Diva Does Day Camp

So, Neal asked me leave the office and try my hand at being an extra Tadpole counselor. For those of you who don't speak "Day Camp" that means that I am helping out with the 4 & 5 year olds. Day Camp is harder than sitting in a chair and answering the phone. For instance, you have to walk and interact with other human beings. A bonus would be working on my tan at the pool. Don't worry, I have spf on- it's just that I don't want my legs to reflect light and if I sit out for ten days (I already did Day Camp a few weeks ago) of the summer, I'm okay with that. Normally I run from sun- trust me.

Here is a pictorial walk through my Day Camp Day.

There are 15 4/5 year olds. I kind of feel like a teacher again.

We went crabbing. They caught 5 crabs. Apparently this is some sort of record. Perhaps my presence is somewhat of a lucky one.

Another fun part of my day is stalking people whom I miss-like April!

This kid had a "Bacon" band-aid. Which looks gross. Thought I'd share this with the world at large.

This is my boss. I'll thank him for my tan later.

Best part of the day- Seeing BFF all the time.

Day Camp is hard, but it's a good kind of hard. Most of the children are precious.

Love, Kaley

Grab some Popcorn!

The summer time is a time for movies. I am very outspoken on my love or hate of a movie. Nick, not so much. I decided to compile a list of our favorite and least favorite movies.

Nick's Least Favorites (I tried to get a top 5, but he stubbornly gave me only 4)

1. Grease- Nick hates this movie with a passion.
2. Moulin Rouge- I'm thinking Nick hates this movie for the same reasons as the first.
3. What Happens in Vegas- He couldn't even bring himself to finish watching it... I bought it on clearance at blockbuster.
4. Mothman Prophecies- we saw this on our first date.

Kaley's Least Favorites

1. Requiem for a Dream- I wish Vargas had never made me watch this. I hate this movie. It made me cry tears of desperation.
2. The Ring- scariest movie ever.
3. A Mighty Wind- I don't get the humor, I never will. It was a waste of my life.
4. Revolutionary Road- I may hate this less with distance, but probably not.
5. Anything Tom Cruise is in- this is a blanket ban. I sometimes do this to movie stars.

Nick's Favorites- once again there are only 4

1. Wall E- Never have I seen the man take to a movie like this one.
2. Top Gun- Duh. Apparently my blanket ban doesn't apply to Nick.
3. Pirate's of the Caribbean- I remember Nick being psyched about his coming out. Funny.
4. Dude, Where's my Car?- I didn't know this until he told me. Little surprises like this are what keep a marriage interesting.

Kaley's Favorites- Probably won't surprise n-e-one

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- Easily the best movie in the franchise
2. Return to Me- Heart wrenching Glory. Jim Belushi is awesome.
3. Mean Girls- I will quote this... to death.
4. Meet the Robinson's- Okay, here is a worthwhile story of adoption!
5. Fellowship of the Ring- This first one is the best one.

This list has only cemented to me what I have wondered before- that Nick is infinitely LESS dorky than myself.

Love, Kaley

Loneliness

I wanted to go two for two on depressing titles. I thought "Unemployed" and "Loneliness" went pretty well together. Absolute dead ringers for pity. Once again they are also two words that go hand in hand with being a Navy Wife. It's just kind of like a vacuum in deep space, but in your heart. Kind of like a void or a dull ache-that's what I would liken it to. Feeling alone in a crowded room? Yeah, that's that lonely feeling when you know you can't see your husband but once a month for the next three months, but you've already been doing it for five months. So that was a less than eloquent way to say I love my job and my friends, but all things considered I considerably miss him.

Seeing my husband made me realize how much I miss him. Gosh, he's great. I would like to see him on a daily basis. Sometimes I feel like all I do on this blog is whine, whine, whine like Jan on the Brady Bunch. But somehow my incessant complaining, vapid commentary, and lack of activity still have you visiting! (Actually, I don't know that for sure because the blog counter isn't on the site anymore)

Off topic. Revolutionary Road is the worst movie... ever. It kind of had a "life sucks then you die" philosophy. Let me sum it up for you: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio get married, use the Lord's name in vain a lot, hate each other, have hate sex with other people, ignore their two children, abort the third one, then Kate Winslet DIES. People- this movie won an OSCAR! (I think) This movie makes you think marriage blows. Well, let me tell you something, I happen to really, really like my husband. In fact, I love him and would never kill myself just to get out of having to spend the rest of my life with him. So it will come as no surprise when I give this movie a review of: Booooo. It doesn't even get a star-it just gets boo'd.

