Saturday July 5, 2008
Our 4th was interesting. We were sort of lazy in the morning – I got some more of my research paper done and we exercised. Bisbee throws a big party for the 4th with some very interesting activities. There were a ton of people down there. They had drilling and mucking competitions. The drilling consists of men competing to see how far they could drill a nail into a boulder with an axe. The first 2 people that went were interesting to watch, but after that it got kind of boring. The mucking consists of shoveling gravel into a big bin in the fastest amount of time. All the guys that participated won up to almost a thousand dollars. Not bad. After all that excitement, we walked around and then came home and relaxed. Had crab legs for dinner. Yum! This morning, I awoke to find out that mom and Mike’s CPU had crashed…….with my paper on it. I only had 2 paragraphs to go. Mom said Mike blamed me, then Mike said he never blamed me, so we got over the drama. Hours later, they recovered my paper, I finished it, sent it to my teacher twice, printed it and now can relax again! However, I am not allowed to blog, therefore, I will keep a Word blog and copy & paste into my blog when I get home.
Sunday July 6, 2008
I got an A on my research paper. Yay! I also got my acceptance letter into the vet tech program at SPC. Double yay! I start in August. We went to Mexico yesterday to go to the duty free store. I was a little nervous crossing over the border and then coming back onto the US side because I had to go through customs and I don’t have a passport, only my birth certificate, so I could just imagine being thrown into a Mexican jail for the next 80 years. We also found out about our taxes or lack of the stimulus check we were supposed to get. Line 12 on my return should have stated how much I made, but it was blank, which would apparently indicate that I made nothing. Another line was supposed to indicate how much Sean received from VA disability, which was also blank, which also means he made nothing. This in turn disqualifies us from getting a check b/c it looks like we made no money, when of course we did. We have emailed our CPA twice, who did our taxes, and I am praying that she calls us on Monday and sorts this all out and files amended returns for us. Sean and I are in a fight because apparently after only working at his job for one week and then going on vacation for 2 weeks, he feels when he returns he can work a few days and then take more time off while his parents are in town. I totally understand he wants to spend time with him, but I also totally disagree with the fact that he is going to jeopardize his brand new week old job. I am really upset by all this since ya know we got to make money and can’t do that if he is not working, plus he got a very good job and I don’t feel he is appreciative of this and finally we are trying to get a town home and well he has to have a job for us to qualify. I feel really bad that his parents are coming at a time of major changes in our life, but I still think he should be working while they are there. He has totally stressed me over all this and I am really upset. It stinks since we are supposed to be enjoying ourselves on vacation, but I am not sure how to get over it.
Monday July 7, 2008
Sean and I figured stuff out and decided that he would not take any time off of work. I thank him much for that and I know he is upset that he won’t get to spend all the time with his parents. I actually have the Monday off that they will be in town so that’s good. I can spend some time with them. For real this time, Sean and I have got to stop arguing over stupid stuff b/c even the dumb stuff is starting to wear on our marriage. So, we are going to take things a little slower and take a little bit more time and space from each other so we can figure some stuff out and get our lovey romantic selves back. So, yesterday we went to church. Later on in the day, we went to Mom and Mike’s friend’s house. W did fondue for dinner last night. That’s it!
Tuesday July 8, 2008
Gosh, we are just having so much fun here, but it is going by quickly. Isn’t it funny how it felt like forever waiting for July 1st to roll around to get on that plane, but the 2 weeks here seems like 2 minutes?! We are going to move here in the future. We are looking at either moving to Bisbee, Sierra Vista, Tucson or Surprise. We will stay in Florida a few more years, but then I think we will be ready to go someplace else (here!) or maybe Chicago. Sean and I had a much better day yesterday with not fighting, well except for two little ones. I swear we are like Noah and Allie from The Notebook. We are so totally in love with each other, but we sure can (and do) fight! Maybe the more I accept it and let go, the better it will be. I think that’s what I will do. Soooooo, yesterday we drove up to Tucson and went to Trader Joe’s. Then we drove up into the Coronado National Forest and went up about 9,000 feet to Ski Valley. They had cute little shops up there, yummy fudge, a ski lift and a couple of restaurants. Then we went to a little town called Summerhaven, which is right below Ski Valley. Back in 2003, the whole place burned down from a fire that lasted a month and destroyed over 300 homes and burnt like hundreds of thousands of acres. They are starting to rebuild and the houses are gorgeous, but way out of our price range. The views there were incredible. I will upload pics when I get back to FL. Then we went to the Saguaro Desert National Park, which was also gorgeous. We saw some interesting wildlife and plant life. Isn’t cool, we were in the desert!!?? Again, I will put pics on the blog when we get home. Sad face.
