Leaving on a Jet Plane.....

So we leave tonight for San Antonio. We leave super late at night and that makes us all a bit irritable. We will be spending close to three weeks down in balmy Camp Bullis. From what I've heard from the first group that went down there, it isn't a great place to be. I've seen pictures of scorpions and vultures. I can't wait! (sarcasm)
Besides that, I am just hanging out here, biding my time. I have to get back to the barracks and pack soon. Boo!! I watched 'Cold Mountain' last night. I cried like a baby. Partly, because it was a super sad movie, but also because I've been feeling emotional the last day or two. All these old buried emotions are surfacing and causing me stress. I don't like it. Nope. Sure don't. The bad thing is that its not even my fault! Some people can be so insensitive!
Anyhow... I will write more when I'm down in Texas. I will write about our adventures. Perhaps I can get a pic of me and my new buddy, the vulure.

Pre-Mobilization Blah Blah

Soooooooooo, the internet sucks here at Ft. McCoy. It takes forever to get into my inbox and Facebook and Myspace are just impossible. You would assume that blogger would be the same--no. So, I think until the internet improves or I get to Iraq, I will use this as a way of communicating with people.
Yay! Boo!
I just found out that my sister, Amara, got married earlier this week. I guess she didn't want anyone to know because I only found out from my mom who happened to see the marriage certificate that was mailed to my sister. Hmmm.... Well, I guess I won't call and congratulate her as it seems as if she really didn't want to tell anyone. :P
So far I'm not unhappy with my stay here at Ft. McCoy. All of the girls that live in the building I live in are really great. We all get along well! Yay! We spend most of our days getting prepared for overseas deployment and a good portion of our afternoons in the gym. I have quit wearing makeup completely and I left my hair dryer and chi iron at home. So, I will spend the next year plus looking like roadkill--that is okay with me! ;)
I miss you Max, Jacque, Everyone else too that I don't have time to mention... Oh! I miss my kitties too! So there.

Quit Whining!

Hello again. Yesterday, Max and I headed out to a local winery to take a tour. On the way we got stuck in traffic because of a fatality accident. Not so cool. Anyhow, we arrived at the winery later than intended but decided to try it out anyways. We missed the last tour but the lady, who I can only assume was supposed to be a sommelier, offered us a free wine tasting. We accepted. She showed us four wines and explained their different characteristics to us. Despite the vast array of "flavors" such as cherry, raspberry, and oak, Max and I thought they all tasted like burnt leather. Haha. Every wine we tried was awful--just awful! Perhaps a bit too politely, we took our leave and bolted! We both agreed never to go there again despite promising the "sommelier" to return for a tour at a later date. We also agreed that next time if we're in the mood to tour a winery that we will go to Napa Valley and taste wines worthy of tasting! Yay!

Wonderful Adventure: Part One

Approximately a week prior to arriving in Houston, my boyfriend, Max, told me of a surprise (hahaha, I spelled it right!). The only information I received was to wear comfortable clothes (like workout attire) that I didn't mind getting wet in. The conditions I was told were possibly wet and windy. I was thinking paintball or slip'n'slide! hahaha. On Friday at lunch, Max informed me that we were to be skydiving! To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement! The weather was not looking good for us that Saturday morning when we arrived at the site. The sky was overcast and I was scared it was going to start to rain. Luckily for us, after about two hours of waiting the weather turned favorable and we suited up. Max and I were paired with experienced jumpers and given our "briefing". The plane took us to a height of 14,000 feet and we jumped fearlessly out of the plane! It was absolutely amazing. Free falling was really fun! We spun around and enjoyed the adrenaline rush. We fell a total of 8,000 ft before we used the parachute. After the parachute deployed, we gently glided down to the ground. All in all, it was spectacular and I want to do it again!!! The picture above is Max and I after our jump standing in front of the plane that took us up.

