Why I love being an Army Wife

How sexy is that??

Seriously.  That's my man in uniform walking back from jumping out of a plane, with some other soldiers coming down behind him.  So awesome!!!

And while I love the 82nd Airborne Division, the Special Forces jumps are so much cooler.  Today he jumped out of a small plane with 8 guys jumping...the plane takes off and lands right infront  of you (10 minutes tops from getting on the plane to walking back to the crowd) rather than from Pope AFB and taking an hour to circle around before they jump out.  82nd jumps are still cool to watch, but much less efficient.

And jumping out of a Black Hawk....AWESOME!!!

And watching guys doing a HALO jump from 12500 ft...seriously, how many people can see that whenever they feel like it.

Loading the plane

A Black Hawk jump a month ago.

A HALO Jumper (High Altitude, Low Opening)

Dude landing

And what's really cool - this is 3 blocks from my house.  I can hear planes flying over my house right now!

Charlie

Jeremy wants to take him to the pound or give him away

Shitty update

Not 5 minutes after I posted my last post, Mikey yelled out for me from the bathroom saying he was using lots of toilet paper.  He wasn't kidding...the bowl was full.  Then I turned and looked at him and realised that it was a baby wipes moment and that I would have to finish wiping my 6 year olds ass.

What a shitty day!!

Shit happens....literally!!

So today started off great.  Jeremy didn't go to work until 9am this morning - this whole SF having PT three times a week is something new for me!! - so I didn't get to sleep in, but it meant that I could leave Mia at home while dropping off Mikey at school, and then have a blissfully uninterupted shower, AND have time to straighten my hair!!

Woot!! That never happens.

And then I met Antonia at the park so her son Levi and Mia could play.  Awesome.  It was so nice to have someone just genuinely cool and nice to talk to, and have Mia occupied and happy....again, that almost never happens!! Makes me a very happy camper.

But then I had to go to a funeral.  I didn't really know the lady who passed, but I know her husband pretty well.  He's the President of the local 82nd Association Chapter, and paid for Jeremy's lifetime membership. It's heartbreaking since she is just a few years older than my Mom, and a wonderful woman. And since the Association is mostly older people (You're talking WWII, Korea and Vietnam Vets here), so many of them are passing away and you can see the hurt in everyone's eyes as another one of them leaves us.

OK, which dog farted - I'm getting fumigated here!!

Anyway, so I head home, walk in the door....and then see the damage to my house caused by Charlie and his Harem.  I'm dogsitting my SIL's two dogs, and well, they are drama queens.  Kiawah is a non-chewer, but is a Diva who insists on sitting on our brand new sofa....we don't even let Charlie on the sofa so this does not sit well with us.  Anyway, Kiawah's part in this is that she pushed the back cushions off the couch (I laid them down so she wouldn't climb up) and covered my couch in fur.

Then there are the books. Mia's book, Mikey's books, special kids books people have sent me from New Zealand, and even a Sesame Street book that was Jeremy's that they pulled off the bookshelf.  They (Charlie and Sullivan) ripped them to shreds to the point that my living room looked like a book graveyard.  I am anal about books, to the point that I am more hurt about that books than I would be if they chewed up a handbag (with the exception  of my Kate Spades).

And then it hit me.  The smell of crap....I am assuming it was Charlie....he had laid it down on the floor...in many places...then the dogs had stepped in it and spread shit all over the floors. SOOOOOOO GROSS!!! It took me an hour to clean it up.

Oh, and a dog chewed on our brand spanking new sofa....Jeremy is going to hit the fan.  I am extremely grateful that I have an FRG meeting so that I can exit the moment that Jeremy enters the house tonight so that I can avoid his wrath.  I have pre-warned my SIL who is coming to pick the dogs up.  This ain't going to be pretty.

Anyway, I digress.  The moment I have finished cleaning up dog crap, Mia walks in holding her potty bowl saying "mess mamma, mess".  No shit.  Actually, yes shit....explosive shit...more shit for me to clean up.  And she got a bath right then and there.  (Ask Antonia - she was already a mess from the park, but cleaning up dog shit the moment I walk in the door was higher priority).  It seems that my healthier diet is wreaking havic on my daughters ass....or so I've noticed the last few days.

So, I truly hope your day has been shit free.

