Throwback Thursday: Mittens, 4 Months

She was such a cute little girl, between her spams of energy to want to ping around the freakin' room and the instant-nap she'd take once the energy level was depleted. She'd nap everywhere. On my neck, in my lap, halfway on a chair, in the sunlight coming through the window, next to the turtle tank when she realized they weren't lunch, on a pillow on the bed, or in the hall bathroom's empty tub (curtain drawn). Kitten phase...not my favorite...sooo looking forward to cathood.

Thoughts: We hope this is a hoax.

[source: Mr. Wookie's squadron's CMC-operated Facebook page]

If you're familiar with this blog, you know we're attached to the aviation community. And if you're familiar with the nerd-based aviation community, you know the above image is of a E-2 Hawkeye - the Navy's Early Air Warning plane capable of locating enemy surface vessels, sub-surface vessels, whales, and (when needed) stranded boaters on life rafts.

As I may know more than the news outlets do, and that knowledge may or may not technically allowed, I know it was a semi-somber night last night as the search was called off, the flight crew de-briefed, and the little light at the end of tunnel of finding them grew dim. Mr. Wookie needed a Scotch on the rocks. Only idiots are supposed to die when they do something stupid; not kids. So with the above story that the SOS call may be a hoax - we can only hope.

But at the end of the day, Mr. Wookie did his job and if there was a boat - he would have found it. But there wasn't a boat. Per the news reports, there was only supposed to be a life ring and a cooler...that's it. 4 people clinging for life...attached to a cooler...and a life ring.

Mr. Wookie did find 2 whales - but that was it.

So we can only hope that the rescue call was a hoax, and the worse thing about it is the individual responsibility has deep pockets to pay back the high coasts of search and rescue missions. Because now we know the feelings of what it's like for search and rescue to not find those in need - it stinks.

MEOW MONDAY: Leg Lounge Lizard

We've found out a few things in owning this furry feline for almost a year of her life (<< birthday party, so soon!). She was very shy at first few days of life. She cried at night when she couldn't find her siblings (which broke my heart and also befuddled me since reports were that she wasn't too snuggle with them). But then I became her friend, confidante, and lover as she would come to me when called, would stake out my legs for a good nap spot, and began sleeping more through the night vs wanting to play (5am is now her Time to go outside and try to kill some shit which is perfectly acceptable).

And because you needn't doubt my "Oh shit, is she morphing into a Cat Lady????," yes...yes I am.

We've switched from regular ol' cat litter to World's Best Cat Litter, since it's drastically more eco-friendly (Hey, Mrs. Wookie, back on your crazy enviro soapbox! Yay!) and there's been links of respiration issues via standard cat litter which blew. my. mind. Cats step in litter. Cats leave litter box. Cats bathe their feet and ingest nasty-ass litter. What will they think of next? Sex causes babies? Vodka soothes souls?

So please continue to worry. First, you worried as my life fell apart with the loss of our dog. Now, you can worry as I Google "modern cat condos" hoping Ikea will deliver something that will ramp up my Cat Lady status up a few notches.

This totally counts as doing something today.

What better way to avoid more laundry than to update the blog and my umpteenth promise for more??

I just feel like bitching today (yup, we're making a comeback!)

Where Are The Skirts??
Hi, I'm Mrs. Wookie. Hi.

Long story short: I live in California. I fully expect stores to provide adequate weather when "winter" is 50-degrees at the coldest. The sun was out today and most likely above 70 degrees (and I work 15 miles from the beach, so we're not even inland). Again, pants aren't a necessity. So why can't stores offer cute skirts year-round?

And should be scratching your head about gangly me fitting in "off the rack" skirts....that's the one piece of clothing I can buy at Target, etc (other than the obvious: socks, underoos, etc.). So skirts I will love forever and mix-and-match my heart apart.

That Whole USS Truman Issue
I would have completely mixed emotions. While I know there are people being frazzled by the What the frack? conundrum, I don't know how I would respond - probably disdained. I mean, hello...there are port calls those sailors deserve. There are vendors those sailors need to hustle. And there are jade earrings (if they hit that certain area *ahem*) that need to make the voyage home for the ripe price of $32.

I do feel for the single sailors who pack up all their shit, pay a friend to use their address to collect BAH, sell their car...then they're left shit-less except for a bag and a guest room at the Wookie & Co. Inn (I would have NO problem housing Mr. Wookie's fellow Junior Officers as most are housebroken and could easily figure out their next move with the community we're in).

Although that would remove my large debate about visiting during a port call. As a Navy attache, I feel like I should be gunning for an exotic trip watching the USS Awesome pull into port, spending 92 hours with Mr. Wookie, and watching the boat pull away for more time on the seas. But then the very-practical Mrs. Wookie questions Why? the need to spend thousands of dollars, staunchly reminding herself that I'm not some needy Navy attache who needs justification for this awkward military lifestyle we're all in.

