It's been a long time since I've posted anything, obviously... but that doesn't mean I haven't written in my mental blog a thousand times since my last post. I've thought long and hard about what I wanted to blog about - because so so so much has occurred in my life since my last post - and I've had so much to crank out on my keyboard. It's not that I haven't had the time, I have been busy - that's for sure, but in the midst of moving, getting my 'swole' on (as Kyle would say), getting situated in my new job, driving across Florida a couple of times, getting underway, visiting Kyle in training, taking online classes, and doing absolutely nothing, all of those things seemed better than sitting down and writing in my blog. In some respect, I haven't been ready for EVERYONE (because I really don't know who all reads this thing) to know what's been going on in my life - and because I've really wanted to sit down and write a full on confessional. I don't know if that will happen here right now, because most of the time I think about what I want to write and plan the words out perfectly while I am somewhere around minute 30 and floor 79 on the stair-master, by the time I get home, I smell, I'm sweaty, and I really have no interest in sitting at my computer to do this. The reality is that I have no commitment to do this, except that writing in this blog makes me feel good... and I know people like Katie depend on it, because we don't talk every day. Also, I've had a few awkward conversations happen, and I feel like I need to clear the air with a few things... So, here goes:
1. I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies.
2. haha... okay but seriously, here goes...
We moved to Pensacola in May, I think, I can't remember the exact date - it's not important though... I took a month of leave, and pretty much blacked out after it was all said and done. For some reason, my movers who were contracted to procure my household goods from Nantucket treated my move as an 'overseas' move - which means all our crap was thrown into BIG GHETTO plywood crates. This group of four guys showed up, one of them resembled Fat Joe (but fatter, and more gangster) who we ended up having to pick up at the ferry after they arrived because he was a 'walk on' because he didn't fit in the cab with the three other guys - or because he smelled really bad... either way, somehow I was sent for that job, probably because I felt better about Kyle being at the house with the three bloods alone. Anyway, long story short, they didn't finish the job in one day, we had 6100lbs worth of crap (holy hell), they ended up staying in some swanky hotel in downtown Nantucket, and showed up around noon-thirty the next day to the rest of our crap in the driveway (because Kyle lost patience and started unloading the rest of the houses contents so we could clean and get ready for Jules and Jude's wedding). That morning Fat Joe proceeded to make some sounds that resembled what I'd imagine to be dinosaur mating calls and vomit all over our front lawn because him and his team of thugs went out on the town the night before and had too many "Life is Good" cocktails. Once our crap arrived in Pensacola, nine days later than the "No Later Than" date, a new set of thugs came with it, and the crates in all their glory. A few things were damaged, actually our stuff was a lot better off than I imagined things would be, and I made sure that the moving company paid for it - we ended up getting a decent reimbursement and I put the Fat Joe and his team of G's on Slam in my 'move survey'... I also made sure to clear with the government move manger that Nantucket is in fact part of the United States, not overseas, and that it would have cost the government LESS to send one single moving company from Florida, to Nantucket to pick my crap up, and bring it back to Florida as a door-to-door move (as requested), rather than one company to load it into crates, deliver it to a warehouse managed by another company, only to have a third company drive from Georgia to Mass, to Florida to deliver it to another warehouse, to have a fifth company then pick IT up and deliver it to my house... oh yeah, that was the reason - lowest bidder...
Before I digress - on the move down to Pensacola, the BMW broke down while I was filling it with gas at the Delaware Welcome Center. Kyle - you win (it's on record now!). We bought me a brand spankin' new 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sport with 09 miles on the odometer... and all my complaining aside I still love this damn car!
Kyle left for his two week ADT before the movers came - which by the way, I've been trying to not abbreviate our military terminology for you civilian readers - but ADT, I can't tell you what that means, because the reserves is a whole ball game I have no idea how to play - and they come with a whole set of abbreviations I do not understand. My dad and Aimee graciously (I hope!) came and helped me move in, they were shocked by the amount of crap (especially kitchen related items!!) Kyle and I had accumulated in the three years (ish) we were on Nantucket - that "take it or leave it" really did me good!! They left shortly after all the boxes (aside from my clothing - which took me an extra two weeks) were unpacked and I spent the next few days trying to figure out how I was going to sleep - my street is REALLY dark... ALAS - I survived.
When Kyle came home, we spent a couple days (against Kyle's will) hanging pictures, arranging furniture, and organizing things - okay, maybe that's what I did... haha. We also spent a couple days at the beach, drinking beers, and straight up relaxing. Somewhere in this mix I also hired a personal trainer and learned how to lift weights like a pro and eat food like a pro. Jules and I had made some kind of agreement or promise to ourselves that we would leave Nantucket the same weight that we arrived (and I made myself a sub agreement that I would erase all memories of the damn place as well - so far so good!). I ended up leaving 5lbs over my goal, which... wasn't bad... When I got to Florida, that all went to shit and I felt like I could have ROLLED my ass down 95 and made it here in just as good time with my setbacks and numerous bottles of wine consumed at my Dad's house. Okay - it wasn't that bad, but that's how I felt anyway - and I knew I was going to have to get weighed when I arrived at the boat, so I had to be proactive at some point during my leave and make some changes. I never got weighed when I got to the boat, but boy was I hungry.
