Guest Posting at Kris Goes Crazy

I'm so excited to announce that I did my first guest post!

A few days ago, Kris from Kris Goes Crazy called out on twitter asking for a military blogger to write a post on their blog about how to help a friend during deployment.

Kris's best friend is currently deployed and she didn't know what she could or should do. 

I hope my post helped her out.

So head over to Kris Goes Crazy to check out my guest post and let me know if I missed anything. She's looking for more tips so if you have any please feel free to leave them in the comments.

I Love A Man in Uniform by Lily Burana (Book Review and a {GIVEAWAY})

Title: I Love a Man in Uniform

Author: Lily Burana

Publication Date: April 2009

Publisher: Weistein Books

Pages: 352

ISBN: 9781602860834 

This review is my opinion and I have not been compensated for it in any way. 

Before I get into the review of this book I need to give you a little back story. My friend Tammy called me up one day and told me I had to drop everything and read this book. She told me a bit about it and said that I would love it because Lily Burana is like a soul sister to us. Naturally, I ordered the book right away. 

When the book arrived I told The Hubble about it. He was quite intrigued. Like he always does, he picked up the book and thumbed through it. He read a couple pages and told me he couldn't wait for me to read it because he thought I would identify with it. 

Well, this went on for a couple days until I suggested that he go ahead and read the book himself. He did. He loved it. When he was finished he proclaimed "I give her permission to hang out in our library." And so it was.

Okay. On to the review...

Lily Burana: reformed punk rocker, child rebel, former stripper, Army Officer's wife. Wha-what??? If you are like me, you just had to do a double take there. But that's right Lily Burana is all of those things and more.

I Love a Man in Uniform is Lily's memoir of how she met, fell in love with and married Mike, her Army Officer husband.

But this is not simply a love story. This is not one of those gooey novels that make you feel sticky just reading it. This story includes a lot of self doubt, hurt, anger, sacrifice and loss.

Lily and Mike's story is like so many others. But what separates them is that Lily talks about it. She talks about the uncertainty of being a 'war bride.' She reveals the struggles with depression during deployment. She dives head first into the controversial topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Lily never planned to marry a soldier. In fact, the day she met Mike she had no idea that was the moment that would change her life forever. But when love hits, it hits hard. There's no stopping it. That's exactly what happened to Lily and Mike.

In true military fashion, the courtship and marriage were on no one's time line but the military's. However, Lily would endure for the man she chose as her life's partner. She gave up her home, her security, her dream wedding, her confidence. Just to be married to Mike.

Lily has a voice that is raw, real and emotional. She leaves nothing out. She describes the scathing looks and criticism she faced from the 'higher ranking wives.' She offers a glimpse into the truth behind the 'perfect military family.' And she constantly runs from the 'Perfect Army Wife' and her never ending disapproval.

Through it all - the condemnation, depression, deployment and self hatred there is finally a chance for healing, acceptance and ultimately...happiness.

Lily's story is one that so many military spouses experience but very few are brave enough to admit. She is honest, revealing, heartfelt and genuine. This book offers merely a glimpse into the difficulties military spouses face on a day to day basis.

That being said, I realize that I cannot truly generalize. I identified with this woman so much that her story and hardships resonate within my soul. So maybe I'm wrong. Maybe other military spouses do not experience these same issues. But I have. I do. As have several of my closest military spouse friends. Do you? I challenge you to read Lily's story and find out.

I absolutely give this book 5 stars!!! 5 stars is probably a bit too low in my opinion.

And now I'm going to give you the opportunity to do so! In honor of The Hubble's love for this book and his upcoming birthday, I will be giving away a copy of the paperback book of this title to one lucky reader! 

All you have to do is leave a comment to enter. 

The deadline to enter this giveaway is 11:59pm on August 2nd. 

The winner will be announced on The Hubble's birthday of August 3rd. 

Good luck!

For Further Reading Check Out:

• Giveaway Winner and The Hubble Turns 32 

Fun Blog Hops in Bloggy Land

Photo by orangeacid

Are you looking for new ways to get involved in the bloggyverse?

If you are like me, you probably enjoy bloghops and carnivals. I'm constantly on the lookout for something fun to do and different memes to get involved in.

There are some that seem to be everywhere. Like the question memes. The ones I've seen (and a couple I've participated in) are:

Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In with Wife of a Sailor

This is a fun meme for military spouses. Each week five questions are posted on Wife of a Sailor's blog and military spouses can fill out the questions on their own blog and link up that Friday.

Five Question Friday with Mama M. at My Little Life 

This is another fun question meme. Mama M. posts five questions (sometimes thought up by people in her blogfrog community) and the participants answer the questions on their own blog and link to hers on Friday.

Getting to Know You with MannLand5

This one is a question meme where the questions are posted and the participant answers them on their own blog and links up to MannLand5's blog on Sunday.

Are you sensing a theme here? I'm all for question memes. I think they are a great way to get to know one another and have a great time doing it. However, sometimes I'm looking for a bit more than just answering questions. 

So I want to let you know about some other fun bloghops I've found around the blogging world lately.

Not me Monday by MckMama

This is a fun one where the participant writes a blog post about what they didn't do. It's a great way to get things off your chest while not really taking the blame! Link up your blog posts on Mondays.

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop with Mama Kat

Mama Kat posts a number of different writing prompts. A participant can write on as many or as few of the prompts as he or she chooses then links the posts up to Mama Kat's blog on Thursdays.

Flashback Friday with Penny at I Could Be Fake

Remember that time when that thing happened? Yeah. Penny does. Each Friday a participant can link up any type of Flashback post from their blog.

I'm Lovin' It Fridays with Tidy Mom

This is one where just about anything goes. Did you create or cook something you loved this week? Did you discover something you want to share? Whatever you are lovin' this week, link up on Fridays.

Friday Flip-Offs with Kludgy Mom

Do you want to go into the weekend without the bad vibes of the week weighing you down? Write your own Friday Flip-off post and link up on Fridays.

Sunday Stories with The Annoyed Army Wife

This one is just starting up this Sunday (today actually). For a number of weeks now The Annoyed Army wife has been sharing her and her husband's love story in short stories. Do you have a story you want to share? Link up your post on her blog on Sundays.

I'm sure there are so many more great links and bloghops out there that I don't know about! Do you host one? Do you know about one? This is an opportunity to share! Link up (or let us know in the comments) what bloghop you are having fun with lately!