After our exhilirating morning, we went to a brewery for a tour. It was called St. Arnold's Brewery. For $5 a head, you receive a beer glass and four wooden tokens. A speech on the history of beer and the brewery was given and then we were let loose to enjoy the many beers available. Above is a photo of Max and me in front of the main bar. Jacque and Bryant met us there to partake in the festivities and we all had a great time! Yay!

More fun tales of Max and me coming soon!!!

Jack Sprat ate no Lean?

So, the semester is coming to a close (finally) and I am ready to get back to Houston! Yes, already! Haha. I spent the entire day at school today including attending my Psychology class that I usually skip. Hmmm... I apparently don't have much to say. Or at least nothing interesting to say.
I'm really dreading this whole deployment thing. Beyond the separation from everything I hold dear, it just seems like a hassle! There are so many hoops to jump through and loose ends to tie up before I can go. Boo!! I'm tired of this and it really hasn't even begun.

We'll call it a "laser"

Guess what people? I had Lasik surgery on my eyeballs. Now I can see you for what you really are. If you've been hiding all these years, get ready! 'Cause its out of control now!!!!
WEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Ok maybe not. But I did get a video of my surgery and it was pretty cool. I'm really glad I did it despite all the restrictions I have right now. I can't wear makeup for a week, I can't get water or soap or sweat in my eyes, and I can't eat potatoes. Ok the last one is because of my diet, but still!! My doctor says I have 20/20 now, which is nice. Yay!
Now if you'll excuse me, I have 10,000 eye drops to instill in each of my new eyes.

OK!

Just returned from a trip to Oklahoma City, OK where Max and I met up. It was a five hour drive for me and about a seven hour drive for him. We had a good time and I was grateful for the time to spend with him.

The highlight of our trip (besides seeing each other) was probably going to the Memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing. Remember? Yea, way back in 1995. I was almost 13 when it happened.

Max and I walked around the memorial for a while then went through the museum that was located next to it. The photo here is a few of the many chairs that represent the victims of the bombing. The chairs were placed in rows that symbolized the different floors of the building. There were smaller chairs for the child victims.

If you have never been to this memorial or aren't interested, I would persuade you to go to this one. Do it.

I hail from Houston?

Yay! I am in Houston right now with Max. He is taking a nap while I do my Calculus homework... or that was what I was doing until I stopped...
I love being here with him! It just feels right. :D The weather here is beautiful. Its a bit humid for my taste but that also makes everything look so fresh. Yay! I will post a pic later on this blog to show what I'm talking about. :)
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I love Max!

Integrate this!

I am very ready for spring break! I only have one more day of school (tomorrow) before it starts and I am impatient! So far, I'm doing pretty well in my classes this semester. I would be happier if I were going to school near Max and I could see him all the time instead of having to fly down there every couple of weeks! Blah.

I miss the ocean. I grew up on the east coast and there are a lot of things that are unique to living in the area. I wish I had time to go visit there before I leave for Iraq. That would be nice. I heard through the grapevine that they closed down one of my favorite childhood restaurants in Newport. I am very disappointed. I hope it isn't true!

Today was rainy and gloomy. Boo! It just makes me want to nap all day. I am supposed to go running today and I'm not feeling my normal motivation. One thing that makes me happy today is all the blooming trees and bushes! I get so excited to see all the new life despite the dismal skies.

I am going to have a freak attack because my Biology Lab grade is STILL not in!

Totally Spectacular (in a good way)

So I'm not a poet. I can't express myself with crystal clear imagery. I'm a work in progress. :)

Today, I ran the St. Patrick's Day Run with Jacque here in Kansas City. The weather was beautiful and I was too! Yay! There was a super flamboyant announcer who insisted that today was St. Patrick's Day (it isn't). He was quickly followed by a guy insisting on being Irish--silly man. The run itself was fine. Jac and I achieved our goal and that's what matters. Our goal was finishing! hehehe After the run, Jac and I witnessed a car wreck on Broadway. It was interesting. Luckily, no one was hurt thanks to our lightning fast reflexes! Then we ate breakfast and downloaded "powersongs" for running (such as Eye of the Tiger). You don't have to tell me that I'm awesome, I know this because I am me.

