This and That.

Well, Nick did come home this weekend! We got to visit with friends, family, and pack. Also, he found my lost Harry Potter wand. I love it when Nick comes home!!

I won't see Nick for another two months, but really that's only 1/6 of the year when you look at it. The upside is when I do see him he should be home for... at least two months! Then he leaves for... two months! Sometimes when I think of myself I want to sing that Destiny's Child song from Charlie's Angels about "independent women".

I'm moving all my earthly possessions on Monday to await my arrival in California. This has been mildly stressful-but it's been okay. When I called the Electric Company to set up service the girl had to ask what the state abbreviation for Maryland was! Man, West Coast here I come! Also, when I was dropping Nick off at the airport he called the duty van to ask for a ride back to the ship when he got into Mississippi. The guy in front of us turned around and asked

"Oh, you said ship, do you work on the Carnival Holiday that just got into the harbor?"

and Nick responds

"No, I work on a US Naval Destroyer"

The guy just turned around awkwardly. It was pretty funny.

Finally, I just signed up for this service Brite Revolution (It's a website) and you give them 5 bucks a month and a portion goes to a charity. Well, the reason I joined is because if you pay them 5 bucks you get to download music from all the artists on the site! Original songs from - hold on, are you sitting down?- Sean Watkins, Andy Davis, and Ginny Owens just to name a few. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

I'm done.

The Radio.

Sometimes for my own amusement I tune into hot 99.5 and listen to pop lyrics. I just sit and really listen. I know I just recently posted, but it seems new songs come out all the time.

Here is by far my very favorite of the moment. It comes from Mariah Carey's "Why you so obsessed with me" Are you prepared? She's right up there with Chaucer and Whitman.

"So why you trippin'

You a mom and pop

I'm a corporation.

I'm a press conference

You a conversation"

Next time someone gets on my nerves I'm definitely laying it all on the line and telling them that they a conversation, but I- I get press coverage by major networks.

This is a relative oldy but goody. I like it when Britney says:

"I'm like the ringleader, I call the shots.

I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot"

They should use these musical lyrics when preparing analogies for the SAT's. I mean, how much better would the youth do when they could say: Judge is to verdict as Ringleader is to shots. I think everyone would do rather well actually.

Finally the last song that's disturbing me is "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. I'm not going to front like I don't like it, but there is one thing that's just been niggling at the back of my mind for some time.

"Get to the club in my taxi cab

Everybody's looking at me now

Like 'who's that chick that's rockin' kicks?'"

First off, Miley Cyrus is 16. What is she going to some lame under 18 club like H2O in Ocean City? Does Billy Ray really let Miley get her rave on? The club (insert scoff here). Secondly I thought that "kicks" meant shoes. Does everyone in LA go around barefoot or does the word "kicks" mean sneakers? If that's the case did she really think people wouldn't look at her if she was wearing tennis shoes to a night club?

I'm done.

Love, Kaley

PS Nick comes home TOMORROW so I probably won't blog. Yay :)

Reminiscing.

I am so thankful to Drea and Renata who took some wonderful photos of my wedding. I was looking through them recently and found some pretty amusing candid shoots. I'm sure they included these for my pleasure :) I also found some that I really liked but didn't put in my facebook album... so I don't remember them as well.

Here they are!

Is it too vain to say I really like this picture...of myself?

Renata caught the guys just precisely before they jumped! Ha ha :)

I love this shot. I have no idea what Nick said, but I'm glad I'm so excited.

Nick and I decided to get a shot where he is under my veil. Well, I'm 60" and he is 72". You do the math. The sad part is I'm wearing 3" heels!

I loved my wedding day, it was so fun to find these!

One Year Anniversary.

Oh no, not of my marriage. Of my marriage ending when Nick divorced me for the Navy! (Just Kidding!) One year ago today Nick walked into Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. Little did he know he was about to endure the most hellish three months of his existence. He learned to eat with a war spoon, he didn't sleep...ever, he didn't even get candy! But worst of all, he didn't see me. There is a depressing gap in our iPhoto albums from September 21- December 18. Here is a little photo montage of Nick's journey through OCS.

This was when I dropped Nick off in Newport. I can't admit how much I cried.

This is what Nick endured during OCS. I bet he wished he could cry.

