Mrs. Top Gun reads!

I was at the BX the other day and while wandering around the aisles in search of cards and little goodies to pack as a surprise for Mr. Top Gun, I came across this book. I picked it up without hesitation, and you know what? I am so glad I did! This is an absolutely fabulous book. It hits right on the nail, its truthful, funny, a tearjerker and just what I need to be reading right now. I often question my choices in books and movies when Mr. Top Gun is gone, because it seems that I am drawn towards books about the military family and movies about planes being in war, etc... Not the best? Probably not, but somehow it makes me feel better and it surely makes my heart swell with pride knowing that my husband is up there flying around protecting our freedoms! If y'all have a chance, pick this gem of a book up. You won't be disappointed! The image on the cover makes me think of myself (sans child, of course) because standing on the flightline and watching Mr. Top Gun walk away into his plane is one of the HARDEST things I've ever done. I have to pretend my feet are superglued to the ground, so that I don't feel tempted to run after him. *Bah* And I have one of the moments coming up soon, followed by the BIG D-DAY shortly after. At least I am able to go home for the holidays!! I'll be here for about a month alone, which sucks but I shall make it through with the help of friends here and all of you fabulous blog ladies :)


   *This book is NOT for everyone. Some people may find it way too depressing to read, and others may really not care for it at all. I am thoroughly enjoying it though! Especially since I lived where she was stationed while my Dad was in the Air Force.*

My Donut of Misery: Countdown to D-Day...

Well, It's officially become that time of year already. Yes, I am talking D-Day as in say goodbye to my Husband for a few months. You know what? THIS SUCKS! It ROYALLY SUCKS, IT STINKS, and IT COMPLETELY BLOWS! It seems like only yesterday we had arrived on island and were immersing ourselves in the culture, the food, the island and enjoying our new home together. Then I  woke up one morning and it hit me: "Holy *hit. He is leaving really, really soon." I suddenly realized that the horrible reality of being alone for all of the major holidays including Christmas and NYE was indeed, an actuality. These last few days and weeks have been filled with Mr. Top Gun trying to balance his regular job, dealing with a crying an emotional Mrs. Top Gun, and on top of all that? A lovely trip somewhere in this world very shortly before he flies off to the land that all wives' DREAD thinking about (let alone having their husbands in!)


     *BLAH* on you, Air Force! You are currently NOT a favorite of mine, and you know what else? If you were a friend of mine on Facebook or in any other aspect, I would TOTALLY UNFRIEND YOU! Of course, we would become friends again once you return my husband safe and sound :) However, with all the doom and gloom around here, I have managed to fill my social calendar with Spouses' events until I head home to Texas for the holidays. I have been named the head of the Squadrons' Spouses network/club, and am in charge of a lot of things... did I just get in over my head? Hmmmmm... On the bright side, I have the opportunity to be able to go home for the holidays. A lot of other wives do not, and I am blessed to do so. I have incredible friends here, a gorgeous home, a sweet little dog and pretty much anything else I could want or need- but despite all of my luxuries and blessings? I still feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest, and I am being handed it while it is still alive and beating.


 I have learned to cherish and appreciate each and every moment I have left with my husband, even if those moments consist of eating dinner together, driving to the base, or just lying in bed with him next to me. I don't know what I am going to do with all that room in our huge bed when he leaves... I can only stuff so many pillows on his side and around me to form a 'nest,' and even that only helps a little bit with the pain. I am trying to look on the bright side though. When I feel myself losing it, I just think of all the amazing things we have planned and waiting for us when he comes home, and it eases my heartache a bit. I have some of the best friends here- I'm talking stop and drop everything for you kind of friends, and all of them are ready to be there for me when I drop him off to say goodbye. My very close friend, J whose husband is also gone *boo* has even taken off of work to make sure she is able to be with me the first few days and nights if I need someone to stay with me in this big old house! 