Defying Definition One Niche at a Time

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Over the last couple of days I've been thinking about my previous post. About being niche-less.

I've received several comments from fellow milspouses and women bloggers about being niche-less and loving it. 

Why is it that the human brain needs to put things, including people, into definable categories?

The brain is a type of filing system. As new events are experienced, the brain attempts to retrieve previous, yet similar, information so as to classify this most recent data. 

We classify new information so we will know what to do with it. 

This also works in reverse order. When we are faced with certain experiences we retrieve the particular "file" within our brain that houses the appropriate response to this situation.

So what happens when you run across something you have never experienced before? What happens when you just can't classify something?

A new file is created.

Military spouses don't fit in a "normal" category. And let's face it; the majority of the population has nothing to do with the military. So naturally, the wouldn't know how to classify and categorize us outside of military spouse. 

And let's not even talk about the women bloggers who fall through the cracks of the "classification system" as well. There are too many to count!

I've been trying to place myself into a preexisting niche or category and it just won't work. I don't fit there.

In some aspects I do. I can relate to other mommy blogger's stories. I can relate to a shared passion for literature amongst book bloggers. And who isn't able to relate to food? LOL!

But my stories of motherhood are sometimes tainted with the loneliness and heartache of a missing spouse.

The literature I read is sometimes my only companion when facing a long, dark night on my own.

The food I make and share is sometimes in an attempt to create a "home" out of yet another new house.

So yeah. I don't fit. There's no special "milspouse" niche. But that's okay. I transcend niches. I move in and out of niches as I do cities, countries, home.

If you think about it...in a way...I encompass them all. No one niche can contain me because I always have to be flexible, adaptable, and able to take on any new experiences with gusto. 

Mine is a life that is not easily classified.

But what of the other women bloggers? The academics, the artists, the rebels. These women who are also mothers, wives, fiances, students and all around badass chicks?? They may not directly feel the effects of a deployment but they are not easily defined either.

And on top of this...what about the men? The daddy blogger? The male milspouse? Where do these guys go?

So yeah. I say we stay out of the box. If we allow anyone to place us in the box we will not be able to grow and evolve. And I don't know about you...but I like that whole improvement and development thing. I like to expand my knowledge and make myself...more. 

If we "niche" ourselves...where's the chance for progression??

I'm incredibly interested in you. Why do you love being niche-less? What makes you undefinable? 

You can either link up and meet other niche-less ladies or tell me in the comments. I can't wait to hear why you love being niche-less!

For additional reading check out:

• Where Do I Fit In?

Milspouse Friday Fill-In and Five Question Friday: July 23, 2010

It's time for another installment of question Friday! I'm not going to ramble on today because I'm trying to eat my frosted mini wheats and type in between bites. I, unlike The Hubble, do not like them to get crazy soggy. So here we go.

We'll start with the Milspouse Friday Fill-In hosted by Wife of a Sailor.

1. Besides the horizontal mambo, what do you miss most when your spouse is deployed?

Each time it's something different but usually has to do with taste or smell. The first one was the taste of beer and cigarettes. I actually smoked for a bit and started loving beer when he was gone that time. This last time it was the smell of his cologne.


2. What do you miss the least?

I am having a lot of trouble thinking of something right now. There are tons of stuff that annoy me about him but I love him because of those things and cherish the time he's home. I guess the thing that I missed the LEAST would have to be the procrastination. When it was just me, things would get done on MY time line. Now I feel like I should be able to shared the responsibilities and household duties but I usually have to wait on his time line for them to get done (if I want his help). 


3. You only get three crayons to finish your picture... which three do you choose and why?

Well...I would probably choose slut red, cool teal, and princess purple because those are the colors I wish I could use on my house. But alas, I'm just renting for a year and cannot paint. BTW, slut red (dining room), cool teal (kitchen), and princess purple (Little Butt's room).

4. If you could have your own fragrance, what would it be called?

I am so incredibly UNoriginal so I would probably name it something like "Essence of Manna." Eeeeewww. That actually sounds kind of gross. Maybe "Manna from Heaven" because I just love that saying. Manna is my nickname by the way. 

5. If the shoes make the man (or woman), what do your shoes say about you right now?

Haha! I'm wearing flip flops. This actually says that I'm a terrible housewife! I wake up and put my flip flops on so I don't have to get dirt on my feet from my nasty floors. LOL! Maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud...oh well.

Okay guys! If you want to play, head over to Wife of a Sailor and link up!

Now it's time for...

Five Question Friday with Mama M. over at My Little Life.

1. What were your school colors?

Oh goodness! Do you know how hard this is for an Army Brat to answer?? The last high school I attended had blue and yellow as their colors. The first college was blue and orange. The college that I earned my degree from was maroon and gold. LOL! Does that count?


2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

Probably that I'm a great mom. I had so many problems with being pregnant and the idea of being a mom that I'm usually really relieved when someone tells me I'm a good mom.

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

I buy Quilted Northern. The Hubble and I used to argue over this all the time! He loved Cottonelle and I loved Quilted Northern. Well, after this last deployment he decided he hated Cottonelle. So yay! I win!


4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

No. I think it's a cool idea but I've never gotten the chance to be part of one...at least not that I can remember.


5. What is the one material possession that you "can't live without"?

Well...it's my library. I know that's a bunch of items but I think I would be lost without my library of books. If my house ever catches on fire I'm done for!

So there you have it! Jump over to My Little Life to read answers and link up your own!

Where Do I Fit In??

As I mentioned before I'm doing the 31 Days to Building a Better Blog challenge with the SITS girls and BlogFrog.

We are now on day 4 and so far I've learned a lot and been blown away by the support I've received from these amazing women (and I think a few men).

Over 500 bloggers have signed up for this challenge and more continue to dive in every day. If you are interested you can click that button up there and jump in as well.

So today's task is to analyze top blogs within your "niche." Okay cool. I can do that. Darren (aka Problogger) suggests looking at a site called Technorati. Check! This site has a Top 100 list and you can browse through top blogs by categories. I found myself lost within the hundreds of book blogs and the thousands (yes thousands!) of food blogs. Wow! These blogs are amazing.

But where do I fit in?? What's my niche?

