A Wednesday Stroll

No Worldess Wednesday for me, I'm ready for the return of WWWAT though, so I'm eagerly awaiting next week when that begins again.

I was on my way to the post office awhile ago, which is one of my favorite tasks here at the office. Probably because it is such a nice, picturesque walk and I enjoy the scenery. It's nicer when the heat and humidity don't knock you down as soon as you walk outside, but that's beside the point. As I'm walking a guy comes up behind me running, as in exercising running. Um...it's the afternoon in western Louisiana. The sun is beating down and it feels like I'm walking in a wet, hot blanket yet this man is running? I don't know how people do that in this heat. I'd keel over in the first couple of blocks!

I got to enjoy a nice lunch of Mexican food with my handsome husband today and that really upped the great factor to my day. Not much is better than a plate-full of enchiladas and sitting across from Sean! Two of my big loves in life!

Boomer is being an attention-hog right now. He's started whining which I hate. He whines mostly when he wants to share our people-food which is a big no and also whines when he wants us to throw his toys. He also doesn't like it if Sean is rubbing my back or we kiss each other. Sometimes just to annoy Boomer we will kiss each other a bunch and he gets right up between our faces and has to start licking us. It's really funny to watch. Although it can be annoying at times.

I have to get back in the swing of my good fitness routine. I've really been slacking this past week and a holiday weekend certaintly didn't help with that. I've neglected my body for long enough and if I'm going to continue shedding the pounds I need to step away from the Mexican food and back onto the treadmill! I have started writing down what I eat though so hopefully that will keep me on track as well.

I've really been missing my friends from back home lately. I had a great talk though with one of my best friends yesterday and I felt so much better. She talked about how she'd been canning and was going to send me some fresh fruit jelly she had canned as well as some spicy spaghetti sauce. The thought of some fresh jelly on a hot buttery roll sounded too good to me. This girl is a wonder at all things crafty. She cans, she sews, she quilts, she cooks amazingly too and she is one of the sweetest, most giving, prettiest girls inside and out that I know. I asked her if there was anyway she could just live with me from now on and move post to post with us so I'd always have a friend. I wish that could happen, making friends around here has been really difficult for me. I'm not sure why that is true here, since it's never been an issue before. I guess sometimes I feel like there isn't anyone around here that is similar to me and that can feel lonely at times.

High Matienence

I'm wearing this little number to work today:



Along with these:



I just got the dress yesterday along with 2 other dresses I ordered from Forever 21. They all thankfully are long enough to wear to work and they are so cute! Even Sean was impressed with my thriftyness and awesome taste in dresses. I couldn't wait to wear this to work, but I'm wearing it sans belt because I just didn't like the way the belt looked with it.

I'm still feeling a little under the weather today. It started suddenly on Sunday afternoon and I guess it's just allergies. I hate being sick in the summer though, its' the absolute worst! I just don't want to be sick on my birthday, that will really be the pits! I'm not a good sick person at all. I think I got that from my dad because he is absolutley pitiful when he's sick. My mom on the other hand functions for the most part as she usually would. Perhaps I'll get that superhuman gene when I become a Mom. I already have the superhuman ability to know exactly where something is that Sean is asking me for. I'm not sure how I remember where exactly all the different parts of his equipment and uniforms are, but I do. This morning he was asking me where his boonie hat was. I told him the exact location, yet he could not find it. I walk in the spare bedroom and locate it within exactly 3.5 seconds. Men! How silly they are.

I'm thinking about starting a food diary to keep track of all the bad and good things that I'm putting into my body. I think it might help me continue on my weight loss path which has seemed to plateau in the last few weeks. My goal is to lose 15 more lbs by September 30th so I need to kick it in high-gear if that's going to happen. Anyone do a food diary? If so do you do it online or on paper? Any suggestions?

I have a situation that has been bothering me lately and I'm not sure what to do to fix it. See, since I've gotten married and moved to Louisiana keeping in touch with all my friends at home has gotten harder. I still talk to my very best friend almost everyday, if we don't talk on the phone then we text at least some to each other. However, I have many more friends that I consider very close, but sometimes we go several weeks without talking. It doesn't mean we dont' care for each other, but I know they have busy lives like myself and to call each of them everyday would be almost impossible. One friend though confronted me today about the fact that I didn't often answer her phone calls. The thing is, is that she calls me at times of the day when I am often cooking dinner or trying to sneak in some quality time with Sean. She told me she feels as if I am ignoring her, but I am not intentionally trying to do so. I just can't drop everything I am doing just to talk to her. I wish she could understand how sometimes once you become married you have another person to think about and once I get home from work often I just want to enjoy Sean's company without interruptions. I've tried to kind of explain this to her, but she is still pulling the you're ignoring me card. Does anyone have any advice? I've handled this the best I know how and it's obviously not working. Has anyone dealt with this? She's the only friend who is doing this. The rest of my friends seem to understand that we all have busy lives and can't always talk everday. Maybe she is just a high-matienence friend? At any rate, I welcome your suggestions!