Day 4 of Week 1

So, I am actually feeling pretty good this morning. Apart from my shoulder and back.  I'm on Day 4 of Week 1 of the Fiber program - that's One 1/2T of Benefiber twice a day along with some Milk of Magnesia. I'm also on Day 6 of Weight Watchers.  Not easy when there is birthday cake that needs to be eaten, but not as bad as I thought.  And I have one day left on my detox which is the GMC brand you can get at the stores by the PX. My tummy is saying "Hello" instead of "Piss off" like it usually does, so my faith in this program is increased. I won't go into details, but I'm not getting the results that are described in the book yet, but I'm on my way.

I don't know if I've lost any weight yet - I don't keep a scale in the house because I don't need a daily reminder of my weight to make me feel bad, so I'm solely basing things on how I feel, how my clothes fit, how fatigued or energised I feel etc.  So far so good.  I haven't napped this week which is really unusual since by the time Mia goes down for a nap I'm out for the count.

So these are a few success things that I have discovered so far:

* I like to snack when I am cooking, so if I have baby carrots sitting out when I am cooking, I can snack on them since they are 0 points, and it also fills me so that I don't feel the need to overeat at dinner. 

* When I buy fruit and snack veggies, I automatically separate them into portions (ie 20 grapes, 1 cup Watermelon, 1 cup strawberries which are all 1 point) and put them in ziplock bags in the fridge.  It's awesome because if me or the kids want a snack I can just grab a bag and give it to them, instead of having to wash and separate it which is a total pain in the ass esp at 6:30 in the morning.

Anyway, last night Craig Morgan had a concert on the runway on Pope Air Force Base.  He used to be 82nd which was pretty cool, and he's pretty damn awesome too.  He put on a great show - he saw this guy proposing in the middle of the concert and stopped halfway through a song so that they could get up on stage so that he could sing them a song.  Soooo sweet.  And I got to meet Tina and her husband William from AWF and she is every bit as sweet and beautiful as she seems online....and that's one husband who is head over heels in love with his wife!!  Mikey and Mia had a great time, although Mia took on the runway, and the runway won....and she was so excited to ride a bus at last!!

I don't know what else I'm going to do this weekend....I was supposed to go to Charleston for a marriage retreat but between the cost, my stomach and my bac/neck/shoulder we had to back out. A bummer because Jeremy and I were going to have a date at a gourmet restaurant to celebrate our anniversary which is coming up next week.  But there's a tonne of fun stuff going on here like the Cumberland County Fair, and the NC Turkey Festival.  And Mikey's playset is pretty much done so the kids can go to town in the backyard!!  All and all, pretty fun!!!

I'm what???

"30 y/o female would like a nutrition consult to help her with multiple issues.  She has IBS, Obesity, Lactose Intolerance, Hiatal Hernia and GERD. She is wanting to lose weight but most diets limit her in too many ways. Please eval and treat.  Thank you."

I'm sorry, I'm what?  Obese???  OK, so I have some weight to lose, but I've got a BMI of just over 25 and last time I checked that it was not obese.

And then he was basically telling me that he has IBS and a Hiatal Hernia too and you just have to deal with it.  I asked him "And you're OK with that"...and he said there's nothing you can do about it.  I'm sorry, I am not willing to accept that so the doc can just shove it.  He, BTW would be obese...

Oh well, I will see what the nutrionist has to say and keep to this fiber thing and see if I can prove the Doc wrong.

OK, so here's some positive things.  Tonight is Rock the Runway on Pope Air Force Base where Craig Morgan is playing!!  Awesome!! I love this guy, and it's not only because he used to be in the 82nd.

Oh, and after my rant about cows, I went out and got some Ribeyes for dinner tonight, and some cheese.

Shout out to my cows and chickens!

I love my neighbor across the street.  She's funny and kind and very generous. She will go out of her way to help you and I am happy to reciprocate.

Here's the catch, she's hard core into the Raw Food Diet.  Now, I have no issues with the concept of the diet.  Like, eating a salad before every meal.  Eating more raw veggies.  And being more aware of what you're consuming. Juicing.  It makes sense.  Organic and Farmer's Market makes sense to me. Completely logical. But it's damn restrictive, it's not good for my stomach issues and I would not be able to do it - ie. dark lettuce is an evil thing to me!! And it makes me mad when your kids can't even eat fruit everyday because of the sugars.  I would love to invite your kids to dinner but if I do, I'll probably make them get the shits even though what I've cooked is healthy.

So shut up about dairy!!! I'm freaking lactose intolerant!! I love cheese, it does not contain a lot of lactose unless its orange or certain types.  So I'm going to eat it....it's not like I'm eating a giant cheese wheel everyday.  That would be gross!!  I feel bad for cows too....poor buggers.  I like eating cow and cow products and your not going to stop me...and it's not like I eat a cow a day.  And then my poor chickens....they should be able to run around like happy chicks and eat nice food....and then I will eat them!! You're not going to stop me!!