Kyle had about two more weeks between the time I reported to the boat, and the time he had to report to A-School. This was a really difficult time for us, because we made one of the hardest decisions we've had to make since getting married. After months of flip-flopping and discussion, we decided to put Junior down. I don't need to justify with anyone why we did it, but the move was really stressful on both the animals - to the point where even the Pippin was peeing blood for weeks - just out of sheer stress. Junior was not a healthy bulldog as it was, but he was our 'child' - he signified so much to us, he came into our lives in a way you read in fictional stories, or see in movies. I know I complained about his BS in a previous blog, but at the end of the day, we loved that dog more than anyone could ever imagine, and he will always be such a beautiful part of our life. I hope that no one has to go through this - with dog, cat, or human.
whew - that was heavy.
The DAY after Kyle left for school - liberty was granted around 1300 as usual in port schedule, and I was still on the boat, as usual, and deliberating whether or not to go buy some broccoli because it was on the menu for dinner that night, and we didn't have any. Right as I was about to leave - I am told to standby, because I may need to buy more than just broccoli - whaaaa?!? Around 1400 I am told to buy as much milk, fruit, vegetables, and cheese as I can and be back at the boat no later than 1600 to be underway by 1700 for possibly three weeks but an undetermined amount of time - to be briefed when I get back. I legitimately called my mom as I drove to the back gate sobbing. What. The. F#&@?! At this point I had only been underway with the boat for day trips, I have no idea what to do with Pippin - so I call the vet in a panic hoping that I could vent to them and teleport myself and the cat to them because there's no way I would have time to drive the 45 min there AND buy all that stuff in the amount of time I needed. I called my dad - in a panic, hoping that he would teleport to me and save the day! And I called Debi - who had just left the week prior and was with us for the saddest goodbye, who graciously (again, I hope!) offered to come up if she needed to, to stay with the cat. Pippin - I should add, was still "sick", and because he was peeing blood - the vet wouldn't update his rabies vaccine which had expired, so he couldn't be boarded just anywhere - aside from the vet he was being treated at which was 45 min away - and I was afraid of boarding him if I was going to be gone for three weeks (or longer) and I had no idea what kind of communication I was going to have with the world once we went farther than just a little offshore. Luckily - I was able to communicate with one of the guys on my boat (since I was still really new to the crew at this point) my stress about the cat and Kyle being gone, and he arranged for his wife to go to the house and meet Debi, and relieve her of "cat duty" - all things that I am really, really, grateful for. We ended up being underway for less than a week - and it was just another Coast Guard freakout - which, in the short time I've been attached to the boat, I've become totally used to. Again - I survived!
I really didn't expect this blog to be this long - so I'm going to have to break it up into two blogs - because the other half really needs to be thought out so I don't offend anyone... and I want to go watch Duck Dynasty with Kyle soon.
For anyone who follows me on Instagram, or sees my morning posts when I'm out the door at 445AM to go to the gym - I've been kicking some serious ASS. It does not take much to get motivated, and once you make a serious commitment to yourself to change your habits, it becomes easier every day and your new habits become just a part of your daily routine - as a friend of mine put it me going to the gym in the morning before work is 'just part of my workday'... The best advice I can give to anyone who is looking for motivation (and remember, motivation is the main reason I started this blog...?), is first off: START - the walk/jog/run, jumping jacks, situps, whatever you do today, is better than any workout you haven't done in the past week, month, year... Next you NEED to ALLOW yourself to have setbacks - but DO NOT allow your setbacks to be an excuse to fail yourself on your goals. Overcome from it, look at each setback as motivation to kick the next days ass, or choose a salad next time. If you eat right 90% of the time, let the 10% be a cheat meal once a week - if you budget it into your week, and you expect it, when it happens, you won't feel like you let yourself down, and you will be less likely to fall off your healthy wagon. If you eat three slices of pizza, or a bottle of wine, don't throw it away tomorrow with the mentality "screw it, I already messed up my diet with the crap I ate yesterday..." NO. It didn't take ONE meal to make you fat, just like it won't take ONE workout to get you fit... STAY FOCUSED. WHICH brings me to my next point - if anyone has seen my rants about juicing, Atkins, and yo-yo dieting - this is the biggest FLAW with those ideas, and I know Chad - you juice for deprivation without nutritional loss - great - but you eat pancakes in the morning drowned in syrup and fried chicken tenders at 10AM, so... there's your caloric overhaul paired WITH nutritional loss - just sayin'... but hey, whatever floats your boat, or sinks your ship - different strokes for different folks.
I want to motivate and help people, I've always been a nurturer/helper, it genuinely makes me feel good to do so... so... this is where I will end this blog stew - and pick up for the next one, because I want to write about my thoughts on happiness, the oncoming of our THIRD wedding anniversary, and some other things that are pretty heavy on my mind... Until next time!!
No comments:
Post a Comment