MY man is coming home in about 75 days!!!!!

Gosh, I can't tell you how much I miss Philip......but with the onset of Spring comes the excitement that he will soon be home!!! He deployed June 23 roughly, but his unit deployed officially around June 15 so if we are lucky he will be home around that time as well.

They have been REALLY busy over there...working 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week without a day off for about 2 weeks now. Please keep Philip in your prayers as this is hard for anyone, but he is just completely wore down. He says he goes to bed tired and wakes up tired.

I have been working a lot of hours at Walmart....about 30-34 hours roughly. Full time is 34 and above...I am only supposed to be part time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With Philip's work schedule and me working all day...we haven't been able to connect as much as I would have liked,,,so that has been rough. We probably get to chat about 30 minutes once or twice a week if we are lucky...sooo in the grand scheme of things that is not a lot! :(

Buddy and Ava are doing good...but their Momma is looking forward to real human interaction! LOL! Oh and I hope they don't mind when Momma kicks them out of bed to share it with a human being again instead of two of the furry persuasion! ;)


I still think I am having gall bladder problems, but have elected to wait it out and if I have surgery it will be after Philip returns home. I saw the General Surgeon today at the Army hospital and he said I have two options: "Get on the schedule now or wait until your hubby returns and go from there" Since I am not crazy about the idea of losing an organ...I think waiting is the best and we will see if I have any more severe episodes.

Keep me in your prayers...as I would be remiss to say that loneliness mixed with Walmart and gall bladder pain keep me a little less than perky! :)

New year, new job

Well, for those of you who don't know, I have joined the working ranks again....WAL-MART. Ummm...It is okay. The only complaint I really have is that it kills my back and my FEET. Basically you twist and turn and STAND so much. Other than that, the job is very easy. Today was the first full day since Payday. Now, payday is a big day anywhere, but for an Army town, PAYDAY is a big deal...trust me, I know...LOL! I checked out a woman with three little screaming kids who had THREE, count em, THREE carts full of food (mostly junk food...LOL), clothes, and random stuff. Talk about working your booty off! Today was the first day I truly "felt" it...meaning, that I felt that I truly, truly was working and couldn't run and hide...haha...no I am dead serious...part of me wanted to tear up a bit...but that's what being an adult is all about right? I also had individuals with 2 carts full of stuff....oh and a lady who was grouchy mean and when I didn't give her money back, because she didn't click "cash back" called me a "dumb B*&T$" when she walked away.... Obviously, I can't give back money, when she clearly didn't click it....my register would be off and it wasn't charged to her card.

The job really isn't that bad..the people I work with are really nice. They are helpful and I do not feel "singled" out for being new. I do feel a sense of accomplishment getting up everyday and going in to work. I can't say it is my "dream" job...but it is a job.

On another note: Philip will be home in 4 months!!!!!!!! I cannot contain my joy. I miss him sooooo much! :)

Philip's birthday

September 20th is the last day to send a package or even a card to Philip so that he can receive it on or before his birthday on October 4.

Boy, I am having such a hard time deciding what to get him!!!

I am in between a camera or a digital photo frame. I figured with a camera he could take pictures of things over there and then I could see what it is like and I know he would like being able to do that.

But, then the digital photo frame would be nice so he could see slideshows of me and the cats and stuff...... decisions, decisions.....

I asked someone if I could send a cake in dry ice over there....well...no..because they say dry ice only lasts for a week at most....and it's been taking 2 weeks for him to get things. Pooh....I really want to do something special...but, I have been so out of touch with him...only a weekly phone call. You can't just call up the Iraqi bakery and get a cake made!!! ;(

Well, let me know if you need Philip's address.

Thanks!
Courtney G.

Officially Welcomed To Adult Birthdays

Well, so my 25th birthday started out promising. I awoke at a decent hour of 20 till 9 and began packing for my trip down to Austin. I wanted to be on the road at 10 am, but didn't quite make it. At 10:30 am, Philip called me and told me he would be on webcam in a few minutes. I thought he would call a little later at noon, so I had to rush around and get my computer out of the car and get it set up. We had a nice little chat before he got hungry and had to go. It was the first time I had seen his face in over 2 months.

So, I got in my car and headed out at about 12:30 p.m. The trip was uneventful, until about 20 miles from my target destination I noticed my car said, "Check left tire pressure". At this point I had gotten into the area of the greater Austin area and so traffic is busier. I began looking for a gas station or a Walmart parking lot to pull over in. I didn't find any until a mile or two down the road. I pulled over in a H-E-B parking lot and noticed my left tire was completely flat. I tried to use the pump get that is standard in my Pontiac Grand Prix GXP--but it didn't work. I called for roadside assistance, but they were going to tow me to a closed car dealership. So, I thought I could do better. I called Beth and Larry, our family friends, and they came about 20-30 minutes later to survey the damage. My car doesn't come with a spare or a tire jack. It notes this in black and white in the owners manual. I guess they figure that with the high tech tire pressure system located in each tire that you will not need a spare. Larry called AAA and they said they would tow my vehicle. When the gentleman got there, he say a whole and got a temperary patch for it and aired it up. I drove the short distance to Walmart across the street. They said it would take 1.5 hours before they could get it in....so I waited. We went to dinner and by the time I got back, they were pulling my car into the shop. We decided to go in Walmart and buy a birthday cake for me. A few minutes later I heard my name on the speaker. I told Beth, "Either they got it done quickly or there is a serious problem." I had a feeling it was a serious problem.