So I look in the "home" blogs. These blogs have tons of crafts and homemade things. Awesome. Beautiful. But not me.

Then I took to the "family" blogs. Interesting. Informational. But I'm not exactly a "mommy blogger." So...not yet finding my niche.

So what is a girl to do? Should I make 5,000 different blogs because I have a lot of interests? Or should I remain niche-less??

Or! I can keep recruiting other milspouses to create blogs and find a niche withing that category. Why is it that military blogs aren't a "niche?" I know they are out there.

The problem is that we "milspouses" are people outside of the military lifestyle. I am a woman. I am a mother. I am a homemaker. I am a book lover. I am a cook, a baker, a friend, a sister, a daughter. I am so many things that just don't fit into a niche.

I have a drive to be the best "me" I can be!

Yes, my life is colored by camouflage. Yes, the military is the mistress between The Hubble and I. But that does not fully encompass the essence that is me.

So what if I don't fit into a niche. So what if I am not easily defined.

I don't have to be. I make the rules in my life. (Well, as many as the military allows me to make).

I am eclectic. I love sci/fi and history. I love eating and exercising. I love crafts and technology. I love parties and quiet time.

I am a contradiction of myself and I'm okay with that.

I am...

Niche-less.

Hear me roar!

[source]

So where do you fit in?

Are you roaring with me or have you found your niche??


For additional reading check out:

• Defying Definition One Niche at a Time

Wordless Wednesday: The Adios Edition

This Wordless Wednesday is brought to you by the letter L and the number 3.

If you want to join in the fun and link up your Wordless Wednesday head over to A Beautiful Mess!

My Top 10 TV Show DVDs

Recently I wrote a post about all the trouble I've been having with our middle of nowhere, podunk cable company. If you haven't read it, you can find it here.

In this post I mentioned that The Hubble and I don't really care for TV. That we didn't have TV for about 6 years.

I would like to take a moment to clarify this. We didn't NEVER watch anything on our television. Actually we have a fairly extensive movie and TV show DVD collection. And that's how we would spend our TV time. Watching movies and shows on DVD.

Even now, I don't watch TV when a show is on. I use my DVR more than anything and watch shows at my convenience.

So I decided that today I would share 10 of my favorite TV shows on DVD. So here goes!

10. Roswell ~ This show is about three alien teenagers who are fighting to hide their identity from family and friends while in the most alien conscious town in the U.S. I love this show because it's the cheesy science fiction/fantasy stuff that I like and it's some of Katherine Heigel's earliest work.

9. Dawson's Creek ~ I know, I know. How many lame teeny bopper shows can I possibly be in love with?? You will see that they are a lot. There's something innocent and nostalgic about these types of shows. Who doesn't know about Dawson's Creek?? When I was living in NY I had a friend send me the entire collection from Washington State so I could borrow them. The show is surprisingly well done and I found myself completely drawn in by the love...square of the four main teens in the show. I fell in love with Katie Holmes during this show...then she ran off and married Creepy Cruise.

8. CSI: NY ~ Hello Gary Sinise! Okay seriously. The man is freaking hot in this show!! I like this one over all the other CSI's because it's set in NYC! I love that town! And...hello Gary Sinise!!! I love the New York attitude that the CSI workers have. I love the darkness of the show. I was pretty obsessed with this one for a while.

7. Sex and the City ~ Yes I am a fan. I hated this show when I first started watching it. But I started it from the middle and this is definitely one of those shows that you have to watch from the beginning to understand. When The Hubble went away to school during our first 6 months of marriage I moved in with a friend and we used to have Sex and the City nights together. I will always remember that show fondly because that was when my friend and I bonded.

6. Dexter ~ What can be said about a serial killer that you can't help but love??? I wasn't sure about this show at first. A show about a serial killer? No thanks. Until I found out more about it. Dexter was raised by a cop who saw the tendency in him to become a serial killer. So his cop father taught him how to not get caught and how to select his "prey" by making sure they were bad people. In a way, Dexter is doing the world a favor by taking out the bad guys, right??

5. True Blood ~ I've actually only seen the first season of this show. I got it for my birthday last year. But I love it! I read the first few books before seeing the first season and it doesn't really keep with the book exactly but it's good. It is full of that cheesy, corny stuff that I love!

4. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations ~ This man is H-O-T, HOT! I love him! I love his sarcastic, arrogant, asshole nature. I love how he has no fear. I love learning about different cultures and the types of foods they eat. I discovered this show through another friend and I've never gone back! I have even read several of Anthony Bourdain's books and got The Hubble hooked on him as well. Love him and love this show!

3. Alias ~ I fell head over heels in love with Jennifer Garner and Bradley Cooper because of this show. It's full of suspense, intrigue and action with some love story thrown in. I own the entire series on DVD and have watched it several times. When I need to get motivated to get moving, kick some serious butt, and be filled with girl power I watch this show.

2. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer ~ I remember watching the movie with this same title back in the day. I will admit that I actually love the movie as well! But I think we've already established the fact that I love me some cheese and corn! And if I can get it together in the same show or movie, the better! This show is not as corny though. The first season when they are all little and new is kind of corny. But the show grew and matured through the years and became one of my ultimate favorite shows. I own all of these seasons on DVD as well. Sometimes I wish it didn't have to end but I always have the DVDs whenever I need some Buffy time.

1. Gilmore Girls ~ I. Love. This. Show. A friend of mine in NY lent me the DVDs and got me HOOKED! Lauren Graham is the hotness! I dream about having the type of relationship with my daughter that this mom and daughter duo had. I think this is definitely my ultimate favorite show. I would recommend anyone to watch it and have gotten many people as obsessed with it as I am. I'm not sure how many houses at this point my DVDs have been to. I love the Gilmore Girls! Just talking about them makes me want to watch them again!


So there you have it. Those are my Top 10 TV Shows on DVD. But I'm interested in yours.

Have you watched any of these shows? What did you think?

What are your Top 10 TV Shows on DVD??

Introduction and My Not Quite Elevator Pitch

Last week some time I was playing around on the internet as I often do, and I jumped onto BlogFrog to check on some communities. While I was playing around there, I found a link by Nirvana Mamma about this thing called 31 Days to a Better Blog Challenge. She was calling all mommy bloggers at the time. However, the feedback and excitement she received from all manner of women bloggers was incredible. Partnering with the SITS girls and Darren, aka Problogger (author of 31 Days to Building a Better Blog) they were able to induce a fervor and bring at least 400 women bloggers together in a common cause: supporting one another in their journeys to create better blogs.