Wednesday July 9, 2008
What was our day like yesterday? Hmmm…… I am having a hard time remembering. Oh yah! We went to Chachos Tacos for breakfast (real Mexican food). Then, Mike stayed home and the three of us went to Sierra Vista, which is about a half hour’s drive from Mom’s house. We went shopping and we also went to check out the area and houses and whatnot. Sean and I have decided we are going to move there. It will not be for 3- 5 years, but we just absolutely love it. It is situated in the desert, surrounded by huge mountains on almost all sides. The houses are typical Western adobe homes. The town is relatively small, about 40, 0000. They have seasons, unlike FLA. Of course, hot b/c it’s the desert, but cold, too, about 30 in January, 90 in July. They also have monsoon season and they also have a forest in the desert! There is a lot of empty space out there. We would be close to Mom and Mike. We would also be close to New Mexico, Mexico, Colorado, Nevada (Vegas baby!) and Cali. All the places and things we love about the West. They have all the shopping and other things we would need. The homes are reasonably priced. It is gorgeous. About 1 ½ hours from Tucson and 3 ½ hours from Phoenix. They have an airport, a small one, but Sean could work on his flight hours. Fort Huachuca is there, which is an Army base, which would mean Sean could work as a civi there or he could work for Border Patrol if he so chooses. They have a university there. We just absolutely love it. There is a ton of things to do there and a bunch of national parks and monuments. So after we pay our cars off (about 1 ½ years), we are going to start saving about $800 a month to save for the move. 3- 5 years sounds long, but I know it will go quickly. I think in the meantime, we are just going to relish in the fact we have a new town home and new jobs, focus on starting our family and travel the Southeast a whole bunch so we can get as much out of FL and surrounding states as possible, do what we can, see all we can, so that then we can move to the big wide open West. Okay, I went off on like a big tangent there. I am just too excited. I heart Sierra Vista. Last night, we had one of Mom/Mike’s friend’s over for dinner. Then we vegged on the couch and talked and watched some TV. The morning has started out lovely and it is actually chilly here.
Thursday July 10, 2008
Another gorgeous day yesterday. The weather has cooled down and it has been rainy and dreary, but it has actually been nice. I guess this is monsoon season so it is to be expected. Mom and Mike drove us up to Coronado National Monument, which was a little scary getting up there. We drove on unpaved, narrow roads with no guardrails and it was a long way down! How exhilarating! Then we went to Parker Canyon Lake. A lake in AZ!!!! Next up, we drove out to wine country. In Arizona! All rolling hills and farm animals and gorgeous houses. And great wine. It is amazing how diverse the land and climate and scenery and terrain is out here. Then, we ate in a typical small town restaurant. We went through Sierra Vista on the way home and it just reconfirmed the good idea of eventually moving out here. I know we will be praying a lot and asking God for direction and strength. Maybe we will end up here, maybe not, but it seems like a good plan for the future. The internet has been down for two days. And the power went out last night for about an hour. Uh yeah, this just came out of nowhere, but I was thinking about how a bee flew up my nose when we were at the Gila Cliff Dwellings. How scary was that? Thank goodness, he didn’t sting the inside of my nostril.
Friday July 11, 2008
Not too much to report from the last 24 hours. Mom paid for us to get massages yesterday for BD presents. I ended up getting craniosacral therapy to help with TMJ. It was a really weird sensation. He would gently place his hands on my spine, neck, jaw, face, inside ears and mouth and barely even move. He did apply a bit more pressure at times, but not really. It’s like I could feel something happening, but I can’t really explain it. It was actually pretty relaxing and I felt myself drifting off. Either way, whatever he did worked, because my jaw feels great now. Then, I went to the salon and got my hair cut and colored and eyebrows waxed. She did a good job, not much of a change from what it was before, but that’s all right. We went down to the Cooper Queen Hotel for Happy Hour. This hotel was built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. We also did a little shopping and bought my Mom and Mike a few things as thank you gifts for being such courteous hosts. Then, we spent the rest of the evening in. I talked to the CPA’s office again about our stimulus check, but it sounds like we didn’t qualify for it, so they say. I think we are going to get a second opinion on the matter.
Saturday July 12, 2008
Sean and I did a lot of stuff on our own yesterday. We all went for a hike up the mountain to a cross and shrines and little crosses that people have left up there for loved ones. It was a long way up and back on a rocky trail. It was a little treacherous. I was trying to imagine doing it with an 80 pound pack on my back like Sean used to have to do. I don’t know how he did it. Then Sean and I went to the Bisbee Museum where they had the whole history of Bisbee. It was interesting. After that, we met Mom at a clothing store, but none of us found anything we liked. Then we helped Mom clean and get ready for the party here last night. We also went on a mine tour. It used to be a working mine, but closed in 1975. Now, they run 1 hour tours through there. It is part riding on a train and part walking. All the stuff they used down there is still intact. It was a little eerie and really cool at the same time. We went 1500 feet into this mine! I was a little scared about getting trapped in there, but our tour guide was a retired miner from this mine in particular and he had been trapped 4 times in his life so I figured if he could still do it, then I could do it once (go in the mine, not get trapped). Plus, he said if the wood beams that were supporting the rock started to creak, start running! OK, I can do that. Anyhow, it was pretty neat down there. The party last night was good. There were about 15 or so people that showed and we had good food and good drink. It was nice to meet and get to know Mom and Mike’s friends. There were some uncomfortable parts to the evening though. One person had some pretty strong beliefs about the war in Iraq and politics in general that certainly go against me and Sean’s ideals. So that made for an odd moment…..or hour. The topic of homosexuals came up, as well, that certainly goes against our Christian beliefs…..again, uncomfortable. Finally, one lady badmouthed her daughter-in-law for like an hour, which was pretty dang uncomfortable and un-cool, but other than that we really did have a good time.
