Tori

For the first time ever in my life, I've paid useing three differnt curreancys in one day. Before it was only two. But, since I worked on cleaning my room up today (loads more work to do on that front...) I've handled something around 8 today :)

Bought my shirt.woot! shirt - United States Dollar
Paid martoufmarty for some DVDs and a book she sent me (thanks again! You rock!) - Canadian Dollar
Sponsered Eddie Izzard on his run 'round the UK - British Pounds Sterling

Let's see if I can recall the nationalities of what's in my room off the top of my (without getting up and looking, for then I will get distracted and waste a few hours). All are coins (bills are annoying to keep track of for souvenirs), but I'm giving the term for the "whole" amounts (dollars, not cents) even if I don't a "whole unit" coin: United States dollar, Canadian dollar, Colombian peso, Mexican peso, German euro, British pound sterling, and Israeli shekel. There's more, but I can't recall them. Dad's bringing some more home too, which will be wicked :)

Speaking of dad: Apparently he got a job offer while he was in Sierra Leone, and he got to meet the Vice President of Sierra Leone. Cool stuff!

Not only that, but with the aid of the US Coast Guard ship, Sierra Leone was able to get their FIRST case for breaking fishing laws! Other countries (mostly SE Asia) have been fishing illegally in their waters for years, but they had no training to deal with. That, my friends, is why the ship went over there!

With the help of the USCG crew, they boarded around 20 ships. Most were clean and law abiding (but still good practice for how to search.) One ship was caught red-handed. They had been illegally poaching tuna - to the tune of 150-160 tons! That's a LOT of fish, and a LOT of money! The Sierra Leone government confiscated the boat and is planning on fining the other government (where the boat was from). They're keeping the boat too. HUGE win for Sierra Leone!

Oh, and he visited a chimp sanctuary while he was there. Apparently, they threw rocks (lots of 'em) at him (big ones, the size of grapefruit). He described them to me as "brats" :P

Fives days 'til MHC! Woot!

*Sing to 'Deck the Halls'*

Drive we now across the nation.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Moving is this year's vacation.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Plugging ears, both parents demand:
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
"Are we there yet?" is henceforth banned!
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Although the trip is lots of fun,
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
We'll be glad when it is done.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
After weeks we do arrive,
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
And wonder how we stayed alive.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la


Yeah, you know me, rewriting/spoofing songs is fun :) Ironically, I thought of rewriting this one because the line "'Tis the season to be moving, Fa la la la la la la la la." popped into my head, and I didn't even use that line!!!

Anyways, yep. That's the life of a military brat :) Our across-the-back-yard neighbors moved last week, and this week some are moving into the house next door (not the one that shares our driveway, the other next door.)

It has also "hit me." In less than a month and a half, I will be living on my own (well, I'll have a roommate, but no family.) Eep! This is longest I've ever lived in one house. I've been here for coming on three whole years! Seriously, that's the longest I've ever been in one house! And it's the longest by, I believe, nine months!!! So, while moving on is daunting, I'm itching for it! I mean, come on, I've been in the same bedroom for far too long! It's really weird! (And this isn't the first time I've "felt the need to move." I've completely rearranged my bedroom at least 3 times since we moved here... I would do it again, but it seems kinda pointless... I am, however, packing stuff up for MHC!)

So, my dad has informed me: some of the crew on the boat my dad is on right now were on Barque Eagle two summers ago when we were both on her and they remembered me.

I asked him if that was a good thing, or did they remember me for being annoying or something.

He said they remembered me for being: a hard worker, considerate, always asking where and how I could help, standing duty even though there was no reason for me to, and for being smart. They really enjoyed having me on board.

*blushes and grin* Talk about ego boost :)

He said that they asked how I was, what I was up to, etc. He told them how I started college and got into Mount Holyoke, and they said they "weren't surprised"!

One person said they wished I had been able to come on with my dad this time (though, obviously, I couldn't.)

So, I guess I made a good impression on Eagle :) See, and here I've been thinking that the Captain and crew had just been being polite when they said they hoped I could come on board again, and that I was invited back!

I'm in a good mood now :)

So we now know where Dad's going!

He's going to Lisbon, Portugal, then on he goes to Morocco and Gabon in Africa! He's under instruction to bring Amelia and I "cool fabric" and I think he should score in Morocco at least!

It's nice to know where it is he's being deployed to, even if it's after he's been deployed! (He sent us an email from the ship.)

First, the new:

Since our Mitsubishi Expo died, we had to get a new car. Plus, my sister and I are learning to drive and well, we needed something to drive! (Mom won't let us near the driver's side of her precious Mini Copper S, and I don't blame her!) So, that's our new car!

