Date Night

Saturday night excitement - dinner and a movie. We crashed the Olive Garden in Burlington, spotted a man who either had a very fuzzy ponytail or a mullet (I checked on the way to the restroom - it was a fuzzy ponytail), and dined on the finest Italian food. I had my holy trinity of fancy food - shrimp, asparagus, and risotto. One of those items alone on an entree list is enough to catch my attention; all three of them combined in a luscious bowl - jackpot.

Our main feature for tonight was Frost/Nixon. Great movie, but not for everyone. It's adapted from a play and it's a movie I would deem "talkie" meaning there's little action. It's mostly dialogue and pensive looks between people - but the dialogue is brilliant, and the pensive looks - riveting. Frank Langella portrays Nixon and is captivating in the role. You watch him for one minute and think, aww... he's just a cranky old grandpa... and then you remember his diabolical mind, rampant paranoia, and mouth that would make a sailor blush. One particular scene between Nixon, and David Frost (the British talk show host who's secured the first post-resignation interview) shows how quickly Nixon would go from coherent to totally crazy. If you're a fan of history, you'd definitely enjoy this one.

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Change is Contagious

I've been itching to redecorate for some time. However, given the obstacles (no budget, two roommies who think milk crates are fancy, and a NavyGuy who'd rather cut off his right arm than spend time shopping for home furnishings), the only thing that can get a makeover right now is the blog!

Please excuse the mess for the next few days as I tinker with things. Feel free to give any and all feedback - though requests to return to the old design will not likely be honored :)

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Navy Briefing of the Week - FOD walk

Hello there fellow civilians! Welcome to my new Friday feature. I'm going to try to put up a Navy related post every Friday. It may be a glimpse into my upcoming life as a Navy spouse, or a tidbit from NavyGuy's training, or just an explanation of some Navy related term or event that can be confusing to anyone not "indoctrinated." I'll state up front that I'm obviously no expert on any of this, but I feel like I am learning a lot from NavyGuy as we get farther into this crazy new life.

So without further adieu... here's your first briefing!


Today's topic: FOD walk.

Say huh? Yes, I said FOD walk. FOD stands for "foreign object damage" and NavyGuy has been complaining about this task all week long. A FOD walk is when officers and crewmen (and basically anyone that can be rounded up) literally walks down the airplane hanger and the runway before a flight to check for any "foreign objects" that could cause "damage." They do this every single morning before the flights for the day start, and NavyGuy's class has been required to be there for it this week.

It's pretty boring for the guys; essentially all they're doing is walking really really slowly, looking down at the ground for the most miniscule rock or candy wrapper or bellybutton lint that could possibly disrupt the airplane in some way. It's a serious safety precaution that needs to be done, but it's one of the less sexy tasks that NavyGuy has to do (you'll notice they never show Tom Cruise doing this in Top Gun).


They also do this out on the aircraft carriers - don't they look like they're having a great time! ;)

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My First Real Shout-Out and Award!

Random Friday, just hanging out, getting ready to babysit tonight, and all of a sudden - wham! I get an comment on a craft post from one of my favorite bloggers! Seriously, I found this girl on WeddingBee originally, then stalked followed her to her personal blog The Sunset House, and may have developed a minor girl crush on her ever since. She has the neatest craft projects, yummy recipes, and just overall sounds like an awesome person.

So, to know that she's even seen my (desperately in need of a design revamp) blog is a thrill. But then she passed on the love with this bloggie award:

The Rules:

1. Choose a minimum of 5 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
2. Show the 5 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Scrap.” Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.
3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

Ten Honest Things About Me

1. I (and NavyGuy) are shocked that I've actually stuck with this blog for so long. I tend to get excited about a new hobby or idea and then lose interest soon after.
2. I watch episodes of West Wing and Whose Wedding is it Anyway almost daily.
3. My workout/get healthy plan for 2009 has fallen by the wayside and I'm struggling to convince myself to get back on the wagon.
4. I'm doubting whether we should be spending so much money on the wedding.
5. I'm frustrated with my job prospects for next year.
6. I'm thrilled to be going home in less than a month for craft craziness!
7. I've been avoiding doing laundry all week.
8. I have no clue how to make coffee.
9. I really really really want a black lab puppy.
10. I've been trying to read Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat for over a year.
    

(Sorry my 10 things are a little bland; having just come up with 25 random things I'm a little low on creative info about myself!) I nominate the following brilliant blogs: Sleepy in Seattle, The Adventures of a Farmer's Wife, Life and Times of a Displaced Jersey Girl, Yellow Bunnies, and Scrapbook Obsession. Go check them out!