 I know with time my heartache shall fade, but I shall still miss Mr. Top Gun and yearn to see his handsome face. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I believe that- but I wonder this: Since I pretty much loooove Mr. Top Gun with ALL of my heart and soul, and I happen to think he is the most incredible man on this earth, does that mean I could possible love him more? I suppose my heart has a lot more room for loving him then, because we both are going to have enough time apart that we may quite possibly fall in love all over again.  Please keep Mr. Top Gun in your prayers, and keep his crew in your prayers as well. 

                 * I love you, and I will see you soon!!!*

Japan: The land of sushi, soba, and engrish...

When you live in Japan, what do you do? (besides getting into an accident...) You visit a very, very authentic Sushi and Tempura house! And that is precisely what Mr. Top Gun and I proceeded to do a few days ago. This little gem is located right up the road from our house and is conveniently located between the Pizza In (yes, they spell it like that) and the Men's "Relaxation"/Sex Salon! I know, the island has very KLASSY areas...

Anyhow, we arrived during dinner and were surprised to be the ONLY people in the house, that is until we both realized that the Japanese eat much later than 5:30 or 6:30 in the evening. Mr. Top Gun remarked that he hoped we wouldn't die from bad fish since nobody was in the restaraunt but us, and that should be taken as a red flag. Oh, Mr. Top Gun! You silly man :) We opted for eating in one of the many tatami rooms over a regular table, because we are in Japan! I removed my sandals without problems and sat down upon my comfy cushions, and began perusing the menu. Mr. Top Gun was not quite as successful as I was with taking his shoes off however... He struggled with them for a good three minutes, taking time to fix his socks and jeans in the process. Eons later, he joined me for dinner. Alright, in his defense he is 6 feet tall and all legs so I can understand how it is uber difficult for him to even sit down in a tatami room! I always see him adjusting his legs, cracking his knee and stretching during dinner. Poor baby!

After these shenanigans had finished, we began perusing the dinner menu *yum!* Upon first glance, we notice the waitress has subtly placed the chef's nightly recommendations on the side of our table. We look at it and... Guess what I have the pleasure of seeing again? HORSE MEAT SASHIMI! Seriously, Japan? Can you cool it with the horse meat menu already? I do so thoroughly enjoy your sushi and noodles and tempura, but you must understand that when I see HORSE on a menu, my little old stomach shuts down. So, STOP IT!

After getting over the shock of horse meat again, we order. Well, we attempt to read the menu and then order... You see, the Japanese are not so good in translating Japanese into English, and therefore have the most ridiculously silly and difficult to read and even comprehend Menus! I swear I want to bust out my handy red marker and start correcting all of the spelling errors on the menus! Yes, this is the part where the English Major dork in me seems to emerge quite often. So, without further babbling from my nonstop mouth, please enjoy a few pictures from our adventure at Amawari Sushi and Tempura House!

Hmmmm..... Does anyone wish to try the boiled tuna eye? Or perhaps you may fancy the sliced tuna cheek on an iron plate? If not, you can always request cuttlefish guts in sauce, octopus guts in sauce, horse meat sashimi, chicken toes and guts, and probably anything else that sounds nasty- and guess what? They shall make it for you!! Yeah!!! Japan!!!

My battle with Japanese A/C units

This is a picture of a Japanese A/C unit. More specifically, it is a picture of the unit in our home (photo taken waay before we moved in,) this one is in our living room area. Here is my problem with these things: 1. They ANNOY ME. I cannot place a lamp or a picture underneath it, and I find them to be rather unsightly in nature as well. 2. I have to clean them every month- with or without Mr. Top Gun's help, and this is a HUGE pain in the rear! 3. I just DON'T CARE FOR THEM. 4. They are in every single room in our home, BUT NOT THE BATHROOM. So, if I want my bathroom to be cool *yes, please!* then I must ensure that the door to the guest room remains open, thus allowing the cool air to escape into the hallway and into my bathroom. I really, really miss central air!  On the upside, here are the reasons I like them: 1. They are controlled by a remote! Click a button, and you can change the temperature, de-humidify the room, heat the room up, slow or speed up the air flow and tons of other things I am still trying to figure out. 2. They cool the house and the rooms very fast, and the fans are excellent in them. 