It's about time!

Saturday when Sean and I were in Alexandria we saw one of the most exciting signs of our very short lives.

It looked like this:



See, Sean and I love Taco Bueno with a burning, firey passion and unfortunatley for us until today there were no Taco Buenos within the state lines of Louisiana. That meant everytime I went home to Oklahoma I would take a cooler and fill it with our favorites from Taco Bueno, therefore giving us a fix of our favorite Mexican fast food.

Now, only a short 45 minutes away is a little slice of heaven.

If you have never experienced Taco Bueno and live within driving distance of one, do yourself a favor and go get a beef Combo platter immediately!

What a weekend!

I meant to get on here and blog several times this weekend, but it was so hectic that I never got around to it.

We had a great holiday weekend. Friday we spent the day grilling and hanging out at a friend's house and later that night walked over to Freedom Fest to enjoy the fireworks. We also happened to enjoy the homemade tamales and funnel cake. Sean swears he had a wonderful birthday, so as long as he says it was great for him then I'm satisfied.

Saturday was our anniversary and although it wasn't a grand affair we still had a lot of fun and enjoyed our day together. We started out in Natchitoches and planned on staying there the entire day, but due to the heat and the both of us not feeling well we headed to Alexandria for an early dinner and then back home to just relax and watch movies. Natchitoches was awesome! I'm going to have to go back there when it's a little bit cooler and I don't feel as if I'm going to pass out in the heat. I found the cutest magnets in one of the shops there. They are Cajun magnets and have things like an alligator, houseboat, accordian and other things on them. I'll have to take a picture of them to show how adorable they are. I did get to take some pictures there, although not as many as I would like. It's definetly a town worth visiting again though.

Here are a few pics from our fun-filled weekend




Sean and I at FreedomFest



An example of the fireworks



Me enjoying one of the neighborhood kids toy-four wheelers. It was so much fun to ride!



Trolley in Natchitoches



Beautiful flower at one of the gardens by the Cane River



One of the many houses in the Greek Revival tradition in Natchitoches



Beautiful church close to Front St.

Holiday Plans

I had every intention today of participating in Jessica's Real Life blog because it looks so much fun, but I didn't take pictures yesterday and quite honestly when I got home and looked at our bedroom I was embarassed and didn't want anyone seeing my horribly mismatched blankets that were currently on the bed or the clutter than is now consuming my bedroom, so I'm going to take a raincheck on participating until next week.

So what are everyone's plans for the 4th? We aren't sure what we are doing yet. Sean's birthday is the 4th and our anniversary is the 5th so it's a special weekend for us. We thought about going to New Orleans for the weekend, but unfortunately all of our friends are occupied and can't dog-sit for Boomer. So we are thinking of taking in the on-post fireworks show and maybe grilling with some friends. Saturday my vote was to go to Natchitoches and go eat at one of their nice restaurants. Did you know Steel Magnolias and Man in the Moon were filmed there? Neither did I until a few weeks ago. I've only driven through Natchitoches on the way to Ft. Polk, I really haven't taken the time to visit the town, so I think that would be a great way to spend Saturday.

Today I am picking up a Dairy Queen ice-cream cake for Sean. That was his request so please don't think I am an awful wife who doesn't cook a nice homemade cake for her husband. He and I aren't really big cake people and so this is what he wanted for his birthday. I'm also making potato casserole for him tonight as that is his favorite dish that I make. I should be packing on a pound or two from all this eating I will be doing this weekend!

It seems odd not to be celebrating these holidays with my family. We are big holiday people and usually try to get together for all of them. Usually for the 4th we'd be setting off fireworks and enjoying the pool. My dad would be grilling chicken, burgers and hot-dogs and I'd be hamming it up for the relatives. It made me sad the other day when I was talking to my grandpa and he mentioned how different it would be not having me around this year. I know that it's a part of growing-up and starting your own family though. I really am enjoying living in different places then where I grew up, it's an adventure to me, but there are times when I'd just love to be at home enjoying the traditions that my family has. Sometimes I think it's a little hard for Sean to understand how close I am to my family. His family life was not good growing up and he often says his parents should never have had children. His own father did not attend our wedding, so I can see where there is a vast difference in how we feel towards our families.

I think it's suprised him how much my family has taken him in though. He got 2 birthday cards from my grandparents with money and he seemed shocked that they would think of him. It was the same way when we celebrated Christmas, he seemed in awe how many presents he got from everyone. I just hope over time he realizes how important he is to my family and is comfortable with accepting that.

Wow! Got off on a big tangent there, guess it's just something that has been on my mind.

Wordless Wednesday

The top picture is one of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken. I don't normally take pictures of people, but children are an exception.

Is this appropriate?

Has anyone heard about this? It's an article that was in the June 16th issue of Stars and Stripes. I belong to an Army Wives Forum and this is currently being debated. What are your opinions on this?

