Homecoming

Memorial Day always makes me reflective of my time in the Army and my time as an Army wife. I will say that without a doubt, my time as an Army wife was ten thousand times more difficult than anything I did while in the Army myself. I think there were a lot of reasons for this, not the least of which was Andrew's deployment (and all the rushing and worrying that went along with it).

Two things touched me this past weekend in all the Memorial Day hub bub (and no it was not Macy's super patriotic and appropriate to the occasion sale). The first is the NYTimes mosaic of those who have lost their lives in the current war, "Faces of the Dead." I think people have become immune not just to news of the wars but to the death toll and items like this to help remind us that each death is a person who was loved by so many are important. This is the mosaic featuring MAJ Mike Martinez, my first OIC at Fort Carson who was killed in January, 2006.

The second item was the Pioneer Woman's photo essay on "Homecoming." Andrew's homecoming ceremony is still the most emotional day of my life and honestly something I still can't put into words. The feelings of that day were amazing and larger than life. Being in that hanger, well it's still something that gives me goosebumps to think about. I am so lucky that our deployment was as smooth and without incident as it was, and that my homecoming memories are only ones of anticipation and happiness. Take a look at some of the amazing photos PW shared, it is the closest thing I can find to describe what our own homecoming was like and to try to express that I know just how lucky, lucky, lucky we are.

Evening Routines

I have been told that once you have children you must develop evening routines. I guess this has to do with consistency for the child, as well as organization for the parents. Even though we only have fur-children at the moment, I think we have a pretty good evening routine going. A typical evening in the Exnicios house goes something like this.

9:45pm - finish watching something on Tivo. I announce we should probably start getting ready for bed. A agrees. Flips television to ESPN or TBS.

10:15pm - I announce that if we are just going to watch basketball, we should get ready for bed and do it there. A agrees and shuts off the tv, picks up Calhoun to bring into bed. I suggest the dog should probably go out one more time, but since I'm already in my pjs, A should probably do it. We discuss how much water the dog has had. A agrees the dog should go out. I begin to speak for the dog, now protesting how much he does not want to go out. A points out that I can't argue both sides - insisting he take the dog out and then stating the dog does not want to go out. I point out that its not me, it's Cal who is saying he doesn't want to go out. A sighs.

10:25pm - A takes Cal out. I begin to close up for the night - pulling down shades, shutting windows, turning off lights. A returns and announces that he has locked the door. Places dog on the foot of the bed and goes to brush his teeth.

10:35pm - A is in bed watching basketball or some awful 1980s movie. I ask if the door is locked. A insists that not only is the door locked, he has already told me it is. I go to the door to double check this. A sighs. I climb into bed.

10:37pm - I get out of bed realizing I forgot to take my vitamins. Cal jumps off the bed, hoping for a snack.

10:40pm - Cal, A and I all settled in bed. We begin to debate the merits of whatever A is watching. Arguments included "This is the stupidest movie of all time, why are you leaving it on?", "I never get to choose what we watch in bed", "You don't even like these teams", or "We've already seen this episode of House Hunters."

10:50pm - I protest that whatever A has changed the channel to is worse than what was on originally. B-cat jumps into bed. Cal, previously sound asleep in a puppy ball at the foot of the bed, picks up his head and is on full alert.

10:51pm - B-cat calmly walks to the foot of the bed and sits and stares at the dog. Cal begins to cry. (She used to smack him in the face with a paw, but I think she's done it enough now that she's realized she can just sit there and stare at him and it freaks him out more. Its like Slapsgiving.)

10:52pm - I pick up the cat and move her to the head of the bed. Calhoun insists he too must now be at the head of the bed. I hold the cat above my head while he moves up between us and tries to get under the covers. A tries to convince Cal that all four legs must be off the covers before we can lift them up for him to crawl under them.

10:53pm - Cal is under the covers and begins spinning in a circle. Repeats about 20 times. Finally lays down in between A's legs with his head on A's thigh. A sighs. I put the cat back on the bed. She walks on top of covers and sits directly on top of the dog.