Sunday July 13, 2008
Happy BD to me. YAY! Okay, dorky. My bestest friend already called, love you Tiff! She remembered this year! Hee hee! Our yesterday was absolutely wonderful. We drove to Warren with Mom and Mike to sightsee. Then, Sean and I drove to Sierra Vista. First, to find out about horseback riding on Fort Huachuca. No luck there, but we did get to drive throughout the post and it is really gorgeous. Plus, we weren’t all stressed out and anxiety ridden about being on the post. Then we went to the mall. After that, we explored some more of the town and then we went to Coldstone. Welp, we have made our decision. Within five years, we will be moving to Sierra Vista, AZ! We are so excited. I got really emotional about it yesterday and was crying on the way home. I feel like Sean and I have finally found our place where we can grow and spread our roots. Our little place in the world. Our niche. It is amazing. I feel like I am home when I am there and I have been searching for that for some time now. Florida and Georgia both used to feel like home, but not now. I have been anxiously waiting where Sean and I should go and this is definitely it. We have time to go back to Florida and save money for the move, enjoy a few years in the town home we are getting and gain experience in our new jobs and get more schooling out of the way. We will definitely enjoy these times, but we truly feel this is all in preparation to move out West. We had decided before if we moved to the town home that it would be temporary and that we would want to move again into a house. Well, we can do that plus gain some equity in a home and hopefully get something even nicer out here. Sean will gain a lot of knowledge being a manager and starting back to school, which should help him get something out here when the time comes. With the Army Post being here, it should be easy for him with his military tenor and the experience he is gaining now. It will be great if he can work there – the benefits are awesome and the pay is great and he is excited. I will also gain knowledge and experience being a vet tech and going to school for it, so it should be easier for me to find a job when moving time comes, as well. Plus, U of A (satellite campus) is in Sierra Vista, as well as Cochise College, which has a nursing program. When I decide to switch careers again, that will work, plus I have always wanted to be an RN for a military installation so then I too could work on the post with Sean. I could go on and on about all this, but I will stop here. I know I have been talking about it in most of my entries these days. I will say one more thing, Sean and I felt a real connection there, really at peace and just something that I can’t put into words, but I know it was the same feelings as when we were in Cali and GA. FL has had some unusual circumstances with living with dad, remodeling, Sean not working, me not liking transcribing, searching for a home, job changes, changes in general and the healing process from our former military life, and just plain chaos at times, but it still hasn’t felt like a place we would call home for very long. Any way, after we got back to Bisbee, Mom, Sean and I went on a ghost tour and then we went to the Cooper Queen and had a drink and listened to some live music. What a fabulous day!
Monday July 14, 2008
I am feeling quite sad today and was yesterday too. We went to church. I broke down and cried lots, as did mama. Sean, Mom and I went back to Sierra Vista and went to Fort Huachuca to go horseback riding. The weather got bad and we weren’t able to ride. It was disappointing. We drove around Sierra Vista and ate at Dairy Queen. We went to the Veterans Memorial Park. The weather got bad again and we left. We drove back to Bisbee. I mostly cried. Really missing my mom, even though we haven’t left yet and really sad to be leaving Arizona and Sierra Vista where Sean and I are ready to call home. I know we have to make the best of FL over the next few years and we have to be patient, but gosh I am so ready to move there now. It would not make sense to try to come now. We can’t financially and we have new jobs that we love and we are excited about the house. It is just one of those awful feelings because I know this is the place for us and it is so exciting that we found our home, but we can’t go there right now. Any way, we got back here and I had a strange conversation with Dad. He basically was supporting and encouraging the idea of us moving here. That was a new side of him. We walked down to a gallery to look around. Then we went to the Bisbee Grand Hotel (circa 1800s I think) and had a drink. Then we went to dinner at Rosa’s. It was delicious. We had lasagna and Shrimp Ala Rosa. The place was decorated so cutely and it was really romantic and the service was great and they were so nice. Mom and Mike surprised us with BD cakes and candles and the staff sung us a BD song…….SO IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND THIS SONG DOESN’T LAST LONG. The lady screamed it at the top of her lungs and about scared the crap out of me. So now it’s time to pack and get read to say good-bye….. or see you later….. to our family and our new home.
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