Editor's Note: HistoryGirlie and other good friends have "shouted-out" to me before, but since they know me in real life, it doesn't quite count :) Still love you guys though!!!

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First Week on the Job

The reports are coming out already that President Obama is running a more "casual" White House than his predecessor. The New York Times has this article detailing many changes in the customs, schedules, routines, and day to day events of the Obama White House. Here are some of the highlights:

~ President Bush had a strict "coat and tie" rule for everyone in the Oval Office, but President Obama was photographed on his first full day of work sans jacket, indicating that the rules have changed. David Axelrod, a senior advisor, explained the change as a result of Obama kicking up the thermostat in the Oval Office (apparently, he likes it warm enough to grow orchids).

~ Obama likes to wander. He tends to show up at advisors' offices in the West Wing unannounced, like the time he surprised press secretary Robert Gibbs with his feet up on his desk.

~ The President has continued the tradition of weekly lunches with the Vice-President. What's typically on the menu for him? Chicken, fish, or a cheeseburger.

~ So far President Obama has been reveling in the fact that he "lives above the store." He takes time to eat breakfast and dinner with his girls, and also helps pack them up for school each morning.

The full article has some other fun information about what his first week has been like. And check out this video from this morning where Obama comments on the snow day issue... (for the record, he and I agree on this controversial issue 100%).

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Hearts a' Plenty

The inspiration for this card was a) the heart patterned paper and b) this layout from Jen del Muro (I {heart} 2 Stamp blog). Sometimes a little outside inspiration is necessary in order to keep your layouts or designs from looking too repetitive. The strip of white paper on the right hand side was looking a little plain after I got the card put together, so I added the red punch out hearts to jazz it up. Then when I stepped back to look at the whole card, I realized it was overrun with hearts! But, I guess some Valentine's Day cards can be dripping with sappiness :) The little birdie stamp is from a V-Day set I picked up at Archivers, found here (it's the same set that Tuesday's owl stamp comes from).

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Random 25

I've been tagged on Facebook by one of my dearest buds (the future "Mrs. Gavin Rossdale") with this little activity. The rules: Write 25 random facts, habits, goals, etc. about yourself. (You're also supposed to tag 25 other people included the original tagger, but I'm not feeling in guilt-inducing mood, so I'll just leave this open to anyone who'd like to participate.)

Off we go!

1. When I was younger, I wanted to add an "e" to my middle name to change the way it's spelled.

2. I dry my feet off in the shower before I touch the bathmat, because I can't stand the feeling of anything soggy.

3. I would wear sweatpants and my muckluck slippers everyday if the world wouldn't judge me.

4. I once got a police warning for "unnecessary acceleration" when I was doing donuts in a parking lot on a snowy night.

5. I broke two bones as a kid - my elbow and my collar bone.

6. Because I didn't do my physical therapy when I broke my elbow, I still can't bend my arm and touch my hand to my shoulder.

7. Feet scare me.

8. Sometimes I worry I won't like my future children.

9. I cried in first grade the first time I ever got a math problem wrong.

10. In high school, I helped a fellow yearbook staffer paint the darkroom black, and we attempted to explore the "secret passageway" that ran underneath the school. (We didn't find anything.)

11. I'd like my next big trip to be to Ireland.

12. I don't read my Newsweek magazine cover to cover; I browse through first and read the entertainment articles, and then go back and slog through the political and world news.

13. I detest talking on the phone.

14. My favorite elementary school book was Where the Red Fern Grows.

15. I played one of the Lullaby League munchkins in a junior high production of The Wizard of Oz. (Yes, many moons ago I could sing that high.)

16. I miss my dog.

17. Getting the mail is typically the highlight of my day, and federal holidays with no mail delivery chap my ass.

18. Last week I agreed to donate ten dollars to a random Washington state charity because I got confused on the phone and then felt too awkward and embarrassed to say no to the request. (See #13.)

19. My shoe size has been an 8 for as long as I can remember, yet recently I've needed size 7.5 or even 7. I think my feet are shrinking. (See #7.)

20. I'm really proud of my work as an AP teacher.

21. During college, I taught step aerobics classes at the university gym.

22. I always sleep on my side.

23. I'm typing this up to avoid doing my workout.

24. I'm powerless to stop my addiction to Cheerios.

25. I love making lists!!!

Whew - that was more difficult than expected. Who's going to be next to share their randomness?

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