It's a Mazda Mazda5.... seriously, you say "Mazda" twice! I've decied to name it (it's a requirement to name one's first car!) and it's name is the "Bond-Mobile"! You know, "Bond, James Bond." That's all I can think of when I say/hear "Mazda, Mazda5" *lol* So, unless Amelia (we're sharing it) highly disagrees, the car is named Bond-Mobile! And I love her/him (haven't decided :P) Oh, and I'm SOOOOO totally adding bumper stickers! Well, my college at least!

And the cool:


See, I tooooold you! That's proff that they take military tactical vehicles to the commissary (grocery store) on base! Sorry it's a blurry picture, I took it on my phone (I'm a camera sniper... ok, probably shouldn't say that on the base...)



There, it's easier to see it in that picture. That's one of the cooler trucks they have here. We're swamped with them right now since a bunch of troops are about to get shipped out. It's sad that they have to leave their families, but it means that the people over there now can rotate out and come home, which is a good thing :)

In addition to the ground vehicles, there's a bunch of stuff in the air too! Loads of Blackhawk helicopters, cargo (C-class) planes, some fighters (mostly F-15s) etc.

Who needs peace and quiet? At least there's no airshow this summer! (The USAF Thunderbirds practiced here for TWO WEEKS before the show... for about 4-6 hours a day (or so it seemed) less than 1/4 mile over house... and they're L-O-U-D!!! And they we're the only loud thing that decided to practice over housing!) I'm SOOOOOOO glad for that fact!

If the base theater had Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince as a preview. They do 3-4 previews a year here, "for moral." Sometimes they're not so great (I.E. Happy Feet) other times they're fantastic (I.E. The Guardian)

They should totally have HPatHPB!!!! It would be *cough* good for moral *nods*

Anyways, I hope to go see Star Trek again this weekend (it's at the base theater now) and drag my dad along (who is yet to see it! *gasp*)

Also, I would be more that totally cool with the idea of someone else writing my English papers *nods*

This is a common site:


Also many, MANY other types of military vehicles. Blackhawks hovering over my house is normal. F-16s flying by is normal. The person in front of you, while buying groceries, wearing camouflage is normal.

Yeah, life on a military base is a bit "odd," but it's nice too. This is the least populated spot in this area; it's fantastic to live here!

Alright, this might not make as much sense if you haven't yet read these... but if you haven't, you don't have too :)

What is happening with me: This fall I will be going to Mount Holyoke College! I go on September 6th! I'm super psyched :D

What is happening with my sister: Since she went with an associates degree, she is graduating from Smith College after five semesters there. Smith has many cool and fun activities for the seniors, so she is taking off the fall semester so that she will be there for her full senior year. (She went there for a full year last year, will do the half year this year, and then full year next year = five semesters!) Her current plan is to move back to Cleveland. She will work part time for the family that she used to nanny for, and part time for another family friend. She'll be getting room and board + pay per hour from her old nannying family, and then more pay per hour from the other family. This is also nice for her because she will get to spend half a year by "her boy" (AKA, her "not" fiance... they're not getting officially engaged until she graduates, but pending a massive disaster, they will likely be getting married. Something which I approve of, as Elchanan is very nice and makes my sister feel fantastic about herself!)

What is happening with my dad: He is getting deployed to the West Coast of Africa... yep, the equator in the summer... let's just say that I'm glad that I don't get to go with him on this TAD! (TAD = temporary assigned duty. Last TAD he had was Barque Eagle where I would like to go again!) He will be pretty safe; he most likely will never leave the ship (270' coast guard cutter) which is good since the countries aren't all that safe. The boat however is. The ship has armor and weaponry; there will be machine guns, mounted machine guns, and canons on board, plus round the clock guards on deck watching all directions. My dad will be the medical officer taking care of all of them.

But here's the good news. Originally he was to come back October 1st, one month too late for my mom to go to Medical school. However, some very nice people pulled some strings, made phone calls, and debated. Now, my dad will be done end of July/beginning of August! (They're going to make an announcement to the PAs in the USCG saying "anyone what to go?" (they get extra pay.) If no one volunteers , they're sending the Boston guy; a I don't feel sorry for him/his family because it will be a fairly short tour, and their extended family live in the area so it's not like his wife a kids will be alone... unlike us!) Which means...

What is happening with my mom: My mom IS GOING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL! My dad will get back, then my mom will take off for Seattle! She's applied to live int he dorms there, which are nothing special, but a heck of a lot cheaper than an apartment, or even a studio, would be that's close to the campus.

My mom will be on her own there for the first year of school, but we do have family that live within 2-3 hours of her, which will be nice (even if they're a bit crazy/flaky...)

