Adventure

It's been almost a year since I sat down to type anything for the blog.  I guess anything that can keep you distracted for that long is definitely an all-consuming adventure.  That's one way to label the Army!  So much has happened...let's just bullet-list it down:

• They kicked me out of 12W school and decided I would be a 15T - Blackhawk Mechanic.
• I traveled, once again, to a new post, new school, new company, new friends.  It turned out to the absolute best of all three that I'd forcefully tried out.
• Five months later, all of our families from all of the corners of the states came to Virginia in July to finally see me graduate Army training.
• Monkey and I spent a beautiful 5th wedding anniversary exploring Washington DC, doing all the touristy things.  (Thank God we did before our gov't pulled this shutdown act on us.)
• I made it back home to Fort Bragg, Raeford, NC, Old Man HB, and the Monkey love of my life.
• SPC Johnson spent a month in the suck at Fort Polk, LA, hating life, only to come home and find out he would have to back a month later.  (He should be coming home from this second adventure, today!)
• SPC Johnson also endured the promotion board and will be receiving his rockers on November 1st!  (So proud of my soon-to-be NCO Monkey!)

All in all, we've continued to find what joys we can in this crazy Army life.  We cycle when we can, have rediscovered that we both love a good hot yoga class, and have made a tradition of Saturday morning breakfast at Lindy's, the most wonderful little homespun-family-owned breakfast diner in town.  Holding on to what sanity we can when we truly have no control of the schedule of our lives.

With an open heart...

Pig's Ramblings

I think I have too much time to think right now.  That's the problem.

I've been trying to open my ERB (Enlisted Record Brief - the end-all-be-all PDF where the Army lists anything and everything that's of importance to your enlisted career) all weekend and finally managed to do so today.  My PMOS (Primary Military Occupational Specialty) has officially been changed to 12W.  You know, that job I'm happy to have, but kind of don't really want either?!  Yea, that one.

I think about it all the time.  The training, the day-to-day-job of it, the physical labor, the probably necessary but will be hell for my feet brand new steel toe boots, the hard hats and safety glasses, the power tools, the new people I'll have to figure out how to work and socialize with, the new living accommodations, the new chain of command.  And, as usual, I think the worst, expect the worst, because the pessimist in me is a winner in the outlook ring.

However, in addition to my PMOS having changed, my ERB is also sporting another new addition, my projected duty station and unit. This, my friends, is an exciting thing.  It means the time is drawing near to be out of TRADOC, to be a permanent party soldier with an everyday job, to get all those wonderful government three-day and four-day holidays.  And, as most things go, my remaining time in TRADOC probably won't be that bad once I'm there, starting class, working during the day, studying at night, staying occupied and busy, and worn out enough at the end of the day to actually sleep well.

Here's to the days ahead, busy, without too much time to ponder.  The best kinds of days!

Pig's Ramblings

Nothing can really be that bad when this grin is what you've got lookin' back at you.  Best friend.  Lover.  Monkey.  Confidant.  Maker-of-all-bad-things-better.  Soulmate.  Husband.

xoxo-Pig

Gig'em!

source

It's bowl day and yes, I've been wearing my favorite 2005 maroon out t-shirt under my tan t-shirt and my uniform all-diddly-day-long.  Gig'em Ags!  Tonight at 2000 it's time hit that field strong and beat the ever livin', ever lovin', complex, compound, fightin' Texas Aggie class of '08, TEXAS-sized hell outta OWHO!

WHO8P!
Pig

Gotta Make it Work

Today I woke up at 0320, drank two bottles full of H20, peed in a cup for a small audience, ate breakfast at 1030, and started packing while I contemplated where this grand universe has chosen to take me next.

I finally returned to good ol' C Co 832d after seventeen days of amazeballs family vacation time, to finally get orders for my reclass.  A new job.  The least preferred, least promising, least appealing job of all those that were given to me as options.  GIANT le sigh.  I will officially, as of my arrival to Gulfport, Mississippi next Wednesday, be an Army 12W: Carpentry and Masonry Specialist.  Who'd've thunk it?!  Me, following in my Dad's carpentry footsteps?!  I wouldn't have thought it, nor did I really wish it.  (I know for a fact my father takes no offense to that statement.)

