How do I explain it?

Yes, I know that I am moving across an ocean and a country to live with my boyfriend who is then going to shortly thereafter cross another ocean or two and be gone for a while. Yes, I know that sounds crazy. I know that I don't have anybody else I know where I'm going. I know that it's not the climate or environment that I'm used to... but I also know that there's no place else I'd rather be.

I just wish I could explain that to my dad.

Bella Noche.

I am a Disney cartoon movies dork. I just finished watching "Lady and the Tramp" for the umpteenth time, and I still cried with Trusty was hurt.

It occurred to me that part of the reason I love it is that I (probably now more than ever) crave the nuclear family idea, be it dog or human- not to mention that fact that I want babies! urgh.

Ranger Man and I were talking about Christmas presents i.e, the Christmas presents I can start making for his family, and he sends me a list of babies! So I don't get my own, but I get to knit things for other people that do get to have babies?! He does not get it.

Flying Cats!

Okay... so getting a cat to Atlanta- not so much fun. I was not real happy today reading the guidelines for accepting pets- they say that if it's going to be hotter than 85 degrees you can't check the pet. And yes, Webster the King is not a happy traveler, he yowls and yowls in the car, not to mention that he is fluffy and sheds like nobody's business when he gets stressed and would probably give someone with feline allergies a heart attack... plus I think he's too big to fit under the seat, so checked it is. but 85 degrees? It's hot in Atlanta! Way hotter than 85 in July... so that was my unhappiness for the day. Until I figured out that if you fly overnight it doesn't get so hot! So, tomorrow I'll be making phone calls about flying my spoiled little kitty across the country- wish me luck!

Just Sayin.

I like it much better when 'the guys' that Ranger Man is holed up with for a few days at a time... are married. Just sayin.

weird.

I went into deployment mode today. Ranger Man is not deployed. Weird.

He's been doing 'unit integrity' stuff lately, which means hanging out with 'the guys,' which of course means that he can't talk to his girlfriend, that's not Ranger ish enough. And now he's on a funeral detail. I know that is different than going to a baseball game or a bar but it doesn't feel different because he's still with 'the guys' which means he can't talk to his girlfriend...

I knew that I'd been relying on him too much recently, I know that I couldn't have gotten through the last few months without him. And the transition to not having him be as available (by phone!) isn't going so well, so I found myself totally in deployment mode today- he called before bed and he was at least trying to talk, but I just wasn't into it. I had talked to my mom today, I definitely had stuff to talk about... but I just didn't have my heart in it. I wasn't mad at him, I just didn't feel like talking about anything real.

I am not describing it well, I'm not sure how else to describe it. There's just a feeling that comes with deployment- it's definitely more of an alone, solitary feeling and I felt it today. It was weird.

Whisper Lace Socks

Photo 8
Originally uploaded by kate_jolene

These are whisper lace socks, done in Lazy Perry Ranch's Periwinkle colorway. I actually took this picture a few days ago- the first sock is done now and I'm about to cast on for the second. Although... I may rip out the toe and do something different, the toe ended up being much longer than what the pattern said, so what was supposed to be a sock that would fit size 6.5 feet is probably more like a 7. I wanted to make these for Ranger Man's friend E., but as the first one is currently knitted, it will not fit her foot. so... I'm not sure, and the major problem is that I don't think I actually know anyone with that size foot, so I don't know who else to gift these to! Decisions, decisions.

On the bright side, I finally found my camera last night- so maybe I'll be able to take some Island pictures and post them before I leave.

I forgot about ignorance.

I spent a whole day at work today. A whole day.

Normally I only work 3-4 hours per day. When I was taking 4 graduate classes this was good. Now that it is summer this is not so good, and my wallet would like me to work all day, but if I work more than 19 hours a week they have to pay for benefits for me and nobody wants that either. But today, one girl was sick, and we're getting close enough to the time that I leave and my big project isn't quite done, they asked me to stay the whole day.

I had forgotten what it was like to be around civilians discussing politics. Discussing war politics. Good grief. My degree is in this stuff, my boyfriend lives this stuff... I forgot what ignorance was like. Yes, there is a reason we are still in Iraq. No, we did not go into Iraq because of AQ, AQ went into Iraq because of us. Large difference. We screwed the Iraqis over and for that matter the larger Islamic world... and now it's up to us to fix the mess that we started. period. No, I don't like it. I would like to move across the country to live with my boyfriend to actually see my boyfriend- but that's not possible right now. Some people have to man up and do the dirty work and he's one of them. And PLEASE do not tell me what a mistake it is to send him over there. That actually doesn't make me feel better. Geez.

But, I made twice as much money today as I usually make, so... it wasn't all that bad.

Waiting sucks.

Blah. I've got more than 50 days before I can actually move in, which means I have roughly 40 days of just waiting here... and when I'm only working 19 hours a week, that seems to be going by sssooo slowly! Ranger Man's mom made me cry yesterday- she sent him (and copied me) a lovely email, they're going to bring down some of his things they've been storing and some extra furniture they have at their house to put in ours, and they offered to buy us a washer and dryer. I thought that was so amazing. and I'm still waiting. I'm working on reading for my thesis... but there's still only so much reading you can do in one day without blowing a socket in your brain. So I wait. And scheme... I imagine what it's going to look like, and how it's going to feel to be together finally.
A home. It's nice to have a home again.

Dixie, here I come!

Ranger Man is awesome, and we officially have an apartment. Well, we officially have a move-in date for an apartment. I am a little bit excited about this (or a lot...). Apparently there is a Dairy Queen right down the road- which means that I will have ready access to Blizzards. What more can a girl ask for?

Accomplishment of the day

Finally, after almost six months of living here... I found the trash chute. go me.

The End!

Finally done!

My last paper, about US propaganda in Iran 1950-1954... ugh, I was literally having nightmares about being in Iran in the middle of a coup. Not fun.

But now I'm done, and I am officially taking at least a 48 hour break from school stuff. I think. I'm for sure taking the rest of tonight off with some Cheez-Its and my knitting...

no more school! yay!

(until my online class starts 6/2, but I'm not thinking about that right now!)

It's Official!

Tuesday is the LAST DAY that I have to be on this Island for school! Yay! And, other than turning in a paper, all I have to do is go to a couple bars. Not a bad day, right?

I am doing a Charity Walk for work in a few weeks, and also at work I'm in the middle of a large project so I want to finish it and get it up and running. Also, I don't have a place to go... so I don't know when I actually get to leave... but the important part is that I CAN leave now... what a relief. Or, at least, it will be a relief once I finish these last two papers- back to work!