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.

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!

Hmm...

*pokes*

Is thing still on? Are people out there? Is there an echo?

Ah well I'll just keep going.

Last night and today was the first round of goodbyes. Patrick, Don, and Karli are all gone. Needless to say I bawled my eyes out saying goodbye to them. I never expected the people I would meet here would have such an impact on my life... to the point where one of them is going to be a bridesmaid in my wedding! So much has changed since August it is enough to make my head spin.

So, now it is time for another inside scoop. The subject... New Year's Eve at Disney.


My honest advice. NEVER EVER COME TO EPCOT OR MAGIC KINGDOM FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE EVER!!!!!

Unless you want to stand shoulder to shoulder with 83,999 other people and wait in a five hour line for Soarin' do not do it. Magic Kingdom was at capacity by 10am. At 6pm they let in 500 more people as some had left. EPCOT reached 84,000 people.

I was on fireworks duty which is like Illuminations on crack/speed/heroin all together at once. SO many people. We had to keep the walkways moving and once the front was full we kept people out. If you had to use the restroom you got a red ticket to come back to your spot. I had a red lightsaber to move people along and too many times I was tempted to hit people on the head with it. I was cursed at in 3 languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese), called a bitch a slut and a whore, told to fuck off or fuck you.... I have never imagined people could be like that. I was in NYC last year for NYE and it was fun! Pleasant even! This was HELL.

I had one woman from Brazil I would not let in to the front area since it was FULL and he called me those names and proceeded to mock me every time I spoke. I threatened to call security and she was like, "I don't understand." And I snapped, "SECURIDAD. POLIZIA. You understand. Shut up and move away!"

She didn't.

Jenny (who I have become a lot closer with) and I decided we were not Jenny and Allie. We were Jennifer and Allison after the first fireworks show. The gloves came on and the bitch came out! The 7:30 fireworks was regular Illuminations and it was the most hellish. By 11:40, the NYE show, we had a system and it was a little bit better. The finale at midnight was awesome though. I literally felt the shockwave of the fireworks nearly knock me down! And each country around the world show case let off a different set of fireworks and said Happy New Year in their language.



I found this on youtube if you all want to watch! I had my camera and tried to film the finale, I took lots of pictures, but my battery died halfway through the finale! I was mad as hell. Especially when it came back on to take pictures later when we all danced on the fountain and led a couple thousand people in the Cupid Shuffle. Hey, the DJ told us to!

Pictures will follow. Happy New Year readers!