Happy Valentine's Day from Across the Sea

Happy Valentine's Day to my husband across the sea (with a picture of us by the sea!). 

<3

Well, Valentine's Day came and went. I went with a friend to get lunch and pedicures and we went to an event at a Deployed Spouses Group. We had dinner and made edible arrangements. It ended up being a very pleasant day! I got to open a present from my husband too. :)

One thing that is great about army wives is how different we all are. We range anywhere from 18 to early 50s; some of us have 6 kids and some have none; we're diverse races from diverse backgrounds; we have different interests and different jobs...yet we all just "understand" each other. I'm generally a positive person when it comes to other people (some might call me a bit naive), but I honestly have not yet met an army wife that I don't like or can't connect with in some way. Maybe it's because of the people I surround myself with and the groups I go to, but I also think that part of it is because army wives simply have to learn to be positive, learn to be friendly, and learn to be strong. If not, then she can't survive. So we adjust- and we thrive.

I have a funny story! While getting pedicures, I was telling my friend about buying the piano from the thrift store. She stopped me and said: "I almost bought a piano from a thrift store a few weeks ago!" Of course, after describing the piano and the location of the store, it sure enough was the same piano I bought. Turns out her mom is a concert pianist and she recognized the good quality of the piano and was so tempted to buy it. But she also would have needed help to move it, and she is pregnant, and just got out of the hospital, thus she realized that she didn't need to complicate her life any more. So the piano was left for Jack and I to claim and our future concert pianist children. ;)

I was sick over the weekend. It was kind of strange to be all alone in this city without my husband or any family here to help me out. I ended up texting a friend to see if she could bring me some ginger ale. She was out of town but gave me the number of another friend who lives nearby. She was my saving grace, because once I had the ginger ale, I started to feel a lot better. It reminds me of when I came down with the flu last year. Of course, I had a roommate who would have brought me back anything from the pharmacy she worked at, but my sister was the person I asked to bring me medicine. I realize how blessed I am to have had support from my family all these years! My mom, my siblings, my dad of course when he was alive, and even some of my aunts and uncles have always been just a drive away. Now that I don't have that here, I've been pushed to ask for help and reach out to others- something that doesn't come naturally to me. This is a good thing. Just another positive to think about as far as this whole deployment thing goes. In addition, there's nothing like the stomach flu to help you appreciate good health! Whenever I got out of bed yesterday, I felt like a walking zombie. I remember dragging myself over to Molly's food bowl, dumping in a cup and letting it drop down to the floor, without saying a single word to her! And then dragging myself back to bed and collapsing! It feels sooo good to feel good!

This weekend my Jessiekins is visiting again! We found a locals-type ski resort that is southwest of here. We're going to cross-country ski one day (her crazy choice) and downhill ski the next (my choice). Since this is kind of an off-peak peak, it's really inexpensive and the powder is supposed to be amazing! I'm so excited to ski! My family went twice when I was in middle school. My parents put us in ski class and I got pretty good then- advancing to some blacks. I went for the first time in 13 years last February with Jack, and it was pretty easy to pick up again- sort of like riding a bike. We mostly did greens since it was his first time skiing. We went down a blue and he did really well so I convinced him to go down another blue that ended up being slightly disastrous. It's hilarious now but it was NOT funny at the time. The blue was definitely a more advanced one and I had to help Jack slide down it on his bum! There weren't many people on that run but once in a while some 10 year old would ski past us. Anyway, I've learned my lesson and I won't do that to Jessie!

I can't wait for this week to go by and Jessie to get here!

In other news, some of you might know that my maid of honor got engaged at the young age of 16. Finally on this Valentine's Day she and her fiancé SAVED THE DATE for this September! I am so beyond excited for her! We were planning this wedding as roommates during our freshmen year of college and even went dress-shopping a couple years ago, so needless to say, this has been a long time coming. And some more exciting news...she asked me to be her Matron of Honor! 

 Ariel is visiting next month (so is her mom and soon to be sister-in-law) and we are going to go dress shopping! She was such an amazing maid of honor that I have some tough shoes to fill...but hopefully I will do a good job!

And to wrap up this post, I will now share with you a very common screen I see when Jack and I are talking...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Goodbye Les Mis: Hello ________?