Did I mention that I'm head over heels in love with Max Magee? If not, then let me just tell you........

What the heck is an "Ide" anyways?

So I have just returned from another successful trip to Texas to see Max. I miss him already! We had a fabulous time as usual. We spent the weekend in Austin, TX and the rest of the trip in Houston.

We arrived in Austin in the afternoon a little later than we had originally planned because Continental Airlines had neglected to put one of my bags on my flight that arrived Friday night. The second bag arrived the next morning and we went to the airport to pick it up then left from there to drive to Austin. After settling into our hotel, we drove to Lake Travis to a place called the Oasis. The Oasis is a bar/restaurant that overlooks the lake from the east side. This makes it ideal to watch the sun set over the lake. So that's why we went there. Unfortunately, it was really cold and the wind kept making it a bit worse. Max was really awesome for buying me a sweatshirt to keep warm in while we sat on the deck of the Oasis. The sunset was beautiful and well worth the trip (picture shown here). After that, we drove back to the hotel and got ready to go out to 6th street for the night. The first stop on 6th street was the Iron Cactus. We both had a margarita and sat at a table on the second floor overlooking the street. Max's margarita had jalapenos in it which was surprisingly tasty--haha! Then we made our way to another bar called The Library. That was a really fun place. There were lots of leather bound books and it reeked of rich mahongany--ok maybe not, but it was a cool bar. I tried to throw a penny into a girl's cleavage from the second level but I missed by almost a foot! Oh well, better luck next time! From there, we went to another bar that I can't remember the name of and took some photos in one of those photo booths. We had another drink, arm wrestled, and listened to a band play. We were going to look for a bar that my friend Bryant recommended for the end of the night but we gave up after walking only a block or two because I was stumbling over the bricks of the road--I was a bit tipsy. We ended up at a bar called Jax or Jazz or something like that. We ate some food and I got my finger pinched in the lock of the bathroom stall. Hmmm.... This bar had live music also. There was a dude playing piano then following him was a chick on acoustic guitar. It was an okay bar. Then we went back to the hotel. The following morning we ate at La Madeleine--which is fast becoming 'our place'. It was all very nice. Then we drove back to Houston.

The rest of my trip was spent in Houston and it was lovely. I hated leaving and I want to go back NOW! I will be returning to Houston for my spring break at the end of this month. Yay!

Potatoes are Scurry!

This time tomorrow I will be landing in Houston, TX! Yee-Haw! I will be visiting my boyfriend Max for 5 days and 4 nights (I want to say 'Air and Accomodations' but I can't figure out how to work it!). I can't wait! We will be taking a day trip to Austin, TX to frolic and be merry.

Today I went on a crazy shopping spree! Phew! I am done! I am ready to study Calculus now. Blah. Well, honestly I'm ready for sleep... I went to dinner with Jacque tonight and the new quote is:

"My broccoli is just TOO BIG!"

Hehe, I think that's funny.

I love you, Max!

Dementia is a Crutch

Good morning readers! I am having a fabulous day-as usual! Yay! I get to see Max in less than four days and I am ecstatic. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

I have begun to crack down on my health/fitness routine. Its time for parts of me to go! Ha! I'm silly. Several years ago after I got off of depo provera (the birth control shot) and had gained quite a few pounds, I did the South Beach Diet. It worked really well and I felt wonderful. My body felt and looked healthy. Unfortunately, I went right back on the shot and gained it all back over a period of 2 years or so. Blah. So here I am once again, not on birth control and ready to face the mad world of the SBD. This time however, I will NOT go back on the shot--You can't make me! I won't do it! (<-- this is me not budging)

Wish me luck!

The Good, The Bad, and The Gray Matter

You walk into a room. There are four walls each with a chair in the center of the wall. Each chair has a person sitting in it.

The first wall to your left is painted blue like the ocean and the person is a man of about fifty years. He is wearing a simple suit of brown corduroy, has a well-kept beard, and has a hard-cover book in his hands.