Now, here is what has prompted me to go off on a tangent about my Japanese A/C units... It seems that within the last few days, Mr. Top Gun has taken a notion to turning them all the way down when he is in a room. Generally, I wouldn't take issue with this since he gets up before me and if he so chooses to sit and eat breakfast in a HOT room, then all the better for him. However, the problem is that not only does he like to turn them waaay down, but he also likes to TURN them OFF. A LOT. Uh, no thank you my love- it's 100 degrees outside, and when you turn them off you make the living room and the bedroom very, very uncomfortable. So, my household has been in a dispute over the 'magically' changing A/C units! It gets so unbearably hot here and the humidity is always 100 percent, and I need my home to be cool and comfortable- not sticky and uncomfortable. Besides, I sleep much better if the room is cooler at night and when I sleep better, I am a nicer person in the morning :) 

Mr. Top Gun says he is always cold, so I have learned (am learning) to let him control the temperature of the room he is in- when he is in it... But, when he leaves? I change the temperature back to cooler. The funny thing about him being cold on the tropical island is that when I roll over at night, I always find him with his legs out of the sheets and sometimes when I touch them they are sticky! So, he DOES get HOT!!! He will inevitably make a comment to me about this post, or he will hear about this from my MIL who reads my blog (love her tons- seriously, I do!) Either way, it's fine with me. As long as my home stays cool and comfy, I am a happy person. Oh, and Mr. Top Gun... I love you so very much, but please t-r-y- to STOP being a Nazi with the A/C temp???

Are you ready for some Football? Texas Style!!

Today is the much anticipated game between my UT LONGHORNS and the *UGH* Texas Tech Red Raiders! First of all, I ask you this: What the heck is a Red Raider? A warrior? A fighter? Whatever they are, they SUCK and tomorrow the Longhorns shall hand them their rears!!!! Longhorns or Red Raiders...

I bet Texas Tech doesn't have a football stadium that looks like this... NOPE, they don't!!! Besides, everyone knows what the LONGHORN represents. Show a picture of a "Red Raider" to someone, and you will most likely get this reaction: "What or who the heck is that?"  ENOUGH SAID. Bring it on, Texas Tech!!!!

I totaled Mr. Top Gun's Toyota... Pictures

Well, as you all very well know, I was involved in a major accident a few days ago. Thankfully, I was not seriously injured and was able to crawl out of the passenger side door and get out of the road. Naturally, this all happened when Mr. Top Gun was flying around somewhere in this world. Hey, I missed him a lot when he was gone but I didn't think I was going to see him THAT soon after he left... SURPRISE! Car accident! Husband flies home to save his horribly embarrassed and scared wife, then teases her and says: "Wow. You missed me that much, so you had to go and wreck my car. That is a bad way of getting me home." *Joking, Mr. Top Gun!*

 Today we visited the lovely impound lot on one of the bases here, so Mr. Top Gun could actually see what I did to his baby *Sooo Sorry!!,* and to de-register and total the vehicle. Upon walking into the lot and spotting the car, I immediately broke into tears in front of Mr. Top Gun and a very understanding and caring SSGT. I swear I looked like the Officer's Wife who had gone crazy or was having a nervous breakdown in broad daylight! Klassy, Mrs. Top Gun! I managed to dry my eyes enough to have Mr. Top Gun snap my photo in front of the car. If you look closely, you can see that my left hand is open and kinda placed on the top of the hood of the car. In my hand is the cross I placed in Mr. Top Gun's car the night before the accident. Throughout the process of being hit, and having the car spin 180 degrees, that cross DID NOT MOVE AN INCH. It was still in the same place I had laid it- right upon the driver's side upper dashboard area. 

  *My Angels were undoubtedly watching over me during the accident.* 

                               

                                 

I get by with a little help from my friends... and oh, I had a car accident!!!!!!!!!