Me being the joiner that I am, I decided to sign up. I don't need to be famous or have the best blog ever. However, I do want to have the best blog I can. It is important to me when I undertake new endeavors to succeed as best I can. Therefore I am on board!

Our first task in this challenge is to write an elevator pitch. Yeah, I pretty much had that "say wha...???" kind of response to that too so don't feel bad. Apparently, an elevator pitch is a pitch of your product (blog) that you can give in about 30-45 seconds or the span of an elevator ride. That means, I should be able to figure out what it is me and my blog are all about so I can pitch it in the span of an elevator ride.

Here's the problem I see with this. I don't like elevators. Whenever I can, I opt to take the stairs. So that paired with the fact that I'm a bit of a rebel means that we are taking...

That's right...we're taking the stairs baby. Now I have the time it takes us to walk up this set of stairs to let you know who I am and what I'm all about. I have to say, I'm hoping you are slightly out of shape, I'm going to need a bit of time.

I'm Maranda. I'm an Army Brat, unintentional Army Wife and unplanned stay at home mommy. I move. A lot. Sometimes I struggle with being a military wife and am often conflicted within my role as a mom. But I would never change my life, I'm lucky to have had these experiences. I love to read and write reviews on the books that I love, as well as some that I don't love. I'm addicted to coffee. I'm obsessed with fitness. I love to cook and bake. I love crafty type things. I draw, I knit, I cross stitch. I'm quickly becoming enamored with photography. I'm fun, cooky, a bit zany, and I tend to talk a lot. I have a tendency to stick my foot in my mouth and make a complete fool of myself. I'm honest to a fault and loyal beyond reasoning. I love with my soul and cry with my heart. But don't cross me; I'm a force to be reckoned with when I'm angry. I am me, and this is life as I know it.

I hope you have enjoyed this walk up the stairs. If you did, I hope you stay a while. But if you didn't, well...we can try again...

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind

Title: Wizard's First Rule

Author: Terry Goodkind

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

ISBN: 978-0812548051

Pages: 832

This review is my opinion and I have not been compensated for it in any way.

Richard Cypher was not your average wood’s guide. Richard was a boy who knew pain. The pain of loss. The loss of both his parents. The first was when he was a young boy and his mother died in a fire. The most recent, the punch in his gut, was the murder of his father. His father’s murder was so brutal that the townsfolk refused to give him details of the crime scene. Now all the family Richard has left is his brother.

Richard, not being the type of person to stand down easily, needed answers. Little did he know that searching for these answers would lead him down a path that would change his life forever.

Trying to find his father’s killer was just the beginning. When searching the woods for clues Richard meets Kahlan. Kahlan is from the Midlands and is not supposed to have been able to cross the boundary. However, the boundary is failing. What is the boundary? It is the magical wall that separates the three lands. The boundary was put in place by powerful wizards after the deathly rule of a tyrant. The three lands are: Westland, where Richard is from, that has no magic. The Midlands, a world of magic. And D’hara, a magical land where all the dark creatures are kept. So the boundary is failing, the land’s are bleeding into one another. If they fall completely there may be nothing to save the people of Westland and possibly The Midlands as well.

What does simple wood’s guide Richard Cypher have to do with any of this? You will have to read the book to find out.

Wizard’s First Rule is an epic fantasy novel. The world that Terry Goodkind creates draws the reader in like few others have been able. The plot is full of twists, turns and intrigue.

I find myself having difficulty reviewing a book such as this for fear of giving anything away. And because I am having trouble putting words to how awesome this book was. This book had me hooked within the first chapter. The trials that Richard faces throughout his journey through this novel were unreal. Every time I thought he was out of harms way, or the book would calm down, another factor was presented.

Terry Goodkind’s writing style, his voice, is beautiful prose. He captures the essence of each character beautifully. He introduces each person and provides such intense detail of the people and the land’s through which they are travelling that the reader feels as though they are travelling through these lands as well. You believe you are part of the journey. Many characters are introduced throughout the pages of this novel but none are lacking in personality. You love some, hate others and your feelings are confused with a few.

As a stay at home mom to a 3 year old, I do most of my reading at night before bed. Each night I would lay down and tell myself I would read just one chapter. However, each chapter draws you into the next that hours would pass and I would have to force myself to put the book down around 1:30am each night so I could get some rest.

However, with every pro, cons exist as well. I found the ending of this particular book a bit cheesy for my taste, and I love cheese! I felt like it was ended too quickly. But I do know there are several more books in the series so I know I will continue. This book can be read as a stand alone or you can continue to learn and grow with the characters as they progress through the series. I am definitely going to continue with the series as I fell in love with everyone within the pages of this book.

If you enjoy books like George R. R. Martin’s Songs of Ice and Fire series, you will love Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series. I highly recommend that you put down everything you are doing and read this book. Although, if you want to eat, sleep or have a life you may want to stay away.

Milspouse Friday Fill-In and 5 Question Friday: July 16, 2010

Hello all and happy Friday!!! It's time for the million question Friday with Wife of a Sailor and Mama M.

You know the drill so let's get started. First up!

The Milspouse Friday Fill-In hosted by Wife of a Sailor. Here are this week's questions:

1. What food reminds you of your spouse?

I don't know if there are any specific foods that remind me of The Hubble. There are certain things he's VERY particular about. Like cheese. He won't eat it unless it's melted. To me, this is sacrilege. I mean, how can anyone not like cheese??? Then, he loves the beer. He love jalapeno chips. I guess maybe tostones?? Tostones are flattened and fried plaintains. It's a Puerto Rican thing. I ate my first tostones at The Hubble's Grandma's house. They were delicious. He eats them with ketchup so that's what I did. I've never gone back. I could eat those things all day. Yum!

2. Who would you rather sit next to in a cross-country plane ride: an irritating non-stop talker, or a quiet stare-er?

I would rather have the talker. At least you would know what they were thinking. It's the quiet ones you have to worry about. I worked in retail for 8 years so I'm used to talking with people I don't know. And I've had some ramblers in the past but you just find a polite way to disengage. I guess I was trained to deal with the talkers. LOL! I would be too creeped out by someone just silently staring.

