U is for UFOs and whatnot.

I love UFOs and conspiracy theories.  One of my favorite books is UFOs, JFK and Elvis by Richard Belzer.  It's so silly, but I'm sure the government is out there controlling exactly what we see and what we don't see and all that.  I'm fascinated by it all.  I loved The Lone Gunmen and taped every episode.  I am also fully aware that this brings me dangerously close to the world of the Super-Nerd.  Dangerously close.

But, of course, that has never stopped me.  Which brings me to a website I found probably ten years ago, way back when I was in high school (sick - I can't believe it's been that long).  Please enjoy - I really think Metric Time could catch on.

I support the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus.

T is for Track Star.

If you know me (and I'm assuming you all do, because who else would read this?), you know two things:  I am diabetic and I hate the military healthcare system.  Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful to have healthcare and to get my insulin needs fulfilled, but when it comes to the Navy docs I've dealt with, well, they leave a great something to be desired (like maybe getting my prescriptions right or being knowledgeable about my condition).

That brings us to a few days before our vacation when I went to the Air Force clinic to get syringes, because the Navy WAS OUT AGAIN.  Fed up to here *points way above head*, I asked how I could transfer to the Air Force clinic, followed my instructions and when we returned from vacation, I had a letter telling me to see a new doctor....  I was relieved, but anxious it'd be more of the same.

When I finally got in to see my new doctor, I was blown away.  Matt came with me to help bust heads if needed.  He was not needed (but I was glad he was there).

My new doctor was amazing.  He knew stuff about diabetes.  He suggested a different insulin schedule to bring down my HbA1C.  I was on board!  I was so super-pumped.

Then.  Then he suggested the unthinkable (for me).  Thirty minutes of cardio five days a week.  Thirty miutes of RUNNING five days a week.  And Matt heard it all, so I couldn't just pretend it didn't happen.

Disgusting.  Awful.  Miserable.

I am not a runner.  I have no desire to be a runner.  People who run marathons baffle me.

But now, I am slowly pacing myself to become a runner.  I started off walking five minutes and running one minute for a half hour.  Now I am up to 4 minutes of walking with 3 minutes of running.

And I hate it.  I hate running.  It sucks.  I do not feel better when I an done running.  I do not feel bad when I miss a day.  It sucks.  And I'm not even actually RUNNING.  I'm walking most of the time and jogging because Matt insists I'll wear myself out if I actually run.

Maybe it will be better when its not so stinkin' hot here, but I just don't know.  I'm sticking with it for now for my health.  But I am letting everyone know that I hate it.

Vacation, Part 5: 16 Hours in Hawaii.

We spent the night at Travis AFB (stinkin' nice lodge there) and hopped another AMC flight the next morning to Hawaii.  It was in the general direction of where we needed to be...  We thought why not?  Maybe we'd get to enjoy the beach or something.

Well.  This is where we hit the downfall of the AMC Flights.  When we got to Hawaii, there were no flights leaving for 16 hours.  There were also no rental cars available.  And no hotel rooms on base.

Awesome.

So we spent 16 hours in the AMC Terminal at Hickam AFB, trying to sleep, trying to charge our iPods, and trying to avoid the weirdo who seemed to think we three were BFFLs.  Yikes.

Anyway, somehow, we made it back to Okinawa and have been enjoying it ever since.  See?

S is for Singing. Or Singing Along.

I'll be the first to admit that my vocal skills are lacking. In the 8th grade, someone told me my singing sounded like a dead cow. Ouch.

This has never stopped my love of music.  My dream house has speakers in every room so no matter where I go, I'm listening to something.  I love all kinds of music: Barry Manilow to System of a Down, The Killers to The Blues Brothers.  Gypsy punk, 60's folk, 80's pop rock - I'll listen to almost anything.

Before college, when my parents bought me a beautiful new computer with a CD burner, I learned the glory of Mix CDs and I've been making them ever since.  I have a few fans out there (Mom, Ryan, Miranda) and a nay-sayer or two (MATT, who hates every CD I make).  I consider my Mix CDs an art (Mom says its my spiritual gift) and you know I like you if you've got one.

My favorite thing about the CDs is throwing them in the sweet 1994 12-disc cartridge in my Toyota Windom and driving around the island singing my brains out to something I (sort of) created.  With no one in the car to tell me I sound like a dead cow.

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As a side note:  I have quit quitting Facebook.  But I deleted between 40 - 50 friends, so I'm hoping it willbe less annoying.  So if you made the cut and I'm still FB friends with you, consider yourself lucky.

Vacation, Part 4: D.C. and West Point.

Okay, okay...  I know.  I never finish things.  I promise to be better about that.  And I'll finish the alphabet I left off on over a year ago.  But really this time.

So, after a lovely sunny stay in Florida, Matt and I flew to D.C. to see his very pregnant sister, brother-in-law and nephew.  We got to see their beautiful new house for the first time and taste tested several flavors of Wegman's Ice Cream.  Carrie is the ultimate hostess and I always love staying with them. 

After our brief stay in D.C., Matt and I took Carrie's car and drove through five states to be at Andrew's graduation from West Point Military Academy.  How flippin' cool is that?  The commencement speaker was ...  President Barack Obama!  Pretty neat.  Super-pretty neat.

If you squint really hard you can see itty-bitty President Obama with his hand on his heart.  --->

Now, let me just state for the record, that, despite my disgust towards Glenn Beck and the fact I can barely wait Fox News without screaming, I am a conservative Republican, through and through.  But hearing Marine One fly by, watching the caravan drive into the stadium and seeing the leader of the free world walk out was pretty doggone exciting.  I got chills.  Gosh, I love America.

Also, let me tell you first:  I paid attention to the President's speech.  I really, really did.  But, for me, it was not as interesting as the fact that I had just told my mother-in-law about photo-bombing, and she thought it was a hysterical concept.  We took turns photo-bombing each other and other people.  It was pretty awesome.  But we were paying attention.  Most unfortunately, all of those fun photos are on her camera.  I got this one, though:

<---Sorry ladies, he's all mine.

After the ceremonies and sufficient family time, we hopped back in the car to drive back to D.C. to catch our last domestic flight - back to Travis AFB.