12

As of today, I have 12 days standing between me and my departure from the Mojave Desert.  It has been 2 years and 2 months since we first drove out to the base from the northeast side of town.  I looked out my window at the junkyards of Boron and choked back the tears.  I wondered how nice of a trailer home our BAH would pay for.  Luckily I soon discovered civilization (sort of) laid on the other side of the base boundaries.  It has been an interesting few years, to say the least.  I will list for you now the 6 best and 6 worst things about this assignment.  And the 6 worst will be fleeting and silly in comparison to the 6 best, because as much as I never thought it would happen, this place got under my skin.  I really loved our time here, and am sad to leave.  But also, ready to leave.  Let's be real.

The Bad

1) The desert heat and wildlife.  Dozens of 100+ degree days, one after another.   I look like Carrot Top I have so many freckles. And sure, it's kind of neat seeing the coyotes and the bobcats (unless they ate your dog, as is the case with a few acquaintances on base), but the giant spiders are more stomach churning than awe inspiring.  I still haven't seen a snake so I refuse to acknowledge their existence here.  Knock on wood.
2) LA traffic.  One of the few places in the universe where you can get stuck in bumper-to-bumper jams after midnight.
3) The Wizard of Oz-esque winds, and sonic booms that shake the house, set off car alarms, and traumatize Buster.
4) 16 miles to the nearest Target.
5) DSL internet that moves slower than your grandma.
6) CRV on cans and bottles.  So for you non-CA residents, we have to pay a deposit when we buy soda or bottled water, and then bring all our empty cans/bottles to a recycling place to get our deposit back.  It's like they punish people who want to do the right thing and recycle by making it extra inconvenient.  Plus, our local recycling guy was basically like Lurch from the Addams family.  Spooky, ooky, and never in a good mood.

The Good
1) Vallarta's - the Mexican supermercado chain.  The music, the colors, the smells - it makes grocery shopping feel like Carnivale.
2) Living in a donut hole.  There may be nothing here, but there are many things to see around us, two hours or so in every direction.  Just a few things we've seen out here: Vegas, Grand Canyon, White Sands, Petrified Forest, San Diego, LA, and San Francisco. And we still haven't seen half of what there is to see.
3) Eternal sunshine.  I know I complained about the heat on the bad list, but I do enjoy the sunshine here.  The one time it rained this spring my dogs refused to go outside and seemed genuinely confused.  They've forgotten what rain is.  We didn't even own an umbrella until our San Fran trip.  I'm not looking forward to the long wet winters that haunt the Midwest.
4) Leaving behind the house that was our son's first home.  This is totally irrational, but I have been getting all weepy packing up our stuff.  Painting D's room back to white and taking all his froggie decorations off the walls was sad!  We haven't lived here that long, and we're renting, but because this is where our son came home from the hospital and spent his first 9 months, I guess I will always have a sentimental attachment to it.  My mom says, "don't be sad, you get to take D with you!"  And it's true.  As they say, home is where the heart is (and also, where the AF sends you.)
5) Our squadron family.  T's first assignment was school, so it wasn't really a typical AF experience.  It was hard for us to make friends and find a sense of community.  Only days after our arrival here I was invited to my first spouse coffee.  I knew instantly this would be a totally different experience.  I was welcomed and supported by experienced military wives.  We've enjoyed attending all the squadron events like the family picnics and holiday parties.  Also I was so appreciative after the birth of my son when four frozen meals magically showed up at my door from the squadron. We may not have extended family nearby, but we have people who take care of us like family, and that is amazing.  We've been so grateful and privileged to be a part of this squadron and are sad to leave it behind.
6) My friends.  Only a few days after my arrival I was adopted by E, who dragged me to yoga where I met another E, who made me join spouses club.  From there, I have met a flurry of energetic, bright, and hilarious women.  I have many great memories, such as endless strings of baby showers (including my own), learning to play bunco like a real AF wife, hosting girls movie night while we all waited for the guys to return from roll call, road trips to Pasadena, board game nights, lunch playdates at K's, and many more.  Without all of you, this assignment could have been unbearable.  With you, it was a wonderful 2 years of great memories.  I will miss you girls, until our AF paths cross again.  Hopefully not in the desert though.

Flying By

If you've been outside in the high desert recently, you may have noticed that it is one giant tornado of dust.  Yesterday marked the worst weather day since we moved here over two years ago.  The winds were gusting to 75 mph, and all the major highways into town (well one actual highway and a sketchy rural hobo road) closed due to blowing dust and multiple vehicle accidents.  Our neighbors' gross old mattress that has been sitting in their driveway for weeks blew into our yard five or six times.  Each time we dutifully picked it up, put it back in their yard, and used copious amounts of hand sanitizer.  Luckily we had no damage, only some small fallen tree branches and a traumatized labrador retriever.  Today seems much more tranquil.  I am thankful for any day without dirt in my contacts.

We took D to two sporting events this past week. It was a little anxiety inducing, because I generally don't like to drag him all over town, but he did so great.  At the Kings/Wild hockey game in LA, he sported T's giant ear protectors.  Our hometown team, the Wild, played horribly.  There were many drunken Kings fans, some spouting obscenities.  It's funny how being a mother changes your perspective.  That never used to bother me before, but now I'm more sensitive to it, as I know soon I will have a son who will repeat whatever negative language he hears.  I wish people could have a little more respect in the presence of families.  Many an intoxicated lady hit on D and his handsome blue eyes, including a woman who started crying in the restroom when she saw him, saying it made her miss her baby who'd she'd left at home.  It was disappointing that we didn't get to see a better game, but going to the Staples Center is always an interesting outing if nothing else.  Our second event was the Jethawks baseball game in Lancaster.  We went with several other families and saw a great game.  The wind was already swirling though, so we were all huddled together under blankets, teeth chattering.  D was in an energetic mood and didn't really feel like sitting.  His big new thing is pulling himself up, standing, and bouncing up and down.  He finally passed out before the 7th inning stretch.  We checked baseball and hockey off the list, now we just need to get D to a football game!

D has recently begun to challenge his nighttime sleep routine.  After being a champ for the first months, he no longer feels he should have to sleep in his crib.  I know there are many schools of thought on letting them cry it out versus soothing them.  We've been operating somewhere in between, which may be our problem.  I can't stand hearing that cry, like most mothers.  And last night when I checked on him, he was wailing and put his arms up to be picked up, one of the first times he's done that.  I melted.  We do try to let him go 5-10 minutes at a time before rocking him and putting him back in, and do not let him sleep in our bed.  I'll keep you posted on who wins the war, pretty sure I lost the battle last night though.  I have the dark circles under my eyes to prove it.  He's also become temperamental with solid foods after eating well for a month.  Some days he's ravenous, other days he all out boycotts it.  I sort of suspect he may be teething, or perhaps it is just a phase he's going through.  Even taking into account the hard moments, D is overall a joy to be around.  He smiles a million times a day, and has a deep belly giggle that is infectious.  His favorite book is A Monster At The End of this Book featuring Grover.  He likes Elmo's World on Sesame Street.  He calls Buster "Baba," but we