Love,

Kaley

PS I found a video of the alligator coming to EAT us in Missabama. Please watch and enjoy. [ I should also mention there are tourists from Holland (???????) behind us and that is why Dutch is being spoken throughout the video]

Unemployed

Being unemployed is really the pits. Except for the moment I faxed my resignation in, that felt pretty freeing-but after the reality set in... I mean sure you get to lounge around and do things at your own leisure-but where's the paycheck in that? However, I feel inclined to master these three-ish months of unemployment with as much grace as I can muster. As a military wife I feel that this will happen to me quite often. In case you wondered, cared, or were otherwise concerned about some ideas I have- I think I will long term sub or just sub if I can... but then you have to apply and to apply I have to fix my resume (Wow, I have now just realized how pitifully unmotivated I truly am) But will it be more fortuitous to work at Pottery Barn? Yes the pay will be lower, but will the money saved on furniture discounts make up the difference? Deep thoughts people.

On another note: I did not like Harry Potter. I think I am too deeply, deeply attached to see reason. Only my husband knows how much. Like, sometimes I hug my book, just because I love it so much. Yeah, that attached. There were parts I loved and parts I didn't love, but I would like to share my favorite moment in ALL the movie franchise!

Especially when He Who Must Not Be Named says "You're a fool Harry Potter and you will lose, everything"

Sorry for that little foray into the nerd kingdom, but if I'm gonna keeps it real, I gotta keep it real even when it gets uncomfortable.

The Deep South

This weekend I went to Pascagoula, MS to visit my dear husband. The following is a tale of how a yankee entered the Deep South, and lived to tell the tale.

I first realized I was in the South when I came out of the Memphis airport and smelled... barbeque. That's right, Memphis smells of bbq sauce. Then came Mobile, AL. I was greeted by a loving husband and oppressive humidity. First on my list was to go see Harry Potter, but that is something I can dedicate another blog to. I felt clarity for the first time that as a Marylander I am not from the South. I guess I felt since we played both sides in the civil war I could kind of claim to be from the South. Well, there is no doubt in my mind- Annapolis, MD might as well be Maine compared to the Deep, Deep South. So here are some observations I made about the south:

• There is no roadkill... is that because they pick it up to take it home and cook it? I don't know.
• People dress up as if they are going to a wedding to go to a bar in Ocean Springs, MS. There are three bars there.
• Everyone in the South knows a choreographed dance to "Cotton Eye Joe" that made me feel like I was in High School Musical.
• New Orleans literally smells like a sewer.
• Nick knows all the words to "Sweet Home Alabama" which may or may not be played 10 times a day on the classic rock station.
• Sweating is inevitable.
• There are A LOT of alligators in the swamp there, but the alligator man told me only 4 people had died since the 40's. Bonus.
• Alligators eat marshmallows.
• Good malls do not exist for hours around Pascagoula. What do people do? I couldn't tell you.
• You WILL stick out with your yankee accent.
• I had red beans and rice at a restaurant called the Blow Fly Inn which was featured on Diners, drive ins, and dives... at least that what the barman told us.
• Mississippi is the most obese state in the nation-because of this:

Some bonus information about the Navy. I met some guys who have some wives. I got out of them that some of their interests include Harry Potter, Scrapbooking, and dancing. I think I will be okay. Please behold a journey through pictures that is my trip through the south. If you are my FB friend you have already seen these, but a little extra never hurts.

I want to say something obnoxiously patriotic like "These colors don't run" but I just like having pictures like this of Nick.

This was on the USS Alabama where we took our picture in the "Brig" or for you landlubbers- the jail for the bad apples.

Still on the 'bama. I'm with the guns.