Where in the world is Mr. Top Gun? You know what? I have NO idea! Nice, right? It seems that I shall be spending the next few weeks alone, and I am almost an entire week in! So, please excuse the fact that I have yet again neglected my lil' old blog... I have been under a lot of stress with this lovely trip, and kinda wanted to hide under a rock for a few days. But, I have not been home moping around (it has been very tempting though!) I have been out every morning, afternoon, and evening with some of the most I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E women around, and for their friendship, help, and shoulders to weep on I am eternally greatful! When Mr. Top Gun dissappeared in the night, I felt like I was going to lose it and immediately picked up the phone and began calling everyone. I swear, I probably sounded like an insane woman who was desperate for any and all human contact!

In other news...

 I was coming home from dinner last night and while attempting to make a turn, I see this car come out of nowhere. The next thing I know, the car is spinning a complete 180 degrees, my ears go numb, and I see my entire life flash before my eyes. I seriously thought I was not going to walk away from this accident alive- that is how hard and fast I was hit. The car is a total loss, the front end was completely sheared off and the driver side door is shut completely. I managed to crawl out of the passenger side door, make it to the sidewalk and immediately phoned Security Forces. A gazillion frantic phone calls to every person I know here, one incredibly helpless call to Mr. Top Gun, an Ambulance trip, a trip to the E.R., a trip to the "Cop Shop," on base and a stop at Starbucks's for iced tea... and I finally arrive home at 4:00 a.m. My kneees are the size of large golfballs and a lovely black and blue shade. My elbow looks like death, my clavicle area and my left breast are black and blue and sore as heck, and my neck, back, and stomach area are tender, swollen and bruised. I also managed to bruise my right thumb- right over the bone, and screw my toe up. I can barely walk up the stairs and walking Keely is a huge feat right now. Oh, and the worst part? I totaled Mr. Top Gun's car. I decided to take it earlier since it is larger and fits more groceries... Great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still here... Just hiding under some boxes

Yeah, yeah... I know... I have fallen off the face of the earth! Well, at least my blog has been severely neglected and I feel awful about that. I have just been sooo busy with unpacking boxes, throwing out boxes, unpacking more boxes, taking the dog for a walk, hanging up curtains, making dinner, spending time with Mr. Top Gun, and still attempting to be a functioning human being in this foreign land! This is how the delivery of our household goods went:
* Movers arrive, ring doorbell.
* I buzz them in from the upstairs and go down to greet them.
* I am then yelled at by the 'head' mover and told to do something... He yelled at me in Japanese, so I have no idea what he said. 
* I yell up to Mr. Top Gun to come down, and as soon as he sees Mr. Top Gun, he says to HIM in ENGLISH: "You move car?" WTF? Here we go with this whole we don't speak to women rule again!!!
* Furniture begins making its way into my home, carried on the backs of small Japanese men who mutter the numbers on the orange stickers placed on each box, muttered so fast and quiet that I can't hear them at all. They proceed to run the furniture up the stairs, down the stairs, up the stairs, down the stairs...
*I abandon asking them for the numbers and do not even try to listen to their muttering, so in my own attempt at checking the numbers off of my sheet in front of me, I physically inspect each box myself (with the help of Mr. Top Gun, of course.)
* Our bed proves to be a bit tricky to bring up three flights of stairs and three floors, causing them to scratch some of my wall downstairs by the entryway. SO NOT happy about this!
*Said bed is put together, and then I hear this: "Hello? Excuse me?" I run upstairs and see one of the guys pointing to the planks which support the bed, and he says: "Missing." Seriously? Mr. Top Gun is called upstairs and explains to me that we can't find the three pegs required to stabilize the center part of the bed, after the boxspring is put on. 
*Mr. Top Gun then asks for the movers to completely re-check the entire contents of the trash in the truck, just to ensure the pegs weren't thrown away. NO PEGS ARE FOUND.
* Movers finish taking trash outside, and leave my home.
* Mr. Top Gun and I leave to find a solution to fixing the unstabilized bed, and return home with a bunch of magazines we took from the base. (Old catalogs, actually!)
* Said catalogs DO NOT HELP. AT ALL.
* I decide to take a chance and open up a box labeled "Lamp Shades," figuring I might find the pegs- lucky try right? Guess what? I FIND THEM!!! How they were packed with lamp shades, I do not know. Mr. Top Gun and I are very happy people now, knowing that we shall sleep upon our glorious bed!