I stayed at home and talked to the cat...Nick was frogmarched around by a Drill Instructor.

Then finally, at last, I got to see him!!!

And he was an Ensign!

I can honestly say that even through 12 months of separation that OCS was the hardest. So, here's to you Nick for making it through the same thing Richard Gere did in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and for truly keeping us Newlyweds even after we've been married a year and some change.

Love, Kaley

Where to find me.

We are about 90% certain that we are moving into a little two story apartment in Point Loma. That is to say we are still in the approval process and let's not count our chicks before they hatch. Nick was out in old San Diego last week and he took these pictures of our prospective house. Enjoy!

This is the front of the house.

This is the back of the house, it has a garage.

The view- you can see the fireworks from Sea World!

Nick had an accident on the ship last night. While climbing into his rack, which is on the top, he sliced his head open on some sort of emergency breathing device. He didn't need stitches as the wound was wide and shallow, but I do feel bad for him as he has an open gash on his head! Being in the military is a dangerous business.

Love, Kaley

The Case for an iPhone.

There it is, so sad and actually kind of dirty now that it's enlarged.

My phone is the second cheapest phone available on my plan. The only reason it isn't the cheapest is because I drop it a lot and need it to be made of super durable plastic to withstand the abuse and neglect. I once had a Nextel that I could throw at a concrete wall just for fun. I actually did throw it and it survived. So an iPhone is out of the question right?

I mean the husband has one so I can just reap the ample apple benefits from him! Oh wait, I never see him so what to do?

Imagine all the things I could do with an iPhone. I could search the internet to find out store hours and use the GPS. Yesterday I heard a song on the radio that I didn't know. Well, it sounds cliche, but... there's an app for that! I could check facebook from school. I could use the Audobon society app to identify BIRDS while ... well when I wondered what certain birds were. I could search movie previews. I could play Crash Bandicoot while waiting in line. I could use it for an iPod!

I could, I could, I could do anything with that phone!

But alas, my clumsiness makes that a poor investment. I don't deserve an iPhone. I just don't.

Keep dreaming friends.

Love, Kaley

PS Just downloaded "Works Progress Administration" featuring Sean and Sara Watkins... and some other people. A little country, but my obsession with the Watkins is to the point where I had no choice but to buy.

Cookie Baking.

There are many things that I am. I am adept at reading. I am a good teacher (methinks). I can shop with the best of them.

But then there are many things that I am not. Like: graceful, competitive, athletic... and domestic. Listen. I can not cook! I can press buttons on a microwave. I can even heat up frozen food in the oven, but cooking? No.

So when women get together and decide to potluck I panic. Recipe retreats and cookie bake offs are the stuff of nightmares. People, I have burned grilled cheese- more than once! So tomorrow for bible study we were all supposed to bake cookies. I made cookies from a bag which is saying rather a lot because I was about to buy a package of chips ahoy. I did add some flair and put some craisins in them... Semi homemade maybe? However, as always my cookies were spongy. No one will like them. I can envision it now... People politely putting one on their plate where it rattles around like the rock hard substance that it is. Maybe someone takes a bite or even requests milk to help wash it down. Possibly we could feed them to the deer, rabbits, and squirrels on the camp property after bible study is over!

So I can't bake. At least I can vacuum!

Sleep tight.

This morning I walked into my room after my shower and this is what I saw.

I thought that it was a pretty good representation of what being a Navy wife is all about. I mean, that one side of my bed hasn't been unmade since Nick's been gone (except when LP visits!) Not only is it unmade, but it houses a variety of replacement sleeping companions. Instead of my husband I sleep with books and a remote.

And that my friends is the definition of happiness. But hey, at least I sleep with my books instead of Nick who sleeps with a shipload of sweaty men.

Love, Kaley

I'm Boring.

This is me, doing what I do. Pretty boring, right?

I. Am. Boring. It's just who I am. I can't believe people still read this blog! You know what else? My husband is also affected by my boring(ness?)... and he is tied down by my boredom. Don't get me wrong, I like to be a hermit and sit in my room and read a book-most of the time. I do like occasional outings with friends. Let's put it this way. Kaley is to fun as Black holes are to matter. Cool things get near me, but are ultimately sucked into the void that is Kaley, never to come to fruition.