3. What are your best tips on how to save money?

We have what we call the "buffer." Back in the day, when we were living on my measly paycheck, we would find ourselves unable to afford gas at times. So we started squirreling away "change." Let's say you get paid $210. Well, we would only write $200 in the checkbook, $10 would go to the buffer. You never see it. When we purchase something, say for $5.43, we would write in the checkbook that we spent $6. Our checkbook is always even and we never have to worry about being off by a few cents. And over time, the buffer built up. We have had several years that at the end of the year we move $500-$1,000 from the buffer into savings because it's gotten so big. It also helps me stress less because as I see the money dwindling I know we still have enough to survive.

4. What is your favorite summer memory?

I feel like I have answered this question every week so far so I'm going to say what is my most recent favorite summer memory.  Of course, that's hard too because I have a horrible memory and can't seem to remember my most recent summers. Ugh!

5. Do you believe in ghosts?

I have no idea. I think so. Yes. I have a ghost actually. His name is Fred. I picked him up from an ex-boyfriend. I've had too many weird things happen to not believe in ghosts. 

That's what's going on with the Milspouse Friday Fill-In. If you want to join in the fun head over to Wife of a Sailor's blog to link up your answers and read all the others!

Next up!!




Five Question Friday with Mama M. over at My Little Life. Here are this week's questions:

1. Do you collect anything?

Yes. I collect friends, books, movies, shot glasses and coffee mugs (I actually have a post planned for this one). I used to collect Seraphim angels but that's not really 'me' anymore. I'm not really sure it ever actually was me. I also have several wine glasses from the wineries up in NY. But that's pretty much it. ;-)

2. Name 3 celebrities that you find good looking.

Most of the celebrities that I find good looking have always been women. I think Charlize Theron is stunning and I drool over Jennifer Garner and Gwen Stefani. Actually, Gwen Stefani is the Captain of my lesbian boat and Jennifer Garner is the First Mate. However, there is Bradley Cooper. Bradley Cooper defies all of my thinking. I've never found male celebrities 'hot' until Bradley Cooper. Of course, I fell in love with him and Jennifer Garner about the same time, during the first season of Alias. Oh Bradley Cooper. I want to marry you and have your babies please! 

3. Do you have any scars? If so, what's the story behind it (them)?

Well, I have your basic chicken pox scars. I have a scar from my appendectomy. I really don't know of many others. However, if you want to talk about emotional/mental scars...I don't remember anything before the age of 12 (except summers at my grandma's house) and my life was pretty crappy from 12 to 20 when I met The Hubble. 


4. What is a food that you like to eat, but other's might think it's gross or weird?

That would probably have to be the fact that I love the combination of KC Masterpiece BBQ chips and twinkies. Yes, they are delicious together! It's something to do with the smokey, salty, sweet flavor combo that gets me...I don't know but I love it!

5. Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?

Nope. I always thought I would. When we spent summers at my grandma's house the tornado warnings would go off and we would run across the street to the neighbor's tornado shelter in their backyard. We've had some warnings here too but to no avail. It's okay if I never see one though...I'll be okay with that. 


And that's it for this week's 5 Question Friday. If you want to join in head over to Mama M's to link up and read (or watch now that Mama M. has started vlogging her answers, and they are awesome and definitely worth the watch!) all the other answers!

Have a great Friday everyone!!

Video Killed the Radio Star

I am not a TV person. I don't know that I ever have been really. I do remember watching Sci-Fi Friday with my mom way back in the day.

When The Hubble and I got married we didn't have a lot of money. We were surviving on my paycheck as a Department Manager for a big box bookstore while he was finishing college. We didn't have a lot of money. We decided to forgo the idea of cable. No problem. We had movies.

When he graduated, received his commission into the Army, and we moved to NY...again, we decided we didn't need TV. I was an Assistant Store Manager at this point and was preparing to help open my second brand new store and The Hubble would be commuting an hour and a half each way to and from work. We figured we would be too busy to watch TV.

On the weekends we would be out and about or he would play with his music and I would read. We honestly didn't have TV for about 6 years. It just never occurred to us that we may need it. Unless you count the Thanksgiving we had friends over and they were appalled they couldn't watch the game. Luckily, we hang out with a bunch of Engineers so one of our friends was able to rig some contraption with bunny ears, lots of cords, and an open window in the middle of winter. We were able to watch the game. LOL!

The only other time I wanted to watch anything was the Superbowl. But that was no big deal. I just made The Hubble drive me to Hooters (even through a blizzard) so I could watch the game and have beer and wings.

We really loved our quiet little lives. It suited us.

Then Little Butt came along. I quit my job and we moved to the tiniest town ever so we could be closer to where The Hubble worked. We decided that I would be bored and we would need TV.

We've had TV ever since. We rarely watch it, but Little Butt likes the Noggin/Nick Jr. channel.

Moving here I've had nothing but trouble with this cable company. They are a small town company that I've never even heard of. We've lived here almost 3 months and we are now onto our fifth cable box.

Saying that I'm annoyed is a bit of an understatement.

When I first ordered cable here, I didn't realize you had to ask to have them add DVR. I honestly thought it just came standard. Nope.

So box number one was a plain old cable box. I called, ordered DVR service and they said we could come exchange the box. No problem.

Box number two we bring home, set up...DVR still won't work. I call again. A couple days in a row. Hoping that them resetting things will help fix it. Finally, one lady realized they gave us the wrong hardware. They gave us an HD box, not a DVR capable box. Okay...

Box number three. Technician comes and exchanges box. DVR works. Awesome. We have a good week or so. DVR option stops working. What??? I call again. The box works, just the DVR option crapped out. We reset it again. We wait. Nothing changes.

Box number four. Technician comes out, exchanges box. Says the box we had was a crap model and this new one should be great. I get excited. I set my few shows to record on the DVR. Yay! New box! A day or so later...box won't work. At all.

At this point I'm mad. I'm ready to cancel the whole damn thing. I mean, we don't even watch it! We have an extensive DVD collection and the internet is an amazing tool where we can watch anything on the interwebs.

I wait a couple weeks.

I calm down a bit.

I miss my very few shows.

I call the company...again.

They say the technician supervisor will come out the next afternoon. Cool.

Next afternoon, I wait...and wait.