I've been asked numerous times by the CO and XO if I plan on joining "the wives" for a visit should they pull in to Australia, Thailand, Dubai, etc., and with each time I politely explain, "probably not." What's better: spending $2,500 for 4 days with Mr. Wookie OR spending $4,000 for a 10-day vacation planned in advance, not centered around classified ship movements praying that the boat can pull in and leave is granted??

My Sad Blog
Warning: Face lifts and botox may occur on the blog front. That's all.

The Wine Sale at Bevmo
Do you Bevmo? For East Coaster, it's like Total Wine. Everytime, it's like crack. I. can't. not. buy.

Jeopardy > State of the Onion (<yes, "Onion")
No offense, but expanding my brain will always take place over political speeches. No matter what affiliation, there are some cunning linguists (minus G. W. Bush - he was just the worse...plus he choked on a pretzel) and everyone can have great words. But let's just continue to push the country, voting for your decisions, and respecting the outcomes.

Though the comments sections are THE best part of politics. Only there will 45-year-olds reduce to name-calling like children...and I will chuckle my heart out.

Mr. Wookie
Will he be home in the next week? Will the planes not be broken? Will he be the last to leave (as usual)?

That Big Deployment
As much as I want him to come home, I know that the D-Day is lingering just off the shore of tomorrow. We prepare like it's still on schedule, but really - who knows what will happen. There's only so much you can do about functioning ships, the bigger picture Navy, and whether the Deployment Gods feel you need those earrings.

Meow Monday

This little feline has a BIG birthday coming up in the next month-plus, so I'm busy scouring online for Crazy Cat Lady ideas to throw her a birthday party of catnip, a super small party hat, and some tuna fish.

Now: Mrs. Wookie's Pre-Deployment Realization

Le sigh. I'm bored.

Mr. Wookie is Day #9 gone to NAS BFE for their last stint of pre-deployment training and I've hit the "I"m bored" realization already. Crap. He's not even deployed yet. And you think with all the dates (August, October, November, December, January....soon) that have come since we first arrived 2.5 years about deployment, that I would have figured this out by now.

Wrong.

My mom recommends a pick up more sewing projects and maybe start quilting (which I have dabbled in research for a pattern that won't make me look Amish). However, I'd have to ensure I only have one glass of wine since sewing is better in straight lines.

Thanks to Amazon, I picked up some good deals on jigsaw puzzles over his 2-plus months of Summer 2012 pre-deployment training, but those got boring after awhile...all the pieces look similar (despite the wine). Plus the cat really likes the thought of batting around 500 pieces....and that was more battle than anything.

And I even had the thought of, "Hey, go back to school and get another minor or a certification that can be used at your current job and for any future job searches (since that is common with Mr. Wookie's career choice). But then I saw the costs....

...a post-bacc online minor (28 credits) in Marketing and Entrepreneurship with Oregon State University's College of Business is $7,000+! Seven thousand. Plus some. Umm...no thanks - that's just not an investment I'm willing to make since the rate of return is probably pretty low. I'll keep my current Bachelor's and Minor, thankyouverymuch.

And I'm wary of online schools (like Devry) because I don't know honestly how they're thought of by  hiring companies - to me, they seem kind of fake and unaccredited despite saying "accredited."

So ladies, help a soon-to-be-homefire-keeper out!

I. need. some. projects. And more than the ones I've perfected: wine tasting and dinners with friends. ;)

So far my Pinterest board of "Deployment Projects" only has the below...

[source]

Le sigh. This is going to be a long summer/fall. And yes, blogging is on that list too. Promise.

It's somehow February and I'm somehow shocked.

What. the. sassifrass? When did it get to be February? When did January pass us by like a white ass out the window on a roadtrip to the beach in college? When did my dad turn 59?!?! Seriously...February. Back. the. fuck. up.

I can't handle you. I can't handle the world turning faster than Lindsay Lohan's downward spiral of a career.

I meant to catch up on blogging. Buuuuut....I also meant to start planning meals as we're back in the pre-deployment throws of life thanks to Uncle Sam's inability to have a freakin' deployment on schedule.

Where do I start?

Hey, Mrs. Wookie, how about where you left on...you know...back in January...

My last post was detailing the pain and angst that was had in the house with a loss of a pet. I felt incredibly remorseful for bringing it home; almost like she was undeserving of a home (despite the obvious...homeless cat...not deserving a home).

I'm just having difficulty keeping up with my life outside of the blog. So excuse me...while I try to figure my shit out....