What is happening with the pets: The pets will be staying here with dad, along with most of the household stuff (our house is "free" so there's no point in moving; instead of collecting the "housing allowance" part of the paycheck, which is less than we could get a house for in this area, we get to live in military housing with free utilities... it's fantastic!)

In a year: My dad can and will retire in a year! Right now, the major thing they're holding over his head is that if he does retire right now, they'll make him retire at his enlisted rank. The retirement pay would be slightly less, but the main this is that he wouldn't be an officer. Due to politics and stuff, it's SO worth it to stay in the extra year and get to leave as an officer. My dad hopes to, down the road, do some work abroad and being able to dad "I'm a retired military medical officer" will be very helpful in situations. It also means that he will have an easier time getting employed in the civilian world. So that's kinda what they're holding over his head (in addition to other things) to keep him in.

In short: None of us will be living near the other. The closest any of us will be is my dad an I, and it's a three hour drive one way... which isn't all that bad, so I can come home a couple times a semester, like my sister did. It'll be a bit odd, but I think we can make it work ok. We have plans for our first family vacation this winter! (We've never taken one before because we would always be moving, during which we would visit people and places as a family... but we were still moving, so it wasn't as relaxing!)

During the year he's here, he is going to keep moonlighting at the local ER, earning lots of money to pay for all of our schooling! He is a very good daddy :)

*sighs* I think that's all... and dammit if they [the big-wigs in DC] change their minds again!

My mom and I were at the gate and the guard was checking her ID. Then comes the sound of a chopper, not in the distance, but really loud, which is common place here. What startled me was There was one a bit off in the distance (maybe a mile or so) and I was thinking 'That one can't be that loud.' I told that to my mom, and she agreed.

She said "It isn't that one that's loud, it's thank one." and pointed to our right (my side of the car) and sure enough, there one was, about two feet over the trees to our direct right. They were less than 40 feet from the car! That startled me since it seemed to come out of no where *lol* Life on a base, eh?

On another note: my dad turns 40 tomorrow. So my mom and I are secretly making carrot cake cupcakes to take into his work tomorrow. Since he'll smell them when he gets home, were also making his "regular" cake at the same time, and give it to him, since we'll be "busy tomorrow and unable to make it then so we thought we would make it now" :D

A large percentage of Earth's population remembers exactly what they were doing yesterday, seven years ago.

Here's what I was doing:

We lived in Alaska at the time, which is four hours behind New York City. The towers had already been hit by the time everyone was waking up for work. The radio came on in my parents' room for their alarm, there was only one radio station in Kodiak, and it was on NPR (National Public Radio) that day. It took my mom a minute to figure out what was going on; once she did however, she reached over a hit my dad saying "Wake up, NOW!" she has never hit him before, or since, to wake him up, but that day would prove to be very different.

I woke up to my alarm that morning, I use the "Beep, beep, beep" setting so didn't hear the news. I walked downstairs and my parents were eating breakfast, with the radio on. This was not the norm, but it wasn't totally weird; that is, until I began to process what the radio was saying. I quickly ate breakfast, my parents giving me a bit of a briefing; that day there would likly be security at our school and stuff. I then took off with my dad to go to school, he wanted to get to work early.

Once most people in my class were at school, we sat down the rug in a lose circle. I was in 4th grade at the time, it the first and only day that year that we did that. We all began to talk; the teacher told us what she knew, we talked about what kind of people might do this (the words "Muslim" or "Afghanis" never came up, it was always just "terrorist") and why, what it meant for the country, what it meant to us. This was the school that 90% of the military kids went to, so it affected us quite a bit, maybe more then the "normal" kids.

One of the kids in our class, his grandfather worked in the the twin towers. When he went to school, his family had no idea what had happened to him. Later, and call came into the classroom that his grandfather was alive. He had broken his leg on his way out but would heal just fine.

We didn't get a lot accomplished that day academically. None of us went outside for morning recess either, we just hung out inside playing games and such. When lunch came around, we all voted that we wanted to stick together that day, and instead of splitting off like we normally did, most everyone in the class sat at one table. We were all worried about friends we had from previous duty assignments. What if their parents had to respond? News had come in that personal tending to the scene had been killed or severely injured.

Once again, we didn't go out to recess, we just hung around in the classroom and played games. This time, the teacher never called and end to recess and we spent the rest of the day like that. Some kids were picked up early, sometimes parents just came to see how they were doing. We had MilPo in the halls all day too: Military Police.

Most kids were picked up by their parents that day instead of taking the bus home.

That afternoon was low key at my house, dad came home late, lots of meetings and stuff.

Stuff went back to normal over the next week, but we still all were talking about it.