Lady from company calls. Lady: "Are you home now?" Me: "Yes." Lady: "Okay, we'll send the technician back out." Me: "What do you mean back out?" Lady: "He was there earlier and left a note and a remote on the door." Me: "No. I've been here all day and there's no note. And remote? What are you talking about??" Lady: "Okay ma'am, he's on his way."

Guy comes out. Tells me he got the orders wrong and was at a different house earlier. He's never seen a box do what mine is doing right now. It is dead. D-E-D. Dead. It responds to nothing. It won't even reset. He messes with a few things then calls us down and says he knows what the problem is.

Apparently the cord from the TV to the box was the wrong Voltage?? The box can't handle the intense amount of power that cord was giving off so they kept frying. Nice.

He changes out some cords. Removes offending cord. Wishes us luck and he's on his way.

We'll see how long this one lasts. I will not do this again...

Are you a TV person? How much would you take before giving up? Or would you move to another company?

Where Ideas are Born

When I was in school for my Bachelor's I had to write papers pretty much every week. The most difficult part of writing a paper, for me, is the introduction. I just could never figure out how I wanted to start. I knew the body...just not the intro.

Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people who can write a paper from the middle. I have to start at the beginning. I don't know why...I just do. I have to write the paper in order.

After about a year in the program, I realized that my best ideas were formed in the shower or when I went to brush my teeth or wash my face. Sometimes I would be mid-scrub and have to leave the bathroom to run and scribble down my introduction.

The shower has always been a time when I can just stop and reflect about life. My great ideas are usually born in the shower. I've come to cherish this quiet, alone time over the years and know that if I'm struggling with figuring out something, all I need to do is go take a shower and it will come to me.

Until recently...

I have this daughter, see...

Yeah that one. Little Butt. Well, she's decided that she loves showers! And not just showers...she loves my showers. She thinks that showering with me is the greatest thing ever.

Whenever I go to get in the shower I will tell her to come get me if she needs anything. A few minutes into my shower...here comes Little Butt telling me that she needs a shower too. I find myself begging and pleading for her to please let me shower alone. But to no avail. She undresses and gets in the shower with me regardless.

So gone are the days of quiet reflection. Gone are the days of solitude. Where will my great ideas be born now? When will I get a moment to myself?

This kid is lucky she's cute and that I love her. Though I miss them, I would give up my showers for her any day.

Do you have kids? What do they do that completely annoys you?

Spouse Coffee July 2010 Edition

The other night I went to my second spouse coffee here at the new post. I had a good time at the last one but The Hubble definitely told me not to run into any tornadoes this time. If you haven't already heard about the first (and insane) spouse coffee you can find that here.

I told The Hubble this time I would try my hardest not to run into any crazy hail storms or tornadoes and I have to say it was a success...kind of. It did start raining as I was driving off post. But it wasn't much. LOL! I wonder if I'll ever make it out of a spouse coffee dry.

Knowing that last time they didn't actually have coffee at the spouse "coffee" Miss J said she was stopping by Starbucks and she would bring me some. Woohoo! That was a good start! And the food was a lot better this time than I remember it being last time. I took The Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread and it was very yummy.

There were different ladies there this time than they were last time. Some were repeats but they were only a few. We have a new Command Sergeant Major and I think his wife must be German or something...she didn't say much but had a very thick accent.

Coming up this week the Commanding General's wife is hosting a coffee for The Hubble's class. We spouses have been invited to attend. I think I'm going to sit this one out. The Hubble and I got into a little disagreement about it actually.

I told him I was planning on attending even though my girls aren't going. He thought this was a great idea...I told him I was going to wear a sweater. He got mad and told me not to go then.

See....I have tattoos. Several of them. And they are very visual. I have a 3/4 sleeve on my left arm and 3 tattoos on my right arm. I don't usually worry about them until we get into the higher ranks. I think it's respectful to cover them up in certain situations. The Hubble disagrees. He thinks I should never have to hide who I am. However, I feel like I am often judged because of my tattoos and when dealing with higher ranks and the more formal situations I like to cover them up to a certain extent.

I am not ashamed of my tattoos. I thought about the ramifications of having them before I permanently altered my body. But I'm not in The Hubble's school where I think they are just to snub my nose at the military and the "ideal" of an officer's wife. I am far from that ideal. Let me tell you! Haha!

Anyway. I've made contact with another wife and I'm hoping to add her to my very small (two) group of girls here. I also stayed away from one girl that I feel I made a fool of myself in front of at the last coffee. What can you do??

All in all I'm glad I attended. However, the Colonel's wife tends to use the forum to give suggestions to the spouses and try to mentor them on how best to handle certain people...especially when the soldier takes command of a Company. Since I've already been through that, I get a little bored. I find myself wanting to pipe up and tell her how we did things and give more insight. But I stay quiet. This is her show...not mine.

I do find myself wanting to help other military spouses. Especially the ones who have not been through as much as we have. I would like to share my experiences and help these future Company Commander spouses...but I feel it isn't my place.

There was a LT's wife that I should have exchanged information with. I looked for her on Facebook but had no luck finding her. She doesn't know anyone here and her husband was prior Navy. She mentioned she didn't know anyone here. I am the type of person who likes to collect friends and take care of people. I think about her and worry that she may be lonely and nervous about their new lives and have no one to talk to. I feel as though it's my duty to help her through these times. I don't know why I do this...I just do. I like to help.

Okay. I think this has turned into some rambling now so I guess I'll call it good. It was a good coffee and I'm glad I went. I actually look forward to the next one as well.

Milspouse Friday Fill-In and Five Question Friday: July 9, 2010

It's that time again. I can't believe the week has gone by so quickly! I feel like just yesterday I was doing my question Fridays with Wife of a Sailor and Mama M. at My Little Life. But alas, another week has gone by and it's time for the fun to begin again. Let's get this party started! First up:

The Milspouse Friday Fill-In is hosted by Wife of a Sailor. Here we go:


1. What is your favorite household chore?
To me, there is something incredibly therapeutic about being in the kitchen. I love to make a delicious meal or treat and enjoy it with my family and or friends. Then...here comes the weird part...I like to go clean the kitchen. I enjoy doing the dishes and making my kitchen nice and neat awaiting the next culinary creation.