10:54pm - I pick B-cat back up and bring her to the head of the bed. I give one final protest as to what is on the television and then roll over. Having announced I am going to sleep, A now offers me the remote. At this point I have removed my glasses and can no longer tell who is sharing the bed with me. B-cat leaves the bedroom.

10:57pm - I roll over and talk to whoever is watching basketball in the bed next to me about something I've just remembered we must do tomorrow and state we should probably get up super early to get it accomplished. A agrees and insists that he will only watch 2 more minutes of television.

11:22pm - A shuts off the television.

11:23pm - B-cat begins sprinting around the apartment at full speed, screaming as only a Siamese cat can do. Cal wakes up, barks, blindly tries to get out from under the covers. Eventually succeeds and jumps off the bed to chase the cat. A sighs.

11:25pm - A gets the dog and brings him back to bed. Routine from 10:52-10:53 repeats.

11:35pm - I ask A if he is sure he's locked the door.

Are We Surviving Without Bananas?

I am sure many people were awaiting the Snowmaggedon/Snowpocalypse post follow up to ensure we made it through. The good new is, yes, we've survived despite the complete lack of bananas and red onions. Cookies ran out on Sunday, but we've found a suitable replacement. (Word is Andrew has a stash hidden somewhere in case this thing goes longer than any of us expected.)

So, what have we been up to? First let me say I grew up in New England. I spent over 2 years in Colorado. I do not think I have ever seen anything like this. We have truly been snow bound since about 2pm Friday. We are lucky in that snow bound means we just have to walk to the pub or the grocery or Whole Foods. The natives are getting a little restless - we live in about 800 square feet and when you put a dog, a cat and two people in there without much escape, it can get a little tight. But we have power (knock on wood) and we've been ok. Here's a look at what we've been up to - for more photos be sure to check out the Exnicios Photo Site - which you can link to by clicking here or through the link on the left side of the blog.

Saturday we took Calhoun out for some play time and to see how bad things really were. The answer, pretty bad. This is Cal playing with Andrew, you can see how high the snow is by the cars in the background.

Later that day we met Alison on King Street for some basketball (watching, not playing) and tasty grilled cheese sandwiches. We had a prime location by the window overlooking the street, so we could watch as the world walked by - or in this case, skied.

Sunday we had to cancel our Super Bowl plans because we couldn't get out of the neighborhood and walked up to the local grocery store to get some last minute game provisions. Apparently everyone else in the neighborhood was in the same dilemma because there was a run on the weirdest things - like beer, chicken wings, tortilla chips, frozen coconut shrimp. We made do with a lovely collection on frozen TGIFriday's appetizers. Being a Tom Brady loyalist, I was thrilled with the outcome of the game as well. And I may have cried at the Google commercial. Oh, and Puppy Bowl was awesome. Really. Google "Subaru puppy bowl dog commercials" or look them up on YouTube. Genius marketing.

Monday the government closed, meaning I was home and Andrew would telecommute. More of the same - some knitting and some resting. We took Calhoun for a long walk to stretch his puppy legs. Our neighborhood is still pretty well snowed in. Bailey is not used to sharing her space with people and puppies for such a long stretch of time and by Monday was asking to be put out of her misery.

Today is Tuesday and the Government is closed again. We are sitting at home, waiting for the next wave to come through. Still nothing yet, but they are calling for 10-20 more inches. In anticipation of this next storm, and to get Calhoun out of his Dad's hair, who was still telecommuting, Cal and I suited up and headed out. Along the way we ran into this: The National Guard. It is a convoy through our neighborhood. I am not sure what they are doing, but they have set up camp behind our condo complex. I felt like a small child in recently liberated France. I half expected them to throw candy to Cal and me out the window.