The second wall in front of you is painted every color of the rainbow and the person is a man of about thirty years. He is wearing jeans and a t-shirt with the logo of some trendy bar on the front. He is reclining in the chair; seems laid-back and honest.

The third wall to your right is made of steel, almost like an armoured vehicle. The person is a man in his thirties wearing a button up shirt and pressed slacks. His hair is cut short and he sits rigidly in his chair with a manila envelope across his lap.

The fourth and final wall behind you is made of what seems like thick glass; but you cannot see through it. The person in the chair is a woman of about twenty-five. She is moderately attractive, confidant, and expressive. She wears a summer dress and sandals and holds a pen in her right hand.

As you look around the room at the four distinct areas, you find yourself drawn to each one. Meanwhile the woman is talking gingerly with the other three men. The man in front of the blue wall is talking with the man in front of the steel wall. The man in front of the rainbow wall will only talk to the woman across from him. All four of them are talking at you also. The noise sounds similar to that of an audience in a theater before the show begins--low rumbling voices, distant but noticeable. Every now and then one of the people sitting in the chairs succeeds in drowning out the other three.

And you have no chair.

It was just a moment, okay?

Picture this: I am sitting in a hallway with a friend from Calculus, studying for that class. While "studying" I received two phone calls (Max and my mom). Anyhow, this friend and I begin talking about ringtones and I mentioned my super cool Pink Panther ringback tone. She wanted to hear it, so she dialed my number and put the song on speaker. Immediately it began to play... dun dun dun dun dun sche sche sche dun dun dun dun... Yea you all know it. Well, then my phone began to ring. I thought maybe Max was calling again, but when I picked it up there was a strange number that I didn't recognize. So I answered...................

....................and heard my own voice say "Hello?" on her speakerphone. I threw the phone down on the desk in mortification and surprise! I am an idiot. We laughed so hard I thought I was going to puke right there!

So everyone has those moments, I only pity the fools who that happens to more than once a year. Hahahaha... yea I'm still laughing at me!

Exhiliration

I had a b-e-a-u-tiful run today. Everything felt nice. I got all my homework done and managed to organize my bills, etc. Yay!!

Jacque and I went to lunch today at Olive Garden. Soup, salad, and breadsticks are your friend!! I gave her her birthday present and we had a good time. Our server was funny and we laughed a lot. We were taking pictures before we left and our server jumped right in too! Then as we were standing out front and hugging an old man came out of nowhere and he wanted to hug us too! ahhahahaahha! It was hilarious. I left with a smile on my face.

This next week is going to be a bit challenging. I have school for the next four days, then two days of drill, and then another day of school before I have a day off. Phew! Oh well, I just want the time to pass quickly so that I can see Max again. WEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

I went through a bunch of old letters today after I organized my bills/papers. I have a medium-sized rubbermaid container full of these letters and cards. I sorted them and read a few. I had several pen pals over the years. The first one was a sailor that I had met while I lived in Virginia. He wrote me for several years before he got married, and then I lost track of him. I also had a pen pal from France that I was assigned my freshman year of high school through some sort of service. She was really nice but we stopped talking when Clinton did Lewinski. Go figure. Then I had lots of letters from my old best friend who I also met in Virginia. We remained friends for several years until she had a child and I didn't hear from her much after that. Let's see.... there were a lot from my ex-fiance. Those ended with the breakup-haha. I had a large number of letters from my mom from when I was in basic training. I really appreciate that she wrote me regularly. It helped a great deal. There were a lot of birthday cards from over the years and few other miscellaneous things. It was nice (and interesting) to look back over some of those letters. I only wish that I had a copy of the letters that I wrote. I don't get to see what I had to say back then, or how I've changed. All in all, a very eye-opening afternoon.

Contentment

I am feeling rather complacent this moment. It could be the 7 & 7 I had at the bar or perhaps I am just happy to be unconcerned.

