HOT MAMA

Melissa is one hot mama! Since we are on the topic of hot lets talk about heat. Yesterday it was 127 degrees. I walked outside at about 2200. Just before I opened the door I thought to myself "self, it is nighttime now. Thank goodness the sun is finally down and I can enjoy the cool air. That cool air was 100 degrees. The low that night was 93 degrees.

Because it has been so HOT I decided to fry and egg on the cement. After it was done I just looked at it...the ground is way to nasty to eat a fried egg off of it. In the end there are 4 major blessings that are just around the corner...not cool weather...see 5 day forecast below.

5 day forecast for Iraq: 122, 122, 122, 113, 113. On Thursday the low will be 83 degrees! I love the early mornings here. If I was aloud to take pictures I would show you how beautiful it is...that is as beautiful as cement and dust can be. The mornings are cool and quite, a peaceful time to contemplate my life and all that I have been blessed with.

4 Blessings Just Around the Corner

1) Football Season
2) Leaving Iraq
3) Going back to the USA
4) Holding my best friend again

Taking the GRE

I took the GRE last night.  I almost didn't.  I kept trying to think of excuses for putting it off until I had the right amount of time to prepare.  That is until I spoke with the adviser for the program I'm applying to at the University of Utah, and she told me that the GRE is being revised to be more challenging after August 1st.  Full blown panic ensued!   I frantically began watching for cancellations at any testing center within 200 miles...like I said frantically.

Finally an opening in Pocatello!  But the drawback was that it only gave me a week to study for the exam.  I called one of my life lines to help me make the decision--Cassie.  "Do it!"  She said...several times actually because I kept asking if she was sure.  Later after I took the test she told me she scheduled 3 months in advance so she would have that much time to study...good thing she didn't tell me that beforehand!

I was a nervous wreck.  I mean I read all the fine print on the instructions in every single email they sent me...I never ever do that...I always skim.  I took exactly 4 freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils, plenty of scratch paper, 3 forms of photo ID, water, snacks...I thought of everything!  I must have looked like an eager beaver when I arrived at the testing center. Actually, more like an eager beaver that had peed her pants.  Yes you read that right.  In my haste to refill my water bottle I spilled it all over the front of my pants...well not all over because it looked like I had peed my pants. 

Before starting the test I had to sign a confidentiality form and rewrite a short paragraph in cursive.  I was so nervous & focused on filling it out exactly right that I couldn't remember how to write some letters in cursive!  I snapped out of it and pulled myself together. 

Of course it didn't help my nerves at all when they had me lock all of my things in a locker, turn the insides of my pockets out, and scan me with a metal detector.  I tried to imagine I was going through airport security, and about to embark on an exciting vacation!

So about an 1.5 hours into this grueling examination of my mind...my brain turned off.  It just quit and I had to kick start it again, by reminding myself that I must not quit or give in.  My brain may be almost 30 years old, but so is my determination!  The week of studying 2-3 hours a day paid off.  I learned strategies that helped me talk myself through each problem to come up with the best answer.

I did a lot better than I expected and it boosted my confidence.  It's one of those small triumphs that makes you think you can do anything.  Then you get yourself into some really hard and wonder why you did that to yourself.

31 Reasons I love Ben.

Reason #1

Trying to take a picture of Ben is a lot like trying to take a picture of a puppy...

 I believe he was doing the funky chicken dance in the photo above.  See I told you guys he could dance!

 Ben has just one speed....full speed ahead!

That's ok though, because he always takes time out to come up with a plan using charades. See figure above. His mastermind is hard at work in that photo!  What can I say? I married a smart guy that moves so fast you can never get a picture of him.

Ben married a pretty clever gal.  The only known way to get a picture of Ben (besides begging and pleading) is to create a diversion or a distraction.  See line 1, this paragraph.

 Hey hon you shoud see what your brother just posted on facebook!

 I am brilliant.

I begged and pleaded for this one.  He complied.

