Random thoughts

I've gotten the urge to post various Facebook statuses today but I try to limit myself to one or two a day so as not to look like an attention whore. So I'll put those thoughts here instead. ;)

* Today I went to the gym, tidied the house, did 5 loads of laundry, and baked 3 loaves of whole wheat bread and brownies.

* I was looking forward to a relaxing evening on the couch with the hubby and the TV (How I Met Your Mother is finally new again tonight!), but found out I have to do a project at work tonight that will take several hours longer than I normally work. Boo. But hey, when is more money a bad thing? =)

* Fry some Italian sausage in a pan, add potatoes (cooked til tender), and season with salt, lots of pepper, and garlic. Then eat a big plateful. You'll thank me.

* I discovered I despise every song by Sugarland except for "Stuck Like Glue." The girl's voice is too annoying in every other song.

* The music channels on our cable package are really cool. Tons of music (and not just the top hits) and no commercials? Yes please. Also cool: Zac Brown Band. Those guys have some serious talent for songwriting.

* The Hemingway scent from Scentsy is extremely fantastic. I love the way it makes my house smell woodsy and spicy without smelling like a specific wood or spice.

I think that's all. I need to go finish dinner now.

Eavesdropping

One of the things I enjoy about my job is people-watching and people-listening. Conversation overheard today while I was busily stocking dog treats:

Soldier #1: "Ooh, jello. Let's get some."
Soldier #2: "Dude, do you know how to make jello?"
Soldier #1: "You just add water!"
Soldier #2: "Okay, let's get three."
Soldier #2: "Do we even have a bowl?"
Soldier #1: "We have that Applebees cup."
Soldier #2: "Okay."

Something tells me that if anybody could mess up jello, these two could.

Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving! I look forward to turkey and gravy all year. Haha

This year felt a little weird. It was actually my first Thanksgiving without any family at all. Our first year of marriage I was stuck in Florida, handling the move of all our stuff to Washington, so I spent it with my family and without Andrew. The second year my brother David came to visit us for Thanksgiving. Last year, Andrew was in Iraq, but my 4 oldest siblings came to visit and keep me from being alone. So this year it was just us. I am so thankful to have my husband home though that nothing else mattered.

One of the best things about military life is learning to find "family" when your blood family is far away. I've been so blessed to meet so many people here who are truly family to me. They have been here for me in the good times, the bad times, and the random in-between times. We have shared tears and much, much laughter, and formed the kind of bonds that can only occur between people sharing the same experiences, trials, and joys. I love my military friends so much. Even when we all go our separate ways (which happens far too often in our world), I'm going to treasure all the memories I've made the past few years and the fantastic people I've made them with. Anyway, I think that sums up what I'm most thankful for this year: spending holidays with family, even if they aren't my blood family!

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Dinner at Gabe and Tasneem's

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The girls: Aimee, me, Kristi, Gina, Jennifer, and Tasneem

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I was tasked with baking the turkey, since I'm the only one who knew how, haha.

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No family holiday get-together is complete without games. Yay Rock Band!

Snow!

We had our first snowfall of the season this week! "They" are calling for a very cold winter this year, the coldest in decades. If this storm was any sort of sign, I'll believe it!

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Snow-covered trees are so beautiful.

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We took the kitties outside in it, and they were Less Than Impressed. Normally the kitties will do anything to go outdoors and frolic in the grass, and getting them back inside again requires a vast amount of speed, wits, and grabbing-of-tails. But in the snow? They cannot get back inside fast enough. Reilly was actually jumping up and clawing at the window in his agony to get out of the cold, wet, fluffy stuff. Here he is waiting longingly for us to open the door for him:

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I love snow. But it's not very fun in a state that doesn't know how to handle it. So it's rather a relief that it should be all melted by the end of tomorrow!

New Adventure

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Guess where I'm going in January?

Pierce College, Ft. Steilacoom campus. =) I have been accepted, taken my placement test, attended orientation, and decided what classes I need to take first semester. Next step is registering for said classes and getting the military financial aid to pay for it.

I'm very excited and very nervous! I haven't been in school in 8 years, and never been in a typical school environment. It's intimidating, but I'm going to do my best. Pierce College seems like a great school and it's only 7 miles away. I'm going for an Associate of Arts in Health Education/Wellness, with a future goal of a degree in Nutrition. We'll see how it goes!

Washington, D.C.!

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One of the highlights of this year is definitely going to by my trip to Washington, D.C. for the annual FRG and AUSA conference!

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Six days of amazing classes and sessions with some of the members of the Army's top command team, getting our heads pumped full of information, and sharing ideas. I went home with so much enthusiasm for making our FRG better and with a fresh view of what my goals are.

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We heard from such inspiring people such as....