This afternoon I was supposed to go on a 'tour' of Kansas City, however, we only made it as far as Independence square. It was freezing cold and there was no sun to be seen much less felt. After sifting through a few of the shops and snapping a few pics of the courthouse and Truman statue, we ate a square pizza. It was okay, but I'm not a huge fan of artichokes and there were a lot on the pizza. Afterwards, we went to the courthouse bar and had a drink. The bar was in the basement and the ceilings were really low. It was a cute, dimly lit place with thick black paint on the rafters and no music playing. After attempting conversation for a while, I went home.

On the way back I was listening to John Mayer's second album "Clarity". I love his music. Perhaps that's the real reason I feel so subdued. I have a strong desire to go to sleep and wake up exactly one month from now. You know how those lunatics always talk about being 'in tune' with the universe? I imagine that they're talking about my current state. God bless them and all the little munchkins.

Savoir Faire

My hands smell like oranges.

Most days I am comfortably safe with my image, but occasionally I get glimpses into reality and sometimes I'm pleased, sometimes I'm not. Today I was not. Thankfully, with my Mrs. Fix-It personality I can see solutions to these problems. In fact, I am quite good at problem solving, My expertise ends when the solutions are supposed to be implemented. A lot of times, I fail to follow through. This frustrates me.

I ran 2.25 miles today and I like it.

A Thousand Pardons

Today I had one class: Calculus. I spent more time driving to and from school than I did in the classroom. Anyhow, the drive afforded me time to enjoy some of my favorite songs on my iPod. I got super teared up on one particular song--I will share a few excerpts from what I was listening to this morning/afternoon. WARNING: What you are about to read is sugar-coated love songs, 'Chicago', anyone?!

"Please don't say I love you
those words touch me much to deeply
and they make my core tremble
don't think you realize the effect you have over me
and please don't look at me like that
it just makes me want to make you near me always..

and when you look in my eyes please know my heart is in your hands
its nothing that I understand
but when in your arms you have complete power over me
so be gentle if you please cause your hands are in my hair
but my heart is in your teeth baby
it makes me want to make you near me always..."
--Jewel, Near You Always (Pieces of You)

"I remember when you used to be mine
Way back when
I was too naive to love you right
But now, if I only had the opportunity
I would do anything
Because my heart still believes

Maybe you could be mine again
Maybe we could make that dream for real
Like way back then
When love was yours and mine
Maybe we could bring it back to life

It's irrelevant to dwell on the past
I'm accountable for what went bad
And I mean that
But I keep on praying for another chance
Just to have you back
'Cause I've grown
And I know how to be your everything

No, no it ain't over yet
I just can't accept the possibility
We weren't made for each other's arms
I know you're my destiny
We can't erase what was meant to be
Part of you and part of me
If we try one more time
Maybe somehow we'll survive"
Mariah Carey, Mine Again (Emancipation of MiMi)

Yes Yes, you are sorry for looking at this, I know. However, this blog is entitled "Inside Andrea's Head" and I do have a cheesy, romantic side. So there!!

I've got a feeling

Yay! I get to go down to Houston in less than a week (to see Max)!!! I win!

Last night I watched the Ohio State--Florida game with my friend Craig. I carelessly chose Ohio State as "my team". They sucked it up. Boo! Afterwards we went to his friends house and we watched "Grandma's Boy", which is becoming a frequent thing for me. I saw the movie first when Max came up to visit, then I watched it again with my friends Jeff and Andy, and then again last night. Crazy. Its an awesome movie though, so I won't apologize for it. I didn't get home until 3 this morning, I was pretty tired by then.

I have lots of things on my mind to deal with now: school, army, school, army, and oh yea, school. It seems that a few of my classes are going to be quite intense. I am ready for it though. One of my major dilemmas as of late was whether or not I'd be able to get in another semester of school before leaving for Iraq. This really stressed me out. Now that I've finally determined what I'm going to do with my life, it was very important for me to finish with as little interruptions as possible. The prospect of going overseas floored me. I have accepted this point and I know that I WILL finish, no matter how long it takes.

Wish me luck.