Ah yes back to the reasons I love Ben...let's see what number are we on?  How about #14?   Sounds good to me. Great, then we have an agreement.

Reason #14 he looks great in a hat...actually he looks great in ANY hat!

 Reason #18 he's a lot of fun at a parade.

Reason #19 he's fun to swim with.

 WARNING!  Pictures below may be unsuitable for some viewers as they depict interrogation methods currently being used in Iraq.  View photos at your own risk.  Or take notes like I did!

Yep. That baby talked!

Reason #7 he is a cowboy.

'nuff said.

Reason #2...gosh he's cute.

 Let's get practical.  Reason #48  he has big muscles.

June 25th

Saturday June 25, 2011

We took our time getting ready this morning and left for my parent’s house after lunch.  My parent’s didn’t waste any time putting us to work.  They are getting older and they are opportunist’s when young people show up.  Especially that young studly guy I married…he’s a hunk and he has big muscles so I don’t really blame them.  I mean shoot as soon as he showed up I quit opening my own jars. 

I fired up the grill for my pops—er well I attempted to but first I had to change out of my cute outfit and put on my “proud army wife” shirt.  By the time I got out there the old man already had it going.

Ben played—I mean mowed the lawn for my folks.

We played with our puppies in the backyard and took a walk down the street to my sister’s old house.  It’s just not the same with out her kids here.  We miss those cute little boys!

Ben sat down and took sometime out for my 102 year old grandma, Irma.  I walked in just as she said “So are ya surprised to see me alive?!”  followed by her big laugh.  She’s a witty woman even at 102 years old!  I discovered last year that Irma’s name means ‘goddess of war’, so we have enjoyed teasing her about that.  Ben named his rifle for this deployment ‘Irma’, when I told her that early on in the deployment she told me she thought it was a great honor!

 

A horrible treat!

How could something be horrible but also be a treat you ask...2hr c130 flight followed by 18hrs of Kuwait, a 2 hr bus ride with no AC, 4hr layover in Germany at 2am and a 16 hr flight to the states…here is where the treat comes in...I was traveling home!

It was a long process to get home. Little if any sleep but two days later I was home.

It was horrible but so worth it. Now to dwell on the treat...when the 16 hr flight was over I landed in Dallas Fort Worth. There were around 100 soldiers traveling home for R&R.

We landed and were immediately greeted by two fire trucks. The announcement over the loud speaker "DFW fire department salutes you". The fire trucks pull up alongside the plane and blast water over top of us. All of the soldiers talk like we don’t care and it is not that big of a deal...we just want to get home, but in that moment every eye was looking out the small airplane windows and there was silence. I could feel the honor of the moment throughout the plane.

Although the seatbelt sign was still on everyone is up getting bags ready to leave the plane. Repeated attempts by the stewardess to keep us seated failed. The doors opened up and the race began. The excitement of being so close to home was overwhelming.

The gate for returning soldiers if different than average incoming flight. We are ushered up ramps and then diverted to an escalator. Down a long deserted hallway until one wall breaks to windows that overlook the airport passengers waiting to get on their flights. We are above them and our arrival was anticipated. People below stop what they were doing, stand, and clap...some cheer some blow kisses some wave. Kind of weird at first but I couldnt help but wave back. The kids would jump for joy when I would wave at them wave looking at their parents with satisfied eyes. Hundreds of people cheering and waving... awe struck!

The end of the hallway brings us in to an empty floor with an international customs gate. We all gathered around our escort. Looking around I could see some misty eyes. The soldiers and marines quickly gather composure as we are given instructions about our R&R stay. After the brief we are pushed through customs and down an escalator where to my surprise there a few people shaking hands and welcoming us back. A few hands to shake and some thanks...not quite...around the corner there was a gauntlet of people to walk between. Veterans line the aisle way as well as many other people. The soldiers in front of me shook an occasional hand but I couldn’t bring myself to miss one of them. It took me 15mins to walk out the door.

