It's me!

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting a post from me, so I hope this fulfills all of your wildest hopes and dreams. Today I got up at 4:15 am and went to work. Here's how work went:
5:30: I get there, fill out some paperwork that says I am safe, and the instructor asks me a bunch of questions about how the helicopter works. I answer them to his satisfaction, and we agree to meet again in a few minutes.
7:20: We go out, thoroughly inspect the helicopter for problems, don't find any, and start her up.
8:00: While starting, we discover our compasses don't work, so they have to replace the Navigation Switching Interface Unit.
8:20: We actually take off and the instructor proceeds to demonstrate, then let me fly, all these maneuvers that show what the aircraft is capable of. We flew just off the beach at 50' and waved at the people, since they are the ones that keep our tanks full. We practiced some defensive maneuvering, so I can keep our country safe from "agents of radical Islamic terror", "evildoers", and "(insert election year catchphrase here)."
10:00: We land, and I turn my gear back in.
10:30: I debrief with the instructor.
11:00: Home for lunch.
12:00: I finally convince Jill to get her last two shots so she can come with me to Japan (I bribed her with a dinner offer).
2:00: I had to take a survey at the base. It was so boring I kept falling asleep. Luckily, since I don't drink, don't smoke, don't abuse prescription drugs, don't abuse recreational drugs, don't abuse my wife, and don't cheat on my wife, a lot of the questions didn't apply, so it took ONLY an hour to complete.
3:00: I dropped off the last form for Jill's other passport (Yes, she'll have two).
3:30: I met Jill at the gym.
4:30: Finally home.
So now you know what a day in my life is like. I fly; I study; I fulfill legal requirements for moving to Japan. I'm thinking about sell the rights to PBS for a miniseries (You know, kind of like "Carrier", but about us guys who have been in the Navy for 2 years or more and have never been on a boat).

Every Single Moment is so Precious

Our hearts and prayers go out to Emily and John and their baby. John and Emily moved to Milton just a couple of months before we moved away but they both had such an impact on our lives. In those few short months we got to know John and he was such an awesome person. John was the kind of person that makes everyone feel comfortable because he was always smiling. You could just tell he loved Emily more than anything else in the world. He was so selfless and always willing to help those in need. He helped us move all of our things when we decided to try and move ourselves. We only got to get together at each other's houses a handful of times for dinner and games - but we had SO much fun when we did. John introduced us to Settlers of Catan!! It was terribly ironic to Cliff and I to be visiting my parents condo in Ft. Walton this past weekend as that was the last place that we really got to hang out with John and Emily together. We had so much fun that night. We made peanut butter cookies and burned a lot of them! and played games and laughed about the rock hard cookies and just talked. When we found out that John had gone missing and later that he had been found and that he didn't make it - it just didn't seem real. It really drives the point home that you have to let the people you love know that you love them. You can't wait until tomorrow or the next day to tell them. Some people touch our lives one day and are gone the very next. You just can't hesitate when it comes to letting your loved ones know what they mean to you.

John was loved by so many and he will be greatly missed.

We love you Emily! Be strong for the baby!

STRESSSSSS or Cliff loves Jill

First off - I am so grateful for my husband and how patient and loving he is with me. I had a rough week. I subbed three times which normally wouldn't be that stressful, but it was for middle school and that as I have stated previously is just not fun. Glorified babysitting. Not even that glorified... I have to tell you though, each time I enter a classroom and every time I sign out at the end of the day my respect for full time teachers triples. It can be a thankless job at times. I always want to do my best and I have a habit of over analyzing and stressing over the smallest things. I know I shouldn't worry so much about this stuff as I am only a SUB but I have always been prone to anxiety and bouts of panic. What if I can't keep control of my class? What if a fight breaks out and someone gets seriously hurt? What if I get lost? What if I screw up the teachers' plans and get put on the "do not send" list?? Everyone of these worries is irrational but it's hard for me to realize that when I am in the moment. That's where Cliff comes to the rescue :) He has such an incredibly calming influence on me. He reminds me to pray and to breathe. He reminds me that he loves me unconditionally. He has influenced me to exercise as a means to relieve stress and I have been trying to go to the gym with him at least 4 times a week. We are trying to eat healthier (delicious salad pictured above) and get on a regular sleep schedule together and he helps me to stay on track. He helps me to focus and my goals and to follow through. He is so even keeled. A great compliment to my spaztastic persona.

So having stated how he has helped me with my subbing this week I also have to note how he has reassured me every step of the way as we prepare to leave for Japan. This week we have been trying to make some preparations for our departure and take care of some necessary requirements for overseas living. We are trying to get our cars ready to sell, plan out when we are going to actually move and when we need the movers to come. We have to break out move into three parts: The things we need immediately (brought in suitcases,) the things we need quickly - pots, pans, dishes?? I'm not really sure....., and the things we can wait a few weeks to months on, (heavy/large furniture that will be shipped by boat.) I have no idea how to divide all of this up.... The thing that has been driving me absolutely batty this week, though, is this dumb overseas screening. They want to make sure that we don't have any communicable diseases and such so we have to get certain shots. Fair enough. If you don't have documentation for EVERY SHOT YOU HAVE EVER GOTTEN, however, you have to get them ALL again. This is like... 30 shots people. The problem is that I have seen so many different doctors throughout my short life and I am having such a hard time tracking down all of these records. I KNOW I have had all of these shots and I really don't want to have to get them again if I can avoid it but after spending so much time on the phone and running back on forth from Navy Medical and the fax machine and back and forth I am almost ready to suck it up and become a human pin cushion. They even want to give me a varicella shot even though I had chicken pox when I was in kindergarten. They said "fine, can you prove it?" Huh?? How do you prove you had chicken pox?? I didn't go in to the doctor and have him sign a form or anything? Who has?? Needless to say, this has been a hassle and a headache. I wish I could just snap my fingers and be over there. On the bright side, my one doctor did finally mail me some of my records so that's like... 5 less shots I have to get. uuuuhhhggghhh....... Sorry for all of the ranting.

In other news, my painting class is over. I am still working on the painting I started during the second session but it is coming along. I'm still not sure what I want to put in the center frame along with the tree. It seems too empty to me right now.

Cars For Sale!

As most of you know, Cliff and I are moving to Japan this summer. We will not be bringing our cars. If anyone is interested in either or both :) of these cars or if you know anyone that might be interested please let us know!

Cliff's car is a 2005 Toyota Corolla manual transmission in practically perfect condition. He has taken excellent care of it. I'm not going to list all of the details here but you can contact us for more info. We want to try and sell his for around $8,150.

My car is a 2000 Mazda 626 with automatic transmission in average to slightly above average condition. It has a little over 100,000 miles on it. The A/C needs to be fixed and we are looking in to that right now. With A/C we want to ask about $2,400.

These prices are negotiable and I apologize for the photos.... they are not the best (we should have washed the cars before taking pictures, but you get the idea!)