Now, initially, I was a tad upset because for once I'd finally allowed myself to be positive and hopeful about the possibilities that were placed before me as a new job.  But, as one of my platoon sergeants has so aptly reminded me on many occasions, "reclass is like playing Russian roullette"!  And, oh boy, yes, it got me.  Got me saddled with all the worries...what civilian career prospects does this really provide me, if any?  Will I be able to handle the daily physical rigors of construction work?  Yet alone find enjoyment in them?  Will it be challenging enough?  Will my leadership skills be utilized or will I be just a low-rank gopher?  What promotion possibilities does it allow for?

All the possible negatives.  Now doesn't that just sound like the traditional pessimistic pig that we know and love?!

But then I tried, and oh my friends, it took some effort, to look at it differently.  It's a brand new year, right?  No need to start it off totally in the dumpster.  So I realized that the class is only 7 weeks and 3 days long.  That was seemingly the only real positive that jumped out at me.  But at the same time, the single positive, means so many other things will get to happen this year.  I'll get to go home like we wanted this year, and sooner than later, too!  I'll get to enjoy a summer block leave since I'll most definitely be in the real Army by then.  MonkeyHubby and I will get to be together and really celebrate our upcoming wedding anniversary.  We're even talking vacation, maybe a cruise!  And we'll get plenty of months back together before any possible deployment pops up towards the end of 2013.  (Maybe we'll even manage to deploy together, but let's not get too hopeful, that emotion doesn't seem to be pulling universal strings in our favor quite yet this year.)

And then, when you find a couple positives, a few more positive-possibles pop through...Maybe I'll enjoy being outside on a regular basis.  Maybe doing heavy physical work everyday will give me a killer bikini bod before summer.  (The small things, eh?)

All in all, maybe it won't really be that bad.  I guess this pig will just have to ride it out and make it work.

Adios 2012!

This past year was so many things for us.  And even though we didn't make it to midnight (we don't, most years), we did go out for a few drinks and reminisce about all that we accomplished, endured, and just plain ol' muddled through during the past twelve months:

-Moved into a beautiful rental home a little ways outside of the city.

-We welcomed a roommie into the Johnson fold.

-I walked 50 miles in beautiful Charleston, SC in three days.

-OldManHB learned to rollover.

-I quit my job and enlisted in the US Army.

-MonkeyHubby bought me a bike and I learned that I really enjoy cycling with him.

-We spent a beautiful long weekend exploring Asheville, NC.

-I shipped off to Fort Jackson for Basic Training.

-MonkeyHubby shipped off to Afghanistan for his first deployment.

-I graduated basic with a broken pelvic bone.

-PFCJohnson returned home safely as the newly promoted SPCJohnson.

-SPCJohnson earned his EIB.

-Skype became one of our best friends.

-Multiple, multiple, multiple trips home to Texas.

And of course, we've had the joy of spending this year's holidays together.  Seventeen days of togetherness has been amazing after living apart since June 4, and more time together is at the top of our wishlist for 2013.  We look forward to finding out what Army job I will be assigned, celebrating five amazing years of marriage, trimming down MonkeyHubby's waist and our own personal debt ceiling, seeing if we can teach OldManHB to rollover in the opposite direction, my hip healing and being able to run and cycle together once again, and simply living more fully the adventures this crazy world continues to offer us.

Cheers, family and friends!  Welcome to 2013, and good luck!

The Ranch

Dear Cherry Springs Ranch, You were the best end to a rollercoaster trip back to Texas this worn out gal could've asked for. Fresh killed turkey, OldManHB's first sniff of the freshly dead, the ranchkeep's pet pig (razorback genetics included), haunted bunkhouse, my new favorite lab in the whole world Tikka, and our best friend Travie.  Oh, and did I mention no cell service and no internet?!  I think that part might have been the absolute best!  I only hope that we get to make it back to visit you more often.

Tinsel Time in Texas

We made it home-home to Tejas this year for the holidays.  Well, for the week before the holidays.  It was about seven days of family time and it was jam-packed-to-the-max.  We spent, oh, about 24 hours with each family.  There was wrestling and make-your-own-pizza, there was Bass Pro range time and Cafe Medi, there was a trip to the hair salon to somehow facilitate growing this pixie out more fashionably, a million goofy faces, there was Sushi Domo to celebrate living through the Mayan apocalypse, and a good ol' Joe's home-cooked breakfast with the grandparents before hitting the road to end out trip home in the Texas hill country.  But those last two days were so awesome, they deserve their own post (coming soon!).  And we did it all in enough time to be back at our humble abode in NC to spend Christmas morning just the three of us, and Christmas evening at the movies, just like has become our tradition for the past five years.  What more could you wish for out of the holidays?  Oh yea...we still get a few more days of peace and quiet, just the three of us.