Military spouse surprised by threats and vandalism over calendar
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, June 16, 2007


KATTERBACH, Germany — An Army spouse says her attempt to boost troops’ morale with a sexy, military-themed calendar has made her a target of threats, abuse and vandalism that she blames on jealous wives.

Alessandra Bosco, who’s married to Sgt. 1st Class Edward McCoy of the Katterbach-based 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, is selling a 2009 calendar that includes 12 photographs of her wearing a mixture of lingerie and military items.

The 32-year-old Italian has been a bikini model for 10 years and says she never had a problem with Army spouses before she came to Katterbach last year. But since then she has been the target of gossip, hurtful looks and negative comments from wives waiting at home while their husbands serve with the aviation unit in Iraq, she said.

"As soon as they found out that I liked to take pictures it was a problem. It’s a lot worse since the calendar," she said.

The other wives, some married to high-ranking soldiers based in Katterbach, want her removed from the community, Bosco said.

"I’m a symbol that makes them feel self-conscious if they are overweight or don’t have a job that brings them in the spotlight," she said.

After a story about the calendar appeared in Stars and Stripes last month, Bosco said she found threats posted on her Web page — www.alessandrabosco.com — and that she was awakened in the night by women banging on her front door and yelling abuse. Her husband’s car, a distinctive blue Chevrolet that sports an Italian flag, has been vandalized several times with side mirrors snapped off, keys dragged across the doors and the windshield smashed, she said.

These reactions are in stark contrast to those of soldiers who have deluged her Web site with supportive messages. A typical message from a 12th CAB soldier deployed to Iraq reads: "If only the wives knew how many of their husbands in 12th CAB have already bought your calendar they would explode with anger. The guys in my unit cannot wait to get their hands on your calendar (remember I asked for an autographed calendar). Can you please be at our welcome home ceremony?"

Her calendar has also been the subject of an exchange of letters — pro and con — on Stripes’ Letters to the Editor page.

Katterbach, where the somewhat-austere U.S. facilities are sandwiched into a cramped mess of rusty old German buildings, does not, at first sight, appear to be the natural environment for the glamorous lifestyle that Bosco aspires to. During an interview last week at the post exchange, she stood out from the shoppers in T-shirts and jeans in her tight black blouse.

Her husband, who stands well over 6 feet with a physique that suggests long hours in the gym, also cuts a memorable figure.

The veteran of deployments to Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, who works as the 12th CAB operations sergeant major, said Army leaders have told him his wife is a disgrace.

"I’ve never been in this situation but I’ve been told my career is on the line," he said. "I’m probably going to be relocated because my wife is a disruption to the community and it is affecting wives’ morale and they can’t have that in [the 12th CAB] rear detachment at this point."

McCoy said leaders at Katterbach launched an investigation into Bosco’s behavior, something he characterizes as a witch hunt designed to dig up dirt on his wife.

The couple has also been barred from appearing in the local command publication, The Bavarian News.

In an e-mail to McCoy, U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach commander Lt. Col. Tammy McKenna wrote: "Bottom-line: USAG Ansbach will not be submitting any stories on you or your wife to the Bavarian News or any other media. You can include this comment in your next interview."

A USAG Ansbach spokesman said Bosco cannot appear in the Bavarian News, although she was interviewed by a garrison reporter earlier this year, is because command publications cannot do stories on for-profit ventures by Army spouses.

The irony of a bikini calendar generating so much controversy when thousands of adult magazines are sold by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service has not escaped McCoy.

"Downrange it is pornography with a capital P," he said. "There is hard-core pornography everywhere and nobody cares. Every soldier could back me up, but they don’t want their wives to know that and the Army doesn’t want the public to know that."

The problem is that Bosco is living in the community, he said.

"One wife said: ‘If my husband is in love with Angelina Jolie I don’t care, but if he is in love with Alessandra Bosco then I have a problem because she is in my community,’ " she said.

Here is my opinion. I may sound old-school saying this, but she is a Sergeant's wife. She is supposed to be an example in my opinion. Selling a calendar of yourself to men who are in your husband's line of work to me is just unacceptable. I realize her job is a bikini model, but why stir up a bunch of hard feelings because you are marketing it to soldiers, married or single? I do feel that the acts of vandalism against her or hateful messages aren't right, but I can understand why as a wife of someone who is in her husband's platoon/company you wouldn't want her selling racy photos of herself. Maybe I have a double standard, but a calendar of a celebrity is one thing, she's unreachable, unattainable, but a calendar of someone you see in real life? I just think it causes too many problems. I also don't agree with the fact that she says the wives are jealous because they are overweight. That's a big generalization to assume that wives are jealous simply because she is in good shape. I for one, think that I look good and I don't have a problem with anything but her crossing the line on this issue. To me personally, it is not a jealousy issue. It is a respect of others issue.

So what are your thoughts?