2. What is your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is spending summers at my grandma's house in Lawton, Oklahoma. It was so fun and carefree. Breakfast was always amazing. She would alternate between eggs, bacon, and biscuits one day then pancakes, sausage, and homemade syrup the next. We would always stop at Baskin Robbins after church every Sunday and eat ice cream every night before bed. It was the best!


3. What is your most embarrassing moment?
Okay this is really gross. And please don't judge me! LOL! I have had this intense fear of public restrooms. I would hold it for hours and hours until I just couldn't hold it one second longer and then I'd run to the restroom hoping I would make it in time. I don't know why I had this problem. I just did. This was cured when I got pregnant. Okay. So. This one day, in high school. Yes high school. I was holding it all day and finally in my very last class I just couldn't hold it anymore. I had to go. Right. Now. Well, I had to go so badly that I couldn't move from my seat to run to the restroom. I ended up peeing right in my seat. I didn't know what to do so I ended up saying that someone before me had peed in my chair and I sat in it. They tried to console me and tell me that there was a special needs class in the room before my class. I was so embarrassed and thought I had played it off but thinking back they all probably thought I was a freak. So I sat there. When the class was over it was time to ride the bus home. Full of dried pee. Luckily, it was the grunge period and I was living in Washington State so it wasn't uncommon for the kids to be wearing flannel shirts. I remember I was wearing white jeans with a green flannel with a white t-shirt underneath that day. I wrapped the flannel around my waste and made it home. I was mortified and have no idea why I'm sharing this disgusting and embarrassing story. LOL! Yuck!


4. What uniform of your spouse’s is your favorite?
Haha! I was just talking about this the other night. My favorite is his Blues. And not because that's him being all dressed up and all that jazz. No. It has to do with those bright red suspenders. Once the wine and beer start flowing and all the official business is done and the music starts bumping...the jacket comes off and the suspenders come out. I don't know what it is about those things but I think they are incredibly sexy! LOL!! I can't help it. There's something about those suspenders...


5. What canceled TV show do you miss the most?
I actually don't really watch television. I know that's crazy but I don't. And the little time I do watch TV it's usually something that pretty much isn't going to be canceled, like I love So You Think You Can Dance. However, I was watching a show called Dollhouse that me and my older sister really loved and would talk about a lot. That got canceled after 2 seasons (I think) and it made me really sad. What can ya do??

So that's it for the Milspouse Friday Fill-In. If you want to join in the fun, head on over to Wife of a Sailor and link up!! And now we are on to another really great question game:





This fun Five Question Friday is hosted by Mama M. over at My Little Life. Here we go:

1. What is one food you can eat every day?
Hands down...cold pizza. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I love the stuff! The Hubble thinks I'm crazy but I think it's delicious. Sometimes (and don't tell The Hubble this because I only do this when he's deployed) I will order a pizza just to put in the fridge for breakfast the next morning. YUM!

2. Are you working in the career you thought you would be when you were 18?
Hell no!! I am currently a stay at home mom and I never intended that to happen. I did get the degree I thought I would get but I've changed my mind as to the career path I am going to pursue now that I'm older and have a bit more experience and opinions.


3. What is something you wish you would have done when you were younger and you didn't?
Play school sports. Run in Track specifically. I always wanted to. I had coaches and teachers ask me to do Track because I had really long legs, lots of energy and I was one of the best runner's in my PE class. Unfortunately I was an extremely shy child and was terrified of getting a physical (which is required for school sports). I know, I know. Really? A physical? That's what kept me from it? Yup. It sucks I know. But at least I can run now! LOL!

4. What color are your kitchen walls?
Sadly, they are standard issue white. We are currently renting for the year and will always be renters. At least until The Hubble retires from the military. If it was my choice, they would be a tealish blue color. It would look like cotton candy in there.


5. Do you remember what your very first favorite song was?
No. But it was most likely something from the movie Annie. I loved that movie so much that I made everyone call me Annie. I wouldn't answer to my name, only Annie. I would walk around the house singing the songs from Annie at the top of my lungs. I wore out the VHS tape of that movie several times from watching it so much. I think my older sister hates this movie to this day because of how much I watched it and sang the songs from it.

So that's it. If you want to join the Five Question Friday fun jump over to My Little Life and link up!

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of the Milspouse Friday Fill-In and Five Question Friday.

Hurry Up and Wait Part Deux

Today I got to play another round of the Army's favorite game: hurry up and wait.

You would think that since I've been playing this game my entire life, I would be used to it. I guess not. I think it's different when you are a child versus when you are a spouse. This game directly influences my life more now than it did way back when. Or at least I'm more aware of it now. Who knows which it is...either way...it sucks.

I was going to post about the Battalion coffee last night but that will have to wait for another day. Today I need to talk about this game we all know and love.

See...we went to meet with The Hubble's branch manager today. Actually, last night one of the ladies at the coffee looked at me as if I had two heads when I said I was attending the meeting. I guess not all wives do this. I do. This is as much a part of my life as it is The Hubble's so why shouldn't I attend this meeting.

I went into this meeting knowing that it was an initial interview. Basically, the branch manager wanted to just have face to face time with The Hubble and find out what regions of the country (or what other countries) in which we would like to live. And remember, just because we would like to live there doesn't mean there's a chance in Hell we actually will live there.

This is kind of where my frustration with the game came in. I guess I thought that a branch manager was there to help a soldier find out where he or she fits. What the options are so to speak. Well, The Hubble started naming some areas and it seemed like each time something was mentioned he was told he isn't eligible for that unit or battalion.

See...The Hubble is somewhat of an anomaly. We kind of don't fit in right now. Currently he is attending what is called a Captain's Career Course. This school is to train Junior Captain's how to become an efficient and successful Company Commander. From this course, the Junior Captain will receive orders to a unit in which he will jump in a Command queue awaiting his or her turn as a Company Commander. Sounds great right? I would think so too if the Hubble hadn't already been a Rear Detachment Commander for a year and a Company Commander for 36 months after that. Basically what I'm saying is that the boy has had plenty of command time. He is now a Senior Captain so the duty station options that are usually open to students in the Career Course are not open to him. He is in a kind of limbo at the moment. He's not a Junior Captain going into a Command queue and neither is he a Major ready to take his turn in a Battalion.

Where do we fit? Who knows??

The information we received today was a lot of "you can't have that" and "we won't know until late September/early October." I understand this seeing as how we aren't leaving until March anyway (maybe). I guess I just wanted more. And I shouldn't have wanted more. I should have known that I would get the bare minimum if anything at all.