* Bed is fixed, new Vera Wang sheets are put in the wash (thanks for the oh so decadent sheets, Nana!) 
* Couches, tables, kitchen table and TV stand are put in place. Curtains are finished being hung, I attempt to open a few boxes of dishes and decide to close them up... for now...
* Mr. Top Gun and I sit down on our comfy couches and snuggle. 
* His cellphone rings. It is a friend inviting us to dinner at his place, then to a party at another friends place. 
* I RUN upstairs to get dressed, changing out of my 'moving day' clothes in record time, and we leave for the evening. I AM EXHAUSTED, but being with friends is always a good thing.
* Party time comes and goes, and as we are walking home I realize I didn't put the sheets in the dryer! An hour and a half later, sheets are dry, the bed is made and Mr. Top Gun and I pass out in it. I haven't slept that well since we left Texas!! 
   
         Pictures to come soon of the house decorating in progress!!!

Household goods are coming tomorrow!!

MY HOUSEHOLD GOODS ARE BEING DELIVERED TOMORROW!!!!
  *EXCITEMENT LEVEL*----- HIGH!!!!!!

 I'll post photos as soon as Mr. Top Gun and I get the furniture arranged, and I get our home looking a little more like, well- home! Decorating is so fun, and Mr. Top Gun has generously opened his wallet and told me to purchase whatever extra items I need to finish decorating ;) Sigh, I loooove him!  Look forward to some pictures very soon!

I'm an embarrassing and rude dog owner

Today, I took Keely to the base Veterinary Clinic to have her foster mama transfer ownership of her over to Mr. Top Gun and I. When we walked through the door, she immediately recognized Mrs. R and ran right up to her, kissing her face and jumping up on her lap! You have no idea how good this made me feel to see Keely so happy to be back around the lady who had given her a temporary home for so very long, and it made my heart rest assured that she shall be in a very good home when I leave for Texas in a few months. As I am standing at the counter getting ready to fill out the paperwork necessary for her transfer, I realize that she is rubbing her butt on the tile floor! Hoping that nobody has noticed, I look at Mrs. R who is holding her leash and we both laugh- awkwardly.... Then it happens. I turn around and see Keely in full squat mode, getting ready to do her business ALL OVER THE FLOOR IN THE VET CLINIC! I grab her leash and attempt to get her rear end outside the door before anything happens, but alas, I failed. I am now standing in the clinic watching my dog take one of the smelliest, nastiest and largest poops I have ever seen, and she just keeps on going- right in front of all the other pet owners looking at her! For a lady, Keely certainly has no modesty :)

I politely apologize for her mess, and ask the receptionist if they have doggy doo bags. Her response? "No, we don't offer bags ma'am, but there are some paper towels near the sink you can use." *OMG* *YUCK* *MINOR PANIC ATTACK* I seriously have to use some shotty looking paper towels to clean up this mountain of poo? So, I proceed to grab the entire stack of paper towels, the disinfectant, the trash can and the air freshener from the sink area, and begin cleaning up her mess. Oh, and I am doing this while all the other well behaved dogs and cats sit in their owners laps or in their crates, and the whole time I swear I feel 20 sets of eyes glaring nastily at me! Just as I think I am finished cleaning up, it happens... AGAIN! I had just returned from the bathroom, washed my hands like a million times and when I walk back out into the waiting area? She had PEED! And I'm not talking about a dainty little girl pee-pee either. I'm talking about an entire POOL of pee just sitting in the middle of the room!!!