And for the love of God, what I have fed my child has NOT caused his autistic symptoms!!! It's hereditary.  Go meet my Dad!!!  And then ask my Mum and Dad if their veggies straight from the backyard has been sprayed with pesticides...and accuse those veggies of making my Dad Austistic.

So who wants to join me on my blissful tropical island where I can lay on the beach, with some hot cabana boy feeding me FRUIT and cocktails, where I don't have to wipe butts and clean up piss all day long...and then have a wonderful dinner of cow steaks, cow cheese and cow cheesecake (Ok, the cheesecake might not be a good idea),  and fresh veggies??

* Just so you know, the Fiber is my body react the way it was described in the book.  Currently it's not pleasant, but I'll keep at it.

* I think my daughter and dog are plotting against my sanity....While I am vaccuming, swiffering and washing my floors, Charlie takes a giant dump outside that my daughter will step on (Wearing shoes!!) and then both of them will run inside spreading poop on the floor so that my floor cleaning process will need to be started over.

* What the f is up with that crazy chick who threw acid on her own face and made up a story saying that it was a stranger who did it?  Seriously, who throws acid on their face??

* The fricken MRI from the other night has made my shoulder hurt again...damn it!

Hello and welcome to my life

If you're reading this, you know who I am, and that I probably like you.  That means you are a sane, well-adjusted person who causes me no drama, so you rock....and thank you.

Anyway, recently I have been losing my mind healthwise and instead of being a happy, healthy 30 year old, I'm more like a reasonable happy, crippled 80 year old.

And like 80 year olds, I'm taking Fiber!! There, I said it.  I have a can of Benefiber sitting on my counter next to a bottle of Milk of Magnesia.

So anyway, this is what ails me: I have IBS, Acid Reflux Disease, Hiatus Hernia, Lactose Intolerance, Anxiety and Depression, Increasing Exercise Induced Asthma, Rotator Cuff Injury on my left shoulder, a messed up neck and back with scoliosis, 1st and 2nd degree disc degeneration, fused bottom vertibrae, hyperextention in most of my body, arthritis in my back and neck, 20 lbs over-weight with giant boobs....and a ornary 2 year old.  It is what it is and I don't want to whine about it, but if you had all that and you're only 30 you'd be miserable too.  So damn it, somthing has to give and I am going to do something about it all.  Not sure about what I'm going to do with the ornary 2 year old, but maybe if I'm feeling better, I'll have more energy and and she'll be overall more pleasant!! (and you know I love her to death, but most of you have seen Mia at her finest and realise what I'm saying).

So step one:  thanks to girls night out with Jenn and Billie back in July, I wound up with the hangover from hell which made me quit smoking. I've had a few when I was visiting Krista back in August, but if I have a craving for a cigarette, my mind is taken back to that awful hangover and I run away from the thought of a cigarette screaming.  So yay for that!

I'm starting Physical Therapy on my shoulder and neck and hopefully I can stay motivated enough to do the exercises at home (I'm notoriously bad at that) so I need ass kickings and reminders to make me do them.

I'm getting a referal to a Nutritionalist, or preferably a referal to Dr Wes Jones who is a GI Specialist and has made this High-Fiber program.  It's the first thing I've read about in years that takes into account my dietary limitations, which doesn't make me eat crazy food that I've never heard of before, and actually has logical explanations behind it.

To cut a long story short, if you've got a slow moving GI Tract, it's going to cause increased reflux, gas, pain because your food is basically sitting in your gut just festering away, and needs to go away.  So by slowly increasing your fiber by using the right kinds of fiber over weeks, and flushing out your system, and then by maintaining it for the rest of your life, plus eating a sensible diet....you should be good to go, and hopefully all my stomach issues will be cured, or at least manageable so that I'm not in constant pain and discomfort.

So here I go.  Starting yesterday I am taking a 1/2 tablespoon of Benefiber (which you REALLY can't taste when mixed with coffee or Crystal Light)  along with Milk of Magnesia Twice a day. And I'm doing Weight Watchers too to help with the weight loss and hopefully be eating food which is healthier for me.  I'll spare you the details of what's going  on, but I'll tell you if it's working and answer questions if you have them.

Now I want Mikey to come home from school so I can eat some cake damnit!!!

And I promise you that my other posts will not be about fiber and my bowels.  Just this one OK!!