Mardi Gras beads are still ingrained into every surface in New Orleans. The cracks in the sidewalk, the power lines. Oh- and you can drink in public and see girls dressed in their skivvies walking around.

Now, excuse my french for posting this inappropriately worded sign on Bourbon Street... but this is about as TAME as it gets in the 'Orleans. You should have seen some of the other signs.

The French Quarter was nicer, but still smelly.

I faced a fear and went to see the gators. I'm not kidding you I thought the gator was going to jump out of the boat and EAT Nick. I was scared. The side of the swamp boat is about five inches about the water, and this guy was right next to Nick.

This is an Alligator.

All in all an enlightening trip. Please forgive me if I offended you and you are from the south. It was just a little bit more of a culture shock than I had first anticipated.

Love, Kaley

The Hype that is Harry.

In case you have been completely aloof to the overwhelming amount of Harry Potter allusions made in this blog- I have a thing for Harry Potter. This "thing", which others may be inclined to call "an obsession", becomes exacerbated whenever a new movie comes out. By exacerbated I mean... reaches a fever pitch. Just ask my husband.

Harry is my best friend, we go out and get some treacle tart and just talk about our days. I have way too many Harry Potter knickknacks like this one of Dumbledore that sits on my desk always.

I can work in words into a conversation such as venomous tentacula, St. Mungo's, and fizzing whizbee.

I've read each book an obscene amount of times. Why? How about the foreshadowing, the well developed characters, the magical world, the sheer human emotion of it all!! I'm not saying I'm into fan fiction and I went dressed as Moaning Myrtle to the midnight premiere complete with a toilet seat (true story). I'm just saying they are the best series of books ever written and they will always hold a true place in my heart. And no matter who you are I will always think I like them more.

I can't WAIT to see the movie, just thinking of it gives me the warm fuzzies.

Love,

Kaley

An Ode to my Best Friend

I was going through my external hard drive and found some older pictures. I found several of Tara and I in various states of ugliness (well, I speak only for myself, not for Tara). I would like to think we are like a fine wine or oak matured mead- we get better with age. You can make up your own mind as to our fashion choices which range from Target to Ann Taylor Loft (once we got jobs).

Here we are laughing as I get dressed.

My rehearsal.

Going out to dinner after she got a husband!

Us slacking while hiking in Western MD

She got married! I was there. She let me sit next to her.

Cynthia Place!

Lemon Teeth!

After Nick and his roommates tricked us with the Rubick's cube.

A visit to Philadelphia

I wish I could say I dressed up as a pirate for halloween, but this was just one more mistake!

I loved our room in college.

Junior year! Note my Harry Potter pillow.

I am sure there are worse photos, but Tara loved me when I was ugly and that was nice of her.

Love, Kaley

Corn Dogs

I've been trying to get back in my "food" routine for about three weeks now. First Nick came home, then there was Day Camp where I snacked, and now... Corn Dogs. I love corn dogs. I haven't had a corn dog for such a long time! I was so prepared to eat my 3 point sandwich and wash it down with a 2 point brownie. All that blown when I walked into the camp cafeteria and saw... corn dogs. Fortunately I learned from the camp chef that the corn dogs were turkey inside. This was a relief. I used to buy boxes of corn dogs from Walmart back in the college days. I like to think they played an integral role in the gaining of the "sophomore 20" (as opposed to the freshman 15) Now as my stomach churns, upset from what seemed an innocent meal on a stick, I regret my decision. I should have eaten my PB&J. Willpower, where did you go? I urge you come back!!

Love,
Kaley

Model Behavior

I know we as women struggle with our image.  Men, they walk into a room and size up the competition, thinking who they could "take".  I think "Am I thinner?  Am I better looking?" and I can never be sure because I don't have a true image of myself in my mind... Wow typing that made me realize how helplessly vapid I am!  Mostly I figure the reason I'm thicker than other girls is probably because I have some rare disease that makes my internal organs protrude farther into my abdominal area.