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Dear friends & family, Wishing that each and everyone of you was blessed this Christmas day, and will continue to feel the merry season far into the New Year!

xoxo - Monkey & Pig

P.S.  The laptop I busted has been replaced and I'm back in the digital world.  More posts to come soon!

For the Love of a Monkey and Pig: New Roomy!

For the Love of a Monkey and Pig: New Roomy!: Hey everyone, this is Munkee! I know I know, you don't hardly ever hear from me on the blog, but I'm pretty bored today and felt like I...

New Roomy!

Hey everyone, this is Munkee! I know I know, you don't hardly ever hear from me on the blog, but I'm pretty bored today and felt like I could jot down a few words for the world to read.  So late last night, our other room mate finally arrived at the house(she originally was supposed to be here in April).  The first night wasn't to bad, outside of dinner around 8 o'clock.  We put a new twist on our chicken pasta that we make fairly regularly but frying the chicken, and it was delicious!  We watched the Disney movie Brave and it was really good.  Today I woke up fairly early and took old man HB to petsmart to get his nails clipped, and since then its been a lonely day of lounging in bed with HB with golf on the TV in the background.  It's been a pretty good day, but much lonelier than our normal weekends running around with Ogie.  T'is our new life, guess we should learn to enjoy it.  This is Munkee signing off!  

Pig's Ramblings

I can't wait to cuddle the shizz out of OldManHB over the upcoming Christmas exodus.  (MonkeyHubby had a photo session with him and our new camera for fun last night.  MonkeyHubby has some pretty good creativity when he's in the mood.)  But, nevertheless, this week has been a frustrating one all around, and HB cuddles would be an amazing respite right now.  A respite from the ups and downs of reclass orders dropping all around me while I find out that my status didn't get switched from a med hold to awaiting a reclass until yesterday.  Yes, that's right, yesterday.  29 folks got orders, and I will still be here forever.  I'm a tad frustrated.  But anxious and nervous all at the same time since this game of Russian roulette just got real-real.  Can you have this many emotions at once?!  So tired.  On a lighter note, I may not be amidst the 29 soldiers getting to leave C Co purgatory next week, but my roommate is.  So what does that mean?!  A barracks room to myself, for a little while at least.  Hopefully longer than shorter.  At least there's somewhat of a silver lining, right?!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2012

This past weekend was everything that I needed it to be.  Four days with MonkeyHubby, OldManHB, and Ogie.  Three sleeps in my own, plush, feels-like-a-cloud, king size bed, while playing cuddle-footsies with MonkeyHubby.  One big get together dinner with friends.  One good night out with just hubby, our favorite Cheddar's salad, and a decently priced bottle of wine.  One cheer-filled night in front of the Aggie game.  Whoop!  Two days of rambling about town and doing a tad bit of holiday shopping. (We bought ourselves this years Christmas present and it brings to you the beautiful pictures above.)  Ah!  Amazing weekend.  More than anything, it was four days to remind me that there is life outside of C Co 832D.  That one day, maybe far down the road, but one day, I will get that normalcy again.  I will get that daily love, and comfort, and completeness, that belonging.  It will all be waiting for me whenever this kidney stone of an experience called TRADOC finally comes to pass.  For now, 21 sleeps until Christmas exodus friends!

Pig's Ramblings

Do you ever have those days where your brain just won't turn off the negative commentary?  The kind that just keeps on and keeps on nagging you?  Two days until Thanksgiving and I'm swamped by annoyances, judgments  dismissals, what-ifs, why-mes, he/she's-so-stupids, and all that nasty mess.  I know lack of privacy and lack of sleep are making it just that much harder to sift out the bad and generate some good, too.  I keep trying to focus on finding some contentment.  Keep trying to revisit different happy-places: four-wheeling in the mountains, rainy day naps with MonkeyHubby, laying out on a beach somewhere, shopping (yes, shopping is a happy place when you don't have a budget to worry about), etc.  But everything here, in-the-moment, just seems to override and overwhelm what little good I can muss up.  It all leads me to the conclusion that we should have an off-switch for our brains.  A switch that when flipped leaves you a happy, zero-worried, innocent, naive bubble of a person.  A child in all wonderfulness of the word.  (I used to be able to sit and meditate and get some semblance of this desired state, but when you have a roommie, well, time to meditate just seems unavailable.  Maybe in the shower?!)  Either way, noon on Thursday needs to get here FAST because that's probably my best bet at returning to non-headache-filled sanity.  (Oh yea, did I mention that I'm pretty darn sure my crap-mood has been causing daily headaches?! Oh joy.)  Speaking of, it's time for ibuprofen.