I should be thankful that The Hubble got face time with his branch manager and made his top priority/desire more than clear. We know what we want, it's just a matter of getting Big Army to jump on the bandwagon with us.

Until we know more, my life is still on hold. I have no idea where I will be a year from now. I don't know if my "home" at that time will be semi-permanent or an all out temporary place. I won't be able to pursue school any time in the near future and I don't know what is in store for Little Butt or the state of my family. For now, I will be thankful for the days I have with The Hubble and Little Butt. I will be grateful for the fabulous women I have met both here in this state and in the bloggyverse who make me feel connected and valid. I am here. We have not fallen through the cracks. It will all be figured out in the end. We will reluctantly play the game. What choice do we have?

Most importantly, we will find a way, or make one. Because that is what we do...that's how we roll.

For Further Reading Check Out:

• Hurry Up and Wait

Wordless Wednesday: Drama Edition

CYS Registration Take One

Recently I started the process of trying to get Little Butt registered with CYS (Child Youth Services) so I could put her in hourly care. This would be beneficial for me so I could have some time on my own and go for a jog (which I miss terribly). It would also be good for her so she could socialize and play with other kids.

I've never put Little Butt in daycare. I've always felt that if I wasn't working and bringing in any money, why should I pay to have someone else watch her. The Hubble has told me to put her in daycare for a couple hours just so I could take a bubble bath or read a book. Something for myself. But I would feel guilty about that.

However, now that we are so far away from most anyone we know and there aren't really that many kids her age in our neighborhood, I'm thinking daycare would be good for her so she can find some friends.

In January, I was going to the gym with a friend and Little Butt would stay in the kid's center. She loved it! She has always been fine if I leave her somewhere. When she was still an infant I would leave her with a friend for the weekend so The Hubble and I could have some "alone" time.

So, now I'm totally ready. She's three years old and I know it will be good for her. Thursday we went to CYS to get her registered. Well, that didn't go as planned. There was a huge line and only one person working. I think we were there about an hour or so waiting for our turn.

When we got up there I told the lady that Little Butt has what is called "nursemaid's elbow." Basically, if anyone pulls on her arm, her elbow pops out of socket. The first time this happened was when she was about a year old. We were walking into a birthday party and The Hubble and I were swinging her between us as we walked and it popped out. Emergency room visit number one. It was an easy fix. When we went to get her temperature taken, they called a doctor in and they popped it back in.

The second time, we were moving from NY to TX. She was about 18 months old at this point. We stopped at a McDonald's and were heading back to the U-Haul after lunch. She didn't like this idea. I was holding her hand and had a ton of stuff in my other hand. She started trying to go back to McDonald's and I stood there telling her no. Her arm popped out. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it for a couple hours. I thought she was crying because I finally put down the stuff in my other hand and picked her up and made her go back to the U-Haul. She fell asleep shortly after that. When she woke up and was flipping through a book using her foot and her right hand I knew something was wrong. We stopped at some small hospital in a podunk town about an hour away from Abilene. The Doctor there had no clue what he was doing! He pulled and pushed her arm around. He took x-rays. He kept messing with it and even called the Abilene Hospital trying to figure out what to do. All the while she was in pain and screaming as he was messing with it. We ended up having to ride in an ambulance to Abilene while The Hubble drove the U-Haul behind us. When we got there they took more x-rays then quickly popped it back in. That was so traumatic for me that I never forgot it and freaked out any time anyone came near her arm. I have trouble with the thought of leaving her somewhere where people may pull on her arm.

The third, and final (so far), time this has happened, we were at a friend's house in January and her four year old son was trying to help Little Butt onto the couch. It popped out. This time we just took her to the ER and they popped it right back in. You would think by this point we would have asked them to show us how to pop her arm back in.

Anyway. So back to the original issue. I told the lady at CYS about Little Butt's arm and now I have to attend some special needs training thing on the 21st before I can complete her registration. The problem with this is that I need to get her medical records, make an appointment with a nurse, and have the nurse look at her records before the 15th or I won't be able to attend this month's special needs training.

So I've called around and found three different places that have her record. I have paperwork filled out so I can take them to our current physician's office and have them request the records. We got all ready to go and I realized The Hubble has her car seat at work with him.

See, we switched it out of my car into his over the weekend when we drove to another town. The Hubble has a smaller, zippy little car and we thought it might be a nice change to take his instead of mine. Little Butt did enjoy it very much. She kicked back and enjoyed the ride. We should have thought to put the car seat back in my car I guess.

So yeah...I'm a bit frustrated right now. I am stuck at home and don't know if I can even get the medical records here in time for the 15th. I had plans and now I have to just sit here. Blah. But what can I do??

A Texas Man and His Grill

Seeing how it is July and July is pretty much the national grilling month (I may or may not have just made that up) I thought I would dedicate an entire post to our new grill.

See...I married me a Texas born and bred Hellraiser and nothing flows through a Texas man's blood more than grilling. So naturally, when The Hubble's parents helped us move up here from Texas, the housewarming gift we received from them was...that's right...a grill. Because a Texas man has to pass down the love and act of grilling to his son. And the fact that The Hubble is the first born, well that makes it even more intense.

The only thing about this grill is that it needed to be put together.

The in-laws had left by the time we purchased and were ready to put together the grill so The Hubble had to do it all by his lonesome.

Of course, I was there with the camera in his face and yelling "look at me" and sufficiently annoying him. I'm such a supportive Wiffle aren't I??

Of course, being there for support came with it's own consequences. You see him reaching to his belt to get his Gerber tool? It's about to start. What's about to start you ask???

The lecture! The lecture was about to start! I should have run when I saw him reaching for his beloved tool!

But alas, I stayed. Therefore, I had to listen. I had to hear, again, about how fabulous and amazing this tool is...

How this tool was with him in Afghanistan. How he almost lost it at an airport when he forgot her had it on his person. How he was surprised to get it back. Yadda, yadda, yadda...

This guy sure is lucky I love him...

And I listen to all of his stories about five thousand times.

Until I get bored that is. See ya!!

Luckily, the grill was finally successfully put together. There was much frustration and it took a couple days. Then it was broken in...

By being rained on. Poor little guy.

But there they are finally...happy and together. A Texas man and his grill.