Calhoun decided to show off his snow skills for the nice Guardspeople and climbed the nearest snow drift. He is quite the mountain climber. Knowing that our neighborhood would soon be liberated from the snow, Calhoun and I continued on to our favorite yarn store, Fibre Space, also dog friendly, to say hello to folks there and do some shopping. We picked up some lovely Spud and Chloe Outer to make a winter hat. (Fellow knitters, especially snow bound ones, check out Spud and Chloe, best yarn!!)

After all that yarn, the snow had still not started. Seeing this as a gift, Calhoun and I risked life and limb (and car alignment) and hopped into the car to make a quick dash to Buzz. We may have survived this long without bananas, but clearly cupcakes were needed. The roads are still terrible and we probably should not have gone out - but look how happy Calhoun is with his Buzz puppy cookie! And inside that box are 4 little pieces of heaven just waiting to be washed down with a decaf latte. Mmmm.

So - are we surviving? Sure. As I said, we have power, we can walk to tons o'places. We have 4 3 cupcakes waiting to be eaten. Life is pretty good on this weather imposed island.

Still in the Same Place

Soooo, its been a while, right? Lots has happened. A season of Lost come and gone and back again. Jack Bauer saved the Port of Alexandria from terrorists. We attended many, many weddings. A decade ended. I may have turned a very momentous age. All of this and I realized I've lived in (practically) the same place for almost three years. This may not seem like much to some, but to Army/higher ed brats like Andrew and me, well, we haven't really lived in the same place for that long since high school. If you go back to 1997 when I graduated high school, my address book would look something like this (and this is what makes doing background investigation forms for the government so much fun).

Aug 1997 - Princess Diana dies. I move to Kostka Hall, Fairfield.

Dec 1997 - Christmas break in Willimantic

Jan 1998 - Kostka

May 1998 - Willimantic

Sept 1998 - Loyola Hall, Fairfield

Oct 1998 - Regis Hall, Fairfield

Dec 1998 - Willimantic

Jan 1999 - Regis Hall.

March 1999 - UConn Men win their first National Championship.

May - July 1999 - Willimantic, Tijuana, Klaver Hall (Fairfield), Willimantic

Aug 1999 - Townhouse 93, Fairfield. The Triscuit Nacho is born. (Note I remain here for Christmas break).

May 2000 - TH something-something. It was in the corner. By the office of Printing or something.

Aug 2000 - Beach house on Reef Road. Remain for winter break.

May 2001 - Graduate college, sigh. Fairfield kicks me out, return to Willimantic.

Aug 2001 - St. Louis, MO (ever been in St. Louis MO in August? Right.)

Dec 2001 - Willimantic, with cat.

Jan 2002 - St. Louis, MO

May 2002 - Willimantic, with cat who must learn to live with two dogs for the summer.

Aug 2002 - St. Louis, MO

Dec 2002 - Willimantic

Jan 2003 - St. Louis, MO

May 2003 - Savannah, GA. (Remember St. Louis in August? It has nothing on Savannah in May, June, July or August).

Sept 2003 - St. Louis, MO

Dec 2003 - Willimantic (still with cat. Oh, she was in Savannah too.)

Jan 2004 - stop in St. Louis, move to Arlington VA.

Sept 2004 - Willimantic. Stuff in about 3 storage locations.

Jan 2005 - Fort Lee, VA. Followed by Charlottesville, VA (on the grounds, of course.)

April 2005 - Colorado Springs. (Now while my moving tapers off here, remember I
also start a long distance relationship at that time. During this relationship Andrew lives in OK, VA, CA, WA, CA, VA, NC. So while my stuff sometimes stayed put, I definitely never did. The cat usually did.)

July 2007 - Alexandria, VA. (Two different addresses. Eventually moved in with my husband and got a dog.)

Which brings us to today. Everyone under one roof. One very small roof. But we're together and everyone sleeps in the same bed, so I can't ask for too much more. But I have to admit, I'm starting to get a little antsy. But can you really blame me? (PS do not tell the cat.)