Pig's Ramblings

Dear Monday, You're lucky that you're only three sleeps away from Thanksgiving!  Tsk, tsk!  Dear Weekend, For all of your cuddles, early bed times, mass amounts of hotcoffeestylecaffeine, early holiday shopping, and Carrabba's dinner, you were wonderful.  I only wish you lasted longer than two days, do you think you could make that happen?! Mmk, thanks.  Dear OldManHB, I love having your fuzzy butt to cuddle up to.  Even though you howled at the hotel and interrupted our dinner date, I still love you.  And I would say you're crazyspoiled, but the FURminator is worth every penny!  Dear MILPO, I'm excited and nervous that you have jobs open again for reclass folks like myself.  Ugh, I've got to get this out in the universe, please don't give me 91C, I really would prefer not to be an A/C repairwoman...

Pig's Ramblings

Dear Officework, You're usually a pretty decent distraction as the hours sloth by, but today, you are just adding to my annoyance.  Not enough busy tasks and too much intruding of my personal bubble.  Yes folks, that's right, at the age of 26 I still feel like my kindergartner's personal bubble should be religiously respected.  Actually, there should be different levels of bubbles.  Some people should stay way far away, and others, whom I like, may come a tad closer.  Dear Lunch Excursion, You are the best thing that has happened to me this week thus far.  (I think.  I can't quite remember much of what has happened this week, honestly.)  You made it possible for me to enjoy a sushi lunch.  Yum nom nom!  Dear MonkeyHubby, The more and more I listen to other 'men' your age have generic conversations, the more grateful I become for your intelligence and maturity.  Seriously.  You have your childish moments (thank you Army Infantry), but at the heart of it all, you're a well-rounded, intelligent, loving, respectful, mature man.  THANK GOD.

Pig's Ramblings

Dear Wednesday, You should be Friday.  Dear Creativity, You seem to have gone missing lately.  My brain feels like a blur of blah.  Maybe it's because I've been reading more for escapism than for an actual brainworkout lately.  Time to change that.  I will be working on picking up some new books to spark my synapses.  I've picked up I, Lucifer and it's quite interesting.  The vocabulary is ahhmazing and making my brain hurt, in a good way.  More to come hopefully because this one's a shortie.  Dear Fancy Canon/Nikon Camera, You should magically find your way into my hands.  I want to take big beautiful pictures that wow and amaze.  Dear Thanksgiving, You are fast approaching and that makes me happy.  I've been trying to refocus the negativesoulsuckingmood that C Co breeds towards gratitude in reverence of your coming, but it's been hard.  Maybe this weekend with the MonkeyHubs and HB will make strides forward.  Especially since after that it will only be three working days until your 4day weekend.  Dear OldManHB, You better bring your A-game when you come visit this weekend buddy.  There is a crowd of Army folks missing their own pups here who are dying to meet you, play with you, squeeze your wrinkles, and stretch your ears.  I'd say I hope you're up to the challenge, but I know you bring smiles wherever you go!

Pig's Ramblings

Dear Diet, You have totally sucked me in this long weekend.  Hershey bars, honey buns, zebra cakes, chocolate chip muffins, pepperoni pizza, many, many, many DrP's later my stomach, both internal and external, are angry with me.  Hopefully that salad I picked up for dinner as a peace offering will get this new week started off in better fashion.
Dear Flu, You hung around way too long.  But I'm finally starting to feel better.  Although, you still make my head feel light and fuzzy.  PT should be an interesting adventure this week.  Sigh.
Dear Tulsa, You stole two of my absolute favorite veterans this past weekend.  (Yes, that's right, you caught it, a slight of hand mention of Veterans Day - Thank you ALL!)  But that's okay because Ogie and SPCJohnson had a great time, didn't spend too much money at the Tulsa Gun Show, and are bringing my absolute favorite hound back to NC with them.
Dear Friday, You can NOT get here fast enough!  Mainly because you bring with you MonkeyHubby and OldManHB, but you know, I'm excited for you!  Come faster, come faster!