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Mrs. Shenseki, wife of retired 4-star general and Secretary of Veteran's Affairs

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General Thurman, commander of FORSCOM

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Secretary of the Army, John McHune

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and General and Mrs. Casey

I also made some new friends, Trina, Jenn, and Julie:

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And got in some good sightseeing!

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Someday I'm going back to D.C. so I can spend a whole week just sightseeing!

Playing Catch-Up

Have you ever noticed that the farther you fall behind in something, the harder it is to catch up? Well, that's how I feel with my blog. I have so much to update on that the thought is daunting. But today the goal is, "catch up or bust!"

The biggest news is that I am no longer a full-time office employee.

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It was hard saying goodbye to a job and coworkers who have been very good to me for the past two+ years, but it was the right decision. I was completely burnt out on office work--it was time to leave and focus on other things.

My last day was October 15th. I spent the next three days packing for my trip (more about that in my next post), tackling a huge to-do list, and doing such housewifely things as roasting my own pumpkin:

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and making pizza:

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I have a new part-time job, working at the commissary for Nestle. I stock things like canned pumpkin, Purina dog/cat food, holiday candy, and chocolate chips for an hour at night and 10 hours every other weekend. It's not a bad gig and pays at least one of our biggest bills. I'm also planning to start school at Pierce College in January. I am taking the placement test and going in for an advisory session next week, and class registration is at the end of the month. I'm going for an Associates in health/wellness, with a degree in Nutrition eventually.

Anyway, I'm loving life! One last picture, the hubby and me at Halloween. This was the first time we've ever dressed up together, haha.

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Smear Ads

Politics are currently at a white heat in Washington, much like anywhere else. Political ads take up most of the ad space on TV and the radio, and it's difficult not to be annoyed at how deceptive many of them are. One thing I'm noticing is how hard Democrats are trying to sound like Republicans. The normal theme of Democrats (and not-so-conservative Republicans--let's not leave them out!) is "Spend, spend, spend--the end justifies the means!" But this election, they know how angry the American people are with the massive deficit and how likely it is that they are going to lose their jobs for it. Therefore, they ignore their own horrific records for spending and howl that their Republican opponents are for sure going to spend our grandkids' fortunes as if they are suddenly alarmed at the consequences of such behavior!

Take the hottest race, for instance, between Republican Dino Rossi and Democrat Sen. Patty Murray. Murray's ads against Rossi are ludicrous in their inaccuracy. Rossi's record is very near flawless when it comes to his views/actions on spending and taxes. He is a conservative. The current appalling state deficit is not one iota his fault. Yet Murray continues to try to scare Washingtonians with what Rossi is GOING to do, which, according to her, is spend us into oblivion and have special taxes just for the middle class. It is simply NOT TRUE. But Murray can't talk about her own record because even the state's leading newspapers have pointed out that she spends tons of our tax dollars in ways they should not be spent. What do you talk about in a political ad when your record is exactly what Americans are angry with and your only promise is more of the same? Why, lie about your opponent of course. Rossi just wants to spend tons of your money! Rossi wants to send YOUR job overseas! (No, it's actually Democrats who have caused jobs to move overseas; if you can't make it in America because of all the stupid regulations and government monopolies, who can blame you for going overseas?) Rossi doesn't fight for veterans (haha, ridiculous)! Rossi doesn't want millionaires to have to pay taxes! (No, he just thinks everyone in America should pay their share--an equal percentage. Isn't that what this country is all about? Fairness to everyone? What is fair and American about taxing the crap out of a millionaire just because there's someone else who doesn't have as much?!) Rossi hates children! and puppies! (Okay, so I made that up.)

I am fed up with this nonsense. And I pray Washingtonians aren't stupid enough to buy it. If you WANT tons of spending, love big government, and want to pay most of your income in taxes, so be it--vote for Patty Murray! It's a free country; you can vote for whatever and whoever you want to. But please don't be dumb and vote for her based on her Rossi attack ads! =)

[You might as well get used to my talking politics for awhile...I am all charged up for this election and I have several posts I want to get out over the next few weeks. Haha]

Appreciation is nice.

Funny moments from a couple coworkers today regarding my leaving, which was announced in staff meeting this morning....

From Chad, when he called in at one point - "Hi, you CAN NOT LEAVE. But I'll talk to you about that later. Right now can I talk to Greg?"

From Don - "Can you show me how to do this again?"
Me: "Do you want me to just do it for you?"
Don: "Well, I want to learn how since you're leaving."
Me: "But I'm being replaced, you know!"
Don: *whisper* "But she'll probably be dumb."

I <3 weekends. This weekend included:

* Shopping and dinner out with the husband

* Sleeping in late

* Spending an afternoon in the kitchen making homemade wheat bread and black bean salsa (and a spice cake that unfortunately did not turn out well--I hate when that happens)

* Hanging out with some friends at a bar & grill in Yelm (where a bartender decided I looked exactly like Kate Bosworth and was bummed to find out I was married, heheheh)

* Church

* Chores and a visit to the gym

* Long evenings on the couch with the TV remote

Why must weekends end? Someone needs to work on that.

