Posts

3/3/20

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Wow! Can't believe I haven't been on here in several months! A lot has happened, of course, in the intervening months, so I'll just do a brief recap for now, starting at the top: The Captain: Is retiring from the Navy and has a super new job that has him going in early and working late, because why NOT work the last bit of blood out of him before he leaves? Anyway, the new job is only a temp position and then he'll go back to a fairly regular schedule, which is good because it was the closest to a normal, 8-5 sort of job he's ever had in the Navy and I was getting spoiled. More spoiled, whatever. Anyway--he is retiring next summer and we don't know what the future holds, which is fun and exciting and scary, all in equal measures. I'm not worried, I know that he will find something amazing and hopefully something that he loves in a place a little more appreciative of his myriad skills. Hopefully. Me: Still drudging along for The Contractor, slogging all o...
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Sunday

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Moody, cloudy Sunday morning in bed with coffee and a new book.  Wrapped up reading a book that could have been so much better, had the characters had a little more...character.  It was a skimmer, for sure.  As I've gotten older, I have given up the notion that all books were meant to be read start to finish.  I've waded in as much as a couple hundred pages before letting go and putting one down.  There are too many books and too little time to waste on a book that doesn't keep my attention. If the rain holds off, I'm looking forward to hooking up this cleaner spray to my hose and spraying my windows and siding.  I know, I know...life is so exciting, right?!  Have I described where I live, the pipestem?  That is the Virginia vernacular term for a little offshoot lane that branches from the main road, upon which are a few homes--in our neighborhood, probably 4-6 houses on each pipestem.  We have four.  Next to us is Car Hoarder Neighbo...
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This is 45

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I think I need to get into it a little more to really FEEL it, but this is 45.  Middle of the road?  Maybe.  Both of my grandmothers made it past 90, so we shall see. All of the most important people in my life wished me a happy birthday today, including the adorable people who made me and brought me into this world.  It is my habit now to thank THEM for my birthday, because let's be honest, if that man didn't love that woman, I wouldn't be here,  right now.  Thanks, guys...totally, 100% serious. The Captain was out of town for my birthday weekend, he got back at supper tonight, unerringly arriving just in time to sit down and eat.  It's really OK.  I started out my weekend on Friday at my favorite shopping joint, then returned home, changed into sweatpants and settled in for some trash TV watching (in this case, the completely stupid "90 Day Fiancee" (don't get into it, it's like watching a car wreck that you could see coming miles away))....
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Weekending

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First, if my 15YO doesn't stop singing "Old Town Road" pretty soon, I'm going to lose it...though I kind of enjoyed it at the beginning of summer while we were on the GWO (Great Western Odyssey) as talk of chaps and horses seemed fitting to the situation. Aside:  he has a great voice, I wish he would have tried chorus this year.  Their school has the most amazing choirs.  I'll never forget our first Christmas (and see, I can say that because it is a Christian school) concert last December...when the high school choir launched into their first piece.  My jaw was on the floor, let's just put it that way.  They have an incredible, incredible director.  Just one more reason we love our school. 15YO met with the principal this week, gave him a decent handshake and then proceeded to answer all questions with monosyllables and grunts.  He has decided to quit all music.  He's not interested in any extracurriculars.  OK, possibly yearbook staff......
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Minnesota is Heaven, But Virginia is Home

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I'm back, peeps.  I'm going full-on retro and I'm going back to the blog. In a fit of disgust this week, I decided to get off Facebook.  What is it about Facebook that makes me so crazy?  I don't know and it's not worth examining as I intend to spend zero more minutes of my life worrying about Facebook.  Except to post for The Contractor. So...first of all, a little title change, as per usual, to reflect what's happening here.  First, I was "Minnesota is Heaven", which I do still believe.  That I will come to the pearly gates and IF God lets me in, it will look like the perfect August day in Minnesota with cornfields and blue skies for miles. Then, I was "Minnesota Gaijin" while we were in Japan...and hey, if you're coming to this blog because you searched "Yokosuka", enjoy your time there.  We did, both times. However, we have bought a house in Virginia and we've spent about eight years here now, between Norfolk and...
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Cherry Blossom, Part II

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Tired of cherry blossoms yet?  Oh good, because here are a few more:     These are from just a few hours ago...the cherry blossom or sakura, is truly ephemeral.  The blossoms appear almost overnight and won't last more than a few days, depending on weather.  It's important to get out and appreciate them while you can.  The Japanese actually have a term, hanami, for the "sport" of viewing sakura and there are many, many places in Japan where people flock to see sakura in breathtaking settings.   I'll settle for CFAY, since I'm still single parenting and the Japanese school children are on spring holiday, so the crush would be intense anywhere we would go.  If you saw my last post, you know I had to bribe the kids with ice cream for a two hour trip down to Miurakaigan to view the blossoms a couple of weekends ago.   It's been a busy couple of weeks.  I had a new class start up, just the other half o...
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Cherry Blossom Time

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Yesterday, I forced the kids at knifepoint to go see early cherry blossoms at Miurakaigan.  There was moaning and groaning and gnashing of teeth, but I decided we were going.  My parents, God love them, used to drag us places that weren't exactly on our "wish list" and dang, except for EROS Data Center, I'm really glad that we went to those places! Even though I didn't want to go to EROS, see how I still remember it so fondly Dad?  Ha! Had a bit of a snafu with the train, but otherwise arrived safely, along with 1.6 billion other Japanese people wanting to enjoy the sakura.  Sigh.  Hans and I don't enjoy crowds.  Maybe that's putting it mildly.  Hans and I hate crowds...crowded places bring out the worst in us.  Let's just say that I would say that random crowds have witnessed many of the more beautiful, touching moments of my marriage.  No big surprise because we are homebodies and get anxious in crowds and social settings...now Josia...
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