket with Courtney when we notice the guys are staring up at a second story window on the side of the building.

We asked them what they were looking at and they quickly said, "Nothing nothing." So Courtney and I get curious and may have even yelled at them slightly, asking if they were being perverted. They said they weren't. I got up and walked around the tree and looked up and saw this....



And looking closer... a snake!



I ran in and got my camera to get this better look. From afar snakes don't bother me. I am waaaay more afraid of bees/wasps/hornets/stinging things/jellyfish than I am of snakes.




He was really long!!!! The guys thought it was a King Snake but now they are not so sure....



Ryan took this one, he was proud of the curl it had going!



Now this is why they are unsure... the colors on the bottom. We thought King Snakes were all black but maybe not?



He was crawling around in the grout of the brick!



Even in a stair case pattern!!!!!



Courtney wasn't too happy it was coming back down.



Ryan went closer and got these. Snakes don't really bother me, but I am not about to walk right up to it and flash a bright light in its eyes!! My husband can do that.



Worked well though, the snake was quite photogenic! Especially considering some guy walked by and asked us if it was our pet. Why in the world would we have a pet snake that we let loose on the building?!



Still, how often do you get a shot like that?

I guess that is what we get for living so close to the river! I can tell you this though.... our windows will be closed for awhile. I am ok with it outside, but if it got in the apartment I wouldn't be so calm!!!

Ryan is working late (hooray parades) and I am going to hang out with my friend (and bridesmaid) Cat. It has been way too long since we have hung out! Then Ryan heads to SC tomorrow. I'll miss the bugger! Its been ages since I've had to deal with him not being around. Not complaining at all, I know a long weekend is nothing, but it will be weird not having him around! The past year we really haven't encountered that and I got pretty spoiled. I got to get used to it. School is approaching and he will be off to school 3,000 miles away for six months. Then I know deployments will follow. Back to the grind indeed....