I went back to the Tire shop and they showed me my tire. It had huge air type bubbles all over the inner wall of the tire. The guy counted 16 he said. So, the tire was ruined. Several of the tire workers said it was a manufacturers defect. My tire is a fancy sport tire that has 18 inch rims...so they did not have any in stock. So, I had to leave my car in their parking lot and wait until this morning to call Firestone/Bridgestone.

They told me it was from driving with low pressure for a period of time. This I knew was not the case, because of my tire pressure system and how closely I monitor my gauges. Nevertheless, I have to pay nearly $300 for one tire. Depressing. Beyond depressing.....

So, for the first time, I spent my birthday without my family. Without my husband. Hot and sweaty standing around figuring out what to do with my tire and car for 4 hours. I must admit I wanted my husband in a time like this. I couldn't call him. I couldn't talk to him. I was alone.

So, I guess this is what adult birthdays are like. Every other day.

Cardio Girl

Well, I have worked up to 40 minutes on the Elliptical machine. I work at or above my target heart rate most of those 40 minutes. I will eventually combine more strength, but that is not typically as hard for me as I have always been the muscle type of girl.

My birthday is next Monday. This will be the first year to not celebrate with my family and especially with my husband Philip. I may go to Austin so I won't be all alone. I have had several of my new friends invite me to dinner if I don't have anything planned.

On another note, as a reminder Philip's birthday is October 4th!!!! Please mark this on your calendar! If you could at least send him a Birthday card I would greatly appreciate it. Keep in mind that it can take up to 2 weeks for him to receive mail and packages.

If you would like to send him a little something I suggest Gift Certificates. Here is a link to AAFES, which is the PX, which they have one at Camp Taji.
http://www.certifichecks.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/cgi-bin/web06/affil_template.pl?U+affil+cnvj4387ffa26ca2+aafes_l52598+aafes_l52598+cnvj4387ffa26ca2+NULL+welcome

Philip also mentioned books by Orson Scott Card. The Ender's Game series. He already read the first Ender's Game.

It's really my goal to make this years birthday a good one for Philip!!! ;)

Update

I have been going to the gym this week with a girl I met on Craigslist. She needed a workout partner and wanted to get fit for when her husband returns from Iraq in September 2009, just like Philip. So, we had a lot in common from the get go. We get along pretty well. I must say she is more motivated right now, but who knows maybe that will change and I will have to push her a little. She is always saying, "15 minutes on the eliptical?". If you don't know what the eliptical machine is, it is basically a stair stepper. It really kills me, but I went for 15 minutes today and 10 minutes yesterday. Plus we do about 20 minutes on the treadmill and do the weight machines. Right now I am really focusing more on the cardio aspect because that is the hardest for me. I have always been very strong and muscular, so I don't have as much trouble lifting weights or getting excited about lifting weights. I can't believe how good working out is feeling!! It has done a lot for me already and it has just been three days! I think it has affected how I sleep, because I got up early today and didn't feel super groggy like I have been feeling. Right now, I am not focusing on the actual losing weight aspect. I am focusing on getting stronger and doing more for my health.

Well, it's been 2 months since Philip left for Iraq. I have to say that all in all it gets harder, not easier. I was just thinking about it today. I think everybody has strength to go a certain amount of time without someone, but then you kind of just go, "Man, I want to see this person NOW!!" That's where I am at. Two months was long enough and now I am ready to have Philip back, but of course it doesn't work that way, so I am pushing along.

Along with my exercising, I have been cooking more and watching what I eat. Basically, I try to put good, whole grains and fiber in me several times a day. I am eating lots of Oranges as my "snack" to stave off cravings. With all these healthy habits, it makes me miss my husband more. I wish I could share this with him. As I was listening to my workout partner, Sabrina, jabber on and on about something that I wasn't really listening to, I thought of Philip and how much I wished I could be working out with him. He truly is my best friend and there isn't anyone else who I would rather workout with. I think about all the times he asked me to go and I just wouldn't. I always came up with an excuse. I guess I just had to really do it for me. When there was no one else making me, but myself. The one thing that has been hitting me lately is just missing simply being someone's wife. Just doing and taking care of someone. Having someone to share your daily thoughts and feelings with.

Driving by the Apaches on post usually brings me happiness. They bring me closer to Philip in a way, because I know that somewhere 7000 miles away he is touching one and fixing one and covered in dust and grease. But, there is definitely a sense of longing. Yesterday as I was driving to the Gym on post, I teared up when I saw the Apaches. I guess after a while you just can't hold in the reality of that longing. I don't cry much. It wouldn't do a lot of good. I mean, maybe I should, but most times I am just numb or in denial of some of what I am feeling. I go to bed alone, wake up alone, and rarely hear my husband's voice for longer than 30 minutes a week. I get used to it and honestly because he can't call that often, I don't anticipate it anxiously. In a way, I like that.

I've been watching Star Trek Deep Space Nine from the beginning. Philip was watching the later seasons when we got married and so now I am going back and catching up on what it was like before the Federation was at war with the Dominion. I have become a true trekkie thanks to my hubby. I liked it a little before, but now, I like it A LOT!!!! ;)



Blessings,
Courtney

Job Search

The last few weeks I have scoured the job listings on the Work force link website. I have found a few positions that I would most like to have.

This past week I worked up a resume and applied for a couple of jobs.

I have been enjoying the Olympics. I especially like watching Michael Phelps and also the U.S. Gymnastics team.