The past few weeks have been wonderful. Jack's parents came out to see Les Mis; some friends drove up from Colorado Springs to see it; my mom and grandparents and my sister and my Aunt Cindy came to see the last weekend too. All the support I had was just incredible.

John and Suzy with me and Anne (my Colorado Springs carpool friend) 

Jenna, Chris, Michelle, and Marilyn drove up from the Springs (even though they haven't known me very long at all- how wonderful is that, right?)

The final song of Les Miserables

I don't have a picture with my mom, sister, aunt and grandparents. (Mom- did we take any? If so, I'll post it here!)

And then- after all these months of rehearsals and shows- this part of my life is over! All of the people I had met and were becoming friends with- well, it's done! I auditioned for the next musical at this theatre, Into the Woods. I was called back for Cinderella but found out last Tuesday that I didn't get the part. I was so hoping for it, and I have to admit that I was a little crushed. Of course they said that out of the few of us who were called back for Cinderella, anyone could have done it. It was just going to be a matter of who looked best with the rest of the cast. Well, when I got the cast list, it made sense that they didn't pick me. The other people they had cast were all very mature for the roles. Even the young Jack (from Jack in the beanstalk) was in his thirties (at least) and Little Red Riding Hood was much taller and older looking than me, and the two princes had at least a foot on me. And the Cinderella they cast is very tall and a bit older than me, and she really will be a wonderful Cinderella. So yep, it made sense. After a bit of a mini-breakdown, I realized that I was the most upset not because I wasn't cast, but because I had, well, nothing to look forward to. No more rehearsals. No more shows. Just a trail of breadcrumbs called rejection from other auditions I'd had in the past couple months. And all the friends I had made during Les Miserables are still in Denver and I'm here and while I've met some wonderful people, no one here has become a true friend (the ones that we can bear our souls to, the ones who just get us, like my best friends, my bridesmaids who are all back home). And yes, now we're halfway through this deployment. But halfway is really not close enough to actually start looking forward to Jack's return...or I will drive myself crazy. And I have enough experience with long distance to know! 

So at the urging of my patient and supportive husband, I snapped myself out of my little funk and did some things. 1) I completed an application form to volunteer at the crisis pregnancy clinic here. 2) I followed up on some job applications. 3) I decided to sign up for an improv workshop at a theatre here on Monday nights (it starts tomorrow!). 3) I joined the church choir. 4) I responded to a fellow army wife's request for a babysitter for her professor (and I met them yesterday- the little boy I will be babysitting every so often is super cute!). 5) I RSVP'd yes for a deployed spouses' Valentine's Day dinner next Friday. 6) I sent Big Brothers Big Sisters an email about becoming a Big Sister here in the Springs. 

 I'm keeping busy, getting involved, making a life for myself here so that I can make a difference and live my life fully and meaningfully.

I had an audition today for Shakespeare's As You Like It (in the Springs- and a professional theatre!). I'm really crossing my fingers here. I read for Rosalind (a lead), but the director stopped me and said that I was doing great but he couldn't consider me for her because she is supposed to be older. Instead, he wanted me to read for two other characters, so I spent 30 minutes going over these extra scenes and trying to get a grasp on 1) what they were actually saying 2) what they were actually feeling while meanwhile 3) creating a persona for these characters. I hate to jinx it, but I think the director liked me! Of course, after I was done, I thought of all the different things I should have done during the audition...but the director actually burst out laughing after one of my lines, so that's a good sign, no? The rehearsals aren't even until July, but I would so love to act professionally again and not to mention make some contacts with professional actors in this city. But I've learned I can't hang on to these auditions. Once I'm done, it's over. And maybe if I'm extremely lucky I'll here back in a few months. Who knows!