So Nick and I have made a pact. In San Diego we will not be boring! We will Kayak! We will eat at cool restaurants! We will make friends and have dinner parties! We will visit historical sites and learn things! We will sit on the PB couch and watch tv! (Wait, I think that might be considered boring)

I also made another pact. A pact with a co-worker. Kristie and I are writing down everything we eat in a journal- and telling each other about it!! Seriously, the only thing that is keeping me from running out to get a happy meal right now is the fact that I will have to face her and my little notebook tomorrow. I can't take that. So I will eat something healthy. I should take a picture in tight spandex of a before and after like all those weight loss shows... but I think I'll spare you. So- I'll let you know how I fare in a month or two. I'll probably be waif-like, kind of reminiscent of Kate Moss. We will see.

Signing Off-

The Boremiester!

Oh you know.

So I happened to be scrolling through old photographs. I have to tell you sometimes I wanna know how my husband went to this:

Bearded acoustic guitar player

To this:

US Naval Officer

On a completely unrelated note we celebrated my brother's birthday as well as my niece's with a cookout today. Please enjoy a few pictures of Gisela, Kelis, and Xander.

Why wouldn't you dress up as a princess on your b-day?

Poor, sweet Xander was teething and seldom had his hand out of his mouth.

Cousins, presents, dress up. This might have been the best day of Gisela's life.

East Coast v. West Coast

I love me some Chesapeake Bay Watershed. I really do. It's so calm and serene. It's green and lush. It's my home.

And then there's San Diego. No one will feel bad for me when I move out there right? Perfect weather, sunsets on the Pacific, and hills for days.

I mean there is beauty in both of these places. It's amazing to me to see the diversity of God's creation. You can see his character in the landscapes of our country. I mean, you see his power in the ocean crashing into the Californian cliffs. You can see peace and beauty on the shores of the rivers in Maryland. So, I'm thankful for both. I'll try to remember to appreciate the beauty of a dusty, sheer cliff face when I'm longing to stand on a grassy river bank.

Living Proof

I have friends. I'm good company. I'm an asset to conversation. People hang out with me.

If you don't believe me: The proof is in the pudding.

Radio Land

I seldom listen to the radio, but today I decided to dial into our local top 40 station. I only had time for three songs on the way back from Granny's house- but those songs set me to thinking.

First song- "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift.

This song is about a girl who loves a boy. The boy loves a girl who "wears high heels" and is "cheer captain". Taylor sings how the boy should be with her because she wears sneakers and laughs at his jokes. Okay, I'm sorry, but who would want to be with a guy like that? He's obviously shallow and into cheerleaders with hot physiques. Girl, don't get on your knees and beg! Have some self decency and move on- or get a "Grease"-esque makeover a la Olivia Newton John. But don't pine. Whatever you do, don't pine.

Second song- "Hotel Room Service" by Pitbull

Okay, so I think that's the name of the song. I'm sure you've heard it because if it's hit my life then it must have been out since at least last December. (I'm not always the first to know) You may recognize this song by it's mantra "We at the hotel, motel, Holiday Inn". I confess, at first listen it's a smidge catchy. Then I caught something about "mushy gushy stuff", "undress", and "freaky". The only people more turned off than me by references to "mushy gushy stuff" would be the housekeeping staff at the Holiday Inn! As if they needed a famous rapper promoting individuals with venereal diseases to get "freaky" at their hotel!

I'm just glad he didn't say "Holiday Inn Express" because I really like them and their complementary breakfast bar. I don't want anything to spoil that for me.

Third song- "Run This Town" by some people and the ever intelligent Kanye West

Alright. I'm offended. By the following lyrics-

"Wutchu think I rap for? To push a (expletive) Rav4?"

Oh yeah Kanye?? Well I can think of a lot of words to describe my Rav4 and none of those words are indecent. How about these adjectives? Reliable, comfortable, fantastic, a good investment and so on and so forth. Don't diss the Rav Kanye. Don't diss the Rav.

And that was my foray into the radio waves for the day. Also, there is no way I knew the real names to those songs- I googled for sure!

PS

Michelle Duggar is having her 19th child!!! Good gravy that Jim Bob is fertile.