The phrases, "Welcome back soldier", "We sure love you guys", "I can’t say thanks enough", "God Bless You" were everywhere. I feel bad because once the right side of the aisle way got hold of my hand I couldn’t stop to catch the left side.

Shock... That is the only way to describe how I was feeling. The love was permeating the building.

My trip home was horrible but the treat at the end was amazing. I can’t say thanks enough to all of those people at the airport.

I wasn’t supposed to fly out until the next day. I managed to get on a standby to SLC but didn’t make it on the next stand by to get home. I happened to be with two other soldiers trying to get to the same place so we decided to split a rental car...3 hours later the treat was turned into a dream come true when Melissa pulled up to get me.

He's Home!!!!

Oh how I have missed this cute guy!! We haven't seen eachother since last October.  He was able to get to me almost a whole day earlier!  He had to rent a car and drive the last 3 hours.  When I went to pick him up at the airport where he dropped off the rental car I didn't even recognize him at first because it has been so long since I've had to pick him out of a line up...er I mean crowd ;)

Really I wasn't sure if he was my soldier or not, because he said he was traveling with two other guys.  It was the strangest sensation.  I was a little hesitant to kiss him at first, it was a bit like kissing a stranger.  It's ok though I like kissing strangers...well this stranger anyways.  He kept saying over and over "who are you?!" and "you're not supposed to be here". 

It was such a strange sensation having him home all of sudden, and being able to hold his hand.  He asked me to drive us home, because he couldn't remember where we lived.  He tried to walk into the wrong bathroom when we got home, and it took him a minute to get re-oriented to which bedroom is ours.  He couldn't remember.

He locked himself in the bathroom to take a shower.  I overheard him loudly exclaim "Wow! A real shower!"  I'm fairly certain my upstairs neighbor's heard and probably wondered if I'd picked up a homeless person off the street.

He is so used to driving diesel/stick shift army vehicles that he has a hard time remembering how to start our car.  He asked me if all those lights come on everytime I start the car...which made me smile.  He halfway turns the key like you would for a diesel vehicle, and waits for the right light to come on.

The first thing he wanted to do was go to a grocery store and see all the food we have access to.  As we walked around Costco he kept saying look at all this food and you can buy as much as you want!  Then he commented on how 'these people have no idea' and 'how can anyone live in America and find any reason to complain about it.'

 Amen.  It's kind of like people living in the golden age and complaining that things are just a little too yellow.

Ben was super excited to play with his puppies!

I love this guy!  I can't get enough of his smile!

$16 an hour!

Our neighborhood put on a big yard sale today and I was super excited when I made $16 in under an hour off of a pile of clothes I had sitting around waiting to go to DI.  What a great day!


So I decided to buy some ammo and go shooting.  I also felt like my hard work in selling my precious clothing was worthy of some new beaded necklaces.  Which cost more than $16...woops!  Sorry Ben!

Most people that came to the yard sale were friendly and just enjoying a beautiful morning out rummaging through other people's things.  There were some pretty funny people though, that were there to bargain shop.  I almost laughed when two ladies walked off after I told them all of my precious clothing was $2 each...that's cheaper than DI.  However, it was all I could do to keep from lowering the price when a really sweet Asian lady took 6 items.  I cut her a deal...I couldn't help myself!  I told her it was buy 5 get one free :)

Then I bonded with a sweet old lady over my Thomas Kinkade puzzles--which were purchased when we were too poor for internet or TV.  But we could afford a collection of Thomas Kinkade puzzles from DI.  Funny the old DI price sticker was on there and that's how much the lady paid me for it...SAWEET!



So after a relaxing day at the range I decided to come home and make this delightful greek salad I found on the pioneer woman's blog:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/04/greek-salad/

Followed by a delicious s'more made with a pink star marshmallow.  Yep today was a great day!

Not quite a perfect day though...it won't be perfect until Ben Brubaker comes home!  I love you Benjamin!!!!!