On the upside, this week does happen to be my last week of full-time office work. To say I'm excited is an understatement! I've been a receptionist for almost 6 years now and it's time for a break. I can't wait to get started with a new chapter in life. =)

Well, I figured it was about time I updated this thing!

One of the most exciting events of the year for a lot of us Army people is the battalion ball, which happened this past Saturday night. I was particularly excited for this one since I have gotten to know so many awesome people in the battalion during the deployment! It was a blast getting all dolled up, seeing my hubby in his dress uniform, and getting to hang out with all of my friends. The evening was over far too soon, but we all definitely partied our little hearts out! :-)

 

 

That night I and the other FRG leaders were also presented with the Commander's Award for Public Service, which none of us were expecting! It was such an honor, and I'm so thankful I've gotten the opportunity to volunteer for such an amazing and appreciative unit. Not everyone is this lucky!

In other news, on Monday I finally broke the news to my boss that I'm quitting next month. My last day will be October 15th. I am so excited and nervous at the same time at saying goodbye to full-time office work. As much as I've grown to dislike it (my brain feels like it's atrophying here!), it has become my niche, in a way, and it's always intimidating to venture out of your comfort zone. But I'm so relieved that I'll be done here soon and can set off on the road of being able to spend more time with my husband, devote my full attention to the FRG, and start working toward my goal of going to college and getting a degree. I am hoping to find a part-time job on post but we'll see what happens.

Last week I started reading Boundaries, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. I'm sure I'll talk about it more when I'm done with it, but this book is without doubt a life-changing one for me. Partly due to my background, I'm a people-pleaser, very compliant, easily guilt-tripped, and have a very hard time saying no to anything. This book addresses people like me and helps them recognize these traits and pull ourselves out of them. It's written from a very Christian perspective, which I appreciate, and has been extremely eye-opening. I'll give a full review after I'm done with it, but I can't help but mention it now since I'm excited about it!

3rd Brigade is officially home!

Yesterday I left work for a few hours to attend our brigade's Welcome Home and Uncasing the Colors ceremony. I know I would probably think differently if I were the one wearing the green uniform and standing in a field for two hours, but I really enjoy military ceremonies. They make me feel especially proud to be an American and an Army wife.

1-23 Battalion, the "Tomahawks"

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The band, which also recently returned from a deployment to Iraq.

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So proud of these guys!

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Gen. Johnson and Col. Funk take a ride in a Stryker to inspect the troops.

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Fortunately no small children ran out into the field in front of the stryker this year.

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Parading out the colors

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Uncasing the colors

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Flag of 3rd Brigade

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Close-up of the Tomahawks

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I had to get a picture with my hubby, of course!

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Bake-N-Blog

So, a group of friends and I decided to carry out an idea that Jesstagirl and Her Officer came up with: "Bake-N-Blog"! All of us picked a cupcake recipe from Ming Makes Cupcakes and baked them, taking pictures of the process. I chose the "Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache" because I knew my peanut butter-adoring husband would definitely help me eat them. =)

Anyway, with that introduction, let's get started!

Here's all the ingredients:

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The dry ingredients mixed up, and my cup of peanut butter (I absolutely love this measuring cup from Pampered Chef for messy solids like peanut butter!):

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Mixing up the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla:

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Then I added part of the milk:

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And part of the dry mixture:

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And repeated that until the wet and dry mixtures were all mixed in and the batter looked deliciously silky and luscious like this:

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Of course I followed it up by licking the beater...who wouldn't??

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I lined the cupcake pan and filled each one:

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Then they went into the preheated 350-degree oven to bake up into yumminess.

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After 20 minutes, I wanted one RIGHT THEN.

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But first they needed icing, so I mixed up more peanut butter and vanilla:

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Then I added some milk:

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And powdered sugar.

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Then I started the ganache, which is just cream and chocolate chips. I did not own a traditional double boiler, and they were much too expensive to buy, so I put a metal bowl into a pan full of water and it worked perfectly!

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The finished icing looks amazing.

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The chocolate is melting:

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It's all melted after a very short time, so I took it out of the simmering water.

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Then I iced the cupcakes!

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And drizzled on the ganache:

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Ahhhh there is NO way these can NOT be amazing.

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I prepare to dig in!

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So, my official review: I give these cupcakes 5 stars. The cake is soft, rich, and peanut-buttery, and together with the icing, it melts in your mouth. The ganache was super easy and the perfect finishing touch. I will definitely make these again!

Here's the actual recipe:


P.S. Taking pictures while baking/cooking is an interesting process--I felt rather stressed about it. How does the Pioneer Woman do it almost every day??