While we're on the same subject of Hello________ (something in the future)?, Jack and I are at a place where we really don't know what the heck is going to happen with his career, with the army, with life! He's really got to start thinking about what is next, and I can tell it's driving him crazy. On one hand, staying in the army is a solid, stable career choice with lots of benefits, including retirement at 40-frickin-2! I for one love the army community and even the prospect of moving around is exciting. I've met lots of really amazing women, and this family-centered community would be a wonderful place to raise children in. But on the other hand, the pressure on soldiers is pretty extreme for even the most easy-going of people. I'm going to attempt to put myself in Jack's shoes based on what I've heard him and other wives and soldiers talk about so you can get the picture:

Imagine a job that you can't leave, where you have no control over what time you show up (6am or earlier!), what time you leave work (sometimes as late as 7pm…or later), a career where you are moved around to different departments ("units") that require completely different skills than your previous job, where you have to start developing relationships all over again after you were only just settling into your previous position; where you have to leave your loved ones for months on end while putting your life in danger; where dangerous training exercises are an everyday reality; where your boss is allowed to scream at you and humiliate you for something that's probably not even your fault; where you have little autonomy, very little creative expression; where your body breaks down because of the physical training you have to endure (think of miles of ruck marches carrying upwards of 50 pounds on your back), where missed birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays due to training and deployments are so commonplace that your family is actually used to "online" birthday parties (or even watching your wife give birth over Skype!)

... the list could honestly go on and on. So while I definitely appreciate aspects of the army life, I understand 100% why Jack would be questioning whether or not to make a career out of this. I see how the pressures affect him on a daily basis, and if he can find a career that ultimately fulfills him, I want to support him as much as I possibly can, even if the transition is difficult. Which means we are up in the air, and probably will be floating up here for a while as Jack explores some of his interests and the careers that could go with them. It's a scary thought, but one of my friends is currently in this process and her husband has already turned down several really great job offers, so I know that it would be okay with us as well. Please keep us in your prayers-- that God will give us some direction on what the next step is, whether it is the army for some other adventure. We would so appreciate it!

Well, this little blog post has become a little more than little, so I'll finish it up with some exciting news. I made my first crazy purchase (gotta have at least one of those in life, right?)! It's this baby:

She was made in 1914, so I'm thinking we should name her Dorothy? Anyway, she plays like a dream. I saw her at the thrift store for $100, and after looking up the brand (Schaeffer- which made its last pianos in 1931) and talking to my mom who reassured me that I'm not that crazy, I went back and bought her and hired someone to move her for me. Well, of course after the purchase, I started reading up on old pianos and realized I might have been pretty crazy to buy her because she could require thousands of dollars of work. My imagination caught up with me and I ignored the fact that she was actually fairly in tune and I freaked out a little! The tuner came and he was so helpful. He took me through the process of checking out Dorothy (it's starting to grow on me…is it weird to name a piano?).

1. Check the pin block. This is the back board of the piano, which the tuning pins are attached to. Basically, if this is cracked, you're kind of screwed. Super expensive. Guess what? No cracks at all in Dorothy's pin block!

2. Check the sound board. This is board underneath the keys. It amplifies the vibrations and is also very very important. Guess what? Dorothy's soundboard is in great condition! At this point, the tuner turned to me and said: "This piano is gold." Apparently because she is so old, she is made with real quality materials and craftsmanship. Basically, as much as I'd like to say I knew from pure musicianship she was in great condition when I played her at the thrift store, I had no idea what a pin block or soundboard was, so I got really lucky!

3. Next, we opened up the piano and went through some of the smaller fixes. The only thing that truly affected the sound was a missing little hammer so the highest 'A' didn't make a sound as well as a missing soft pedal (the farthest left). But we found the hammer at the bottom of the piano and he showed me how to use a straw to glue it back in place, and ta-da! Free fix. The pedal he said he would keep an eye out for an old pedal to use, but if not, we could buy a new set of 3 for $45. Of course, there are some smaller things that we can do if we want to really build up this piano and refurbish it. But basically it works wonderfully and we only need to if we want it to be the best it can be. Maybe we'll think about that in the future. He told me he once had an old piano that was in good condition like ours, and he did about 500 dollars worth of work on it and sold it for 5k. But of course, we'd have to pay him for the labor so it would be much more expensive for us to do. I like that he told me that though; it shows that he is honest. For now, I'm just going to work on sanding and staining it and that sort of free-ish thing. He also said the piano keys are real ivory so I can take a nail file and sand down some of the chips in them. So in summary I'm really excited about Dorothy! I've been playing her and working on some of my old piano songs I used to play. Maybe our future kids will be little concert pianists! ;)

And now this huge post is finished! I hope my 3 readers (7 on a good day) enjoyed these ramblings. :)