Anyway, I think there are a few reasons why I will never look like a model.  Here they are:

• Fast Food Drive Through's and French Fries.  I would make out with a french fry-true story.
• I hate RUNNING!  I look at people running and think "No Way"  I would never do that to myself.  Give me a low impact workout anyday.  
• Doughnuts.  Superman had kryptonite... I have baked goods.  We all have downfalls.  
• Weight loss is a never ending battle.  You fall off the wagon-you gain ten pounds.  I guess you can put me on the fail blog.  

Don't get me wrong.  I started working out.  Yes, I haven't done it but once in two weeks, but I did Day camp!  And now I have a head cold-not conducive to physical exertion.  I just have to get back to Weight Watchers, starve myself (not literally, just WW style), and go to the gym faithfully like I had been doing for the past three months.  

Now for another (I'm sorry non-military wives)  Navy wife side note. I just read "Seperated by Duty, United in Love" by Shellie Vandevoorde.  This book is about coping during a deployment.  It was mostly common sense and most Christian wives should already be doing what she was saying.  It did make me feel part of a community.  However I wanted to see if you could see my own personal journey of separation from Nick through the subtitles of her book:

• Depression
• Resentment
• Phone Tag
• Personal Security to the Public
• The Urge to Splurge (She says resist it...Woops!)
• The Wicked Phone Bill
• When the Sadness Will Not Go Away
• Thank Goodness for... TV Dinners
• Email
• Friends
• The Honeymoon Just Goes On and On (This is true, this is the only good part of deployments- I forget every petty thing and just LOVE my husband)

See, I'm not crazy.  This lady wrote a book about it!  To finish off the blog I'll give you a little poetic snack.  Here are two stanza's borrowed from the author's poem "A Military Wife"

Her sacrifices are many

As she answers his call

She looks fear in the face

She's the bravest of all

She's self-sufficient and flexible

More patriotic than most

Her pride is contagious

But seldom does she boast

Ok, I'm working towards some of these virtues-Nick has only been commissioned for 6 or so months.  The part that resonates most is sacrifice and patriotism.  Sometimes I just want a cozy suburban life and a husband with a 9-5... then I realize that is what I'm sacrificing for.  My husband and the rest of our military protect the way of life that America allows us have.  Then I feel blessed and privileged instead of discouraged.  

Love, 

Kaley

A Fear Resubmerged

I always said I love Maryland because it is a safe land.  Rarely will we encounter any natural disasters.  Minor Hurricanes, the occasional tornado (none in Annapolis that I've experienced), no one has ever gotten lost in a snow drift in my suburban neighborhood.  I haven't seen any mountain lions, sharks, or alligators.  I guess I'll go to Cali with it's imploding state government, latino gangs, frequent earthquakes, and brush fires.  

But you know where I will NEVER go?

The northern territory of Australia.  

You know why I'll never go there?

Vicious, giant, saltwater crocs.  

Oh that's right.  I'm afraid.  Ever since Nick convinced me to watch "When Animals Attack" and I watched a vivid reenactment of an American being eaten (Her name was Ginger-sad face) by a fierce Australian Crocodile I am scared.  I've always been scared of water born predators, but this was a doozy.  True she went swimming in a place called "Crocodile Lake".  Yes, that's true.  True she tried to out swim said crocodile... I just don't even want to risk it.  

I decided to learn a little more about this threat lurking on the muddy bottom of the sea-by doing a "google search".  Did you know crocs can jump half their body length out of the water? Did I mention that most saltwater crocodiles can be upwards of 16 FEET LONG?  That means he could peel you off of that tree limb you're clinging to!  (I read that from a real reptilian expert)  Did you know the American Alligator has eaten 25 people in 50 years?  The Nile crocodile kills 300 EACH YEAR!  (I got that stat off of wikipedia...so it is most likely false)

Would you like to know the only thing scarier than an Australian saltwater crocodile?  

An Australian saltwater crocodile that is a zombie!

Love, Kaley

Be safe out there.  I wish Australia the best of luck w/ their crocodile plague

On The Day After Independence Day

I write this blog to you with a little iChat window in the corner of my screen.  My husband is 1,034 miles away hanging out with an unfinished ship.  Nick's been home for every Independence Day except for this one.  This year he was actively involved in keeping the country free.  He sacrifices time with his family, comfort, and friendship to serve the military.  Nick used to always say to me "Sacrifices Kaley, Sacrifices"  Well, even though when he said that he was kidding, this holiday it seems to be true.  