*GASP!* * Turning RED with embarrassment!* At this point, the entire clinic is staring at me, I am red as a tomato, and the Japanese cleaning lady has come out of her office with a bucket of bleach and a mop, ready to clean up my naughty dogs mess. When I ask Mrs. R if Keely had made this mess (again,) some snarky ass little A1C shakes his head at me and says: "Uh, yeah your dog did this too. Again." I swear to goodness at this point I am ready to smack this kids mouth, tell people to stop staring at me and inform them that animals have to go too- and they can't talk and tell us when. I would also like to inform them that some dogs get nervous at the vets, so guess what? GET OVER IT. Your dog most likely has pooped somewhere in public and made you feel like a tool, so don't put yourself up on a freakin' pedestal at this moment in time! I finally get her paperwork signed, stamped and pay for her Heartguard and I am out of there. I swear that place must have seemed like it was on fire, because I ran back to the car so darn fast that I lost my earring in the process, and nearly spilled the entire contents of my purse out onto the concrete.

Keely and I get into the safety of our car, where we don't have to worry about people glaring at us and shaking their heads with disgust, and drive home. Home has never felt so good as it did today, and guess what? As soon as we get inside, Keely runs over to her dog bed and passes out. Glad to know that ordeal was exhausting for you, my little furbaby, because Mama isn't the least bit tired from all of the nonsense and drama. So, for those of you who may possibly run into me one day at the Vet's remember this: I shall be the lady whose dog is stinking up the place and who has also most likely made the pool of pee you are standing in. *On a side note- Keely didn't get in trouble from me for doing this. She is a dog and had to do her business, I just wish she would have waited to do it outside in the grass.*

Mi Familia es mi Vida

This is my incredible Nana. She may only stand a whopping 4 foot 11 and a half, but boy is she a feisty one! This lady is my rock. She is my shoulder to cry on, my person who makes all bad things go away, my heart, my life. I pretty much would say she is the best Nana in the entire world, and my second mom. No words could ever come close to describing how much she means to me- but that's ok, because she knows and that is what matters. I wish I could be in her arms right now and tell her how much I love her. Being this far away sucks!

My Mom. She is an eccentric one, but she is my momma and I love her!
My Daddy. He looks like a complete hard ass here, but he is really just a big old goofy mess! Although, I wouldn't want to be under his Command... He can chew some pretty good rear if you piss him off! My parents. Although I may not agree with them on everything in life, and though we do get into it with each other, I love them and miss them.
Ahhh. My Mr. Top Gun! He is my rock, my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on, my fixer of life's crappy moments, my soulmate and my best friend. I swear I must have done something really, really good in my life to end up married to such an incredible man!

This is me and my Grandpa and my Brother, the night before Mr. Top Gun and I left for Japan. I honestly don't know why we are all smiling here, because right after the picture was taken we all burst into tears. My brother saw me crying when he was hugging me and said: "Damn, now you are making me cry." Then he started shaking in my arms as I told him goodbye. That was one of the worst feelings ever in the world, but at the same time it made me feel the love my brother has for me (even if he does act like an ass most of the times!)

This picture was taken during our Wedding Reception, and these two people are MY WORLD. They are my Nana and Grandpa, and I don't know what i'd do without them. They have been a constant in my life since they found out my mom was preggers with me 27 years ago, and with each day their love for me (and mine for them) continued to increase. They have stood beside me in my absolute darkest hours and assured me things would be alright. They have provided for me in ways that most children and grown adults have and most likely will never experience. They were there to cheer me on in life- no matter how small or huge my accomplishments or goals were, and they have been there to watch me cry my eyes out, throw fits and tell them life is horrible- only to find myself running into their open arms and letting it all wash away. My Nana and Grandpa are two of the most important people in my life (besides Mr. Top Gun,) and I owe my life to them. They taught me life lessons, and they shaped and molded me into the woman I have become today. My heart aches to think of how far away from me they are, and I would give anything to hug them both right this very second- even if that meant sacrificing a few moments of my time on this earth. Nana and Grandpa, you two mean the world, the sun, the moon, the stars and the entire galaxy to me. I love you both so very much!
Nana and Grandpa. Still in love after 52 years! One day, I hope that Mr. Top Gun and I can say we've accomplished that too. *I think Grandpa wanted to know why someone took his picture. He has always been silly about allowing others to photograph him!*