I am very proud of him.  There couldn't be a prouder person than me.  True sacrifice is living in the South with malaria ridden mosquitos and a stagnant Gulf Coast.  

So I salute you Nick on this day after Independence Day!

Also we had a family party and here are a few patriotic pictures from that day!

Love, Kaley

I am a DIRTY, ROTTEN, HYPOCRITE

That's right.  What an objectionable human being I am.  I worked hard, hard, hard all winter and spring to preserve the snow like fairness I enjoy so much.  I hid from the suns damaging rays.  I hid under tree's during recess duty, sat under beach umbrella's and took a job that kept the UVA out of my life.  Then the beach came.  I burned.  Then day camp came and while talking about how I had skin cancer to some other counselors I let my knees burn!  Burn, burn, burn!  I feel the inferno on my skin as we speak.  I can imagine the little cancerous growths bubbling up!  Jen (Oh wise and mighty lifeguard) counseled me to reapply my sunblock.  How do I repay her?  With sun burn.  I kind of miss my deathly pallor.  It suited me.  I felt comforted by the fact that my skin reflected light to become it's own light source.  No more!  

Another matter of vanity:  I have been doing the Lauren Conrad side braid.  It's trendy and I don't do it particularly well-but it's such a good way to spice up your hairdo!  It makes me feel uncomfortable that I love it, but I do.  And maybe when I wear that trendy side braid in my hair I will also wear my "Team Lauren" vintage Hollister tee.  (I don't really own one of those)

Vain observation number three:  My husband hates my sunglasses.  He says I look like a bug and that they are ridiculous and unnecessary.  I like them, they make me feel like a celebrity who has to hide the majority of their face from paparazzi.  I like looking like a praying mantis-so sue me! 

And that's all the vanity I have in my right now.  

Husband

There were many things that I could blog about today:  why my husband hates my large sunglasses, why I worry about the future so much, why I stink at "crab soccer"...but instead I wanted to focus on something really positive.  That would be my husband.  

I'm pretty sure I'm on an "I love my husband" rush which I would liken to a sugar rush after eating a giant pixie stick.  I've become my husband's greatest cheerleader.  If I could I would follow him around with pom pom's and chant "Nick, Nick, He's our man, if he can't do it-No one Can!"  While he's at work, while he's at the gym, maybe I wouldn't follow him into the bathroom, but you get the point.  I truly think that a wife's greatest role is being her husband's cheerleader.  Trust me, it took me awhile to fine tune this-and I am sure I will be tuning for the rest of our marriage.  

I am going to take some time, in light of our recent anniversary, and tell you why I think Nick is a great husband.  

• Let's start with this- he had the great taste to ask me out when we where juniors in high school!  (7 years ago!)
  
• He came home to surprise me for our anniversary
• He lets me buy things from J. Crew
• He listens to me when I relate basically everything in life back to Harry Potter
• He holds my hand
• He listens and gives good advice
• He lets me take the same picture of us over and over again
  
• He bought me a German Harry Potter book on his layover from Bahrain (how thoughtful!)
• He never says "Yes" when I ask him if I look fat
• He is a protector, provider, and best friend

So, sorry if that was gross to you-the sappiness- but I wanted to do a little "Ode to my Husband" because we've been married for one year!  

Reflecting back on the blog you can see I've had a bit of a hard time dealing with the fact that we have only spent 4 months together this year.  However, the time apart has made me grow up, get real, and realize that I can leave home if I'm going to him.  I know why our first year of marriage was like this and I've decided to appreciate the lessons learned instead of resent it!  

Take a little trip down memory lane with me.  If you were here, I would force upon you my caravan of scrapbooks, but seeing as how it is cyberspace, this will do!

This is us now!

This is at our wonderful wedding one year ago!

Two years ago we got engaged!

And this was three years ago for our "Four Year" dating anniversary.  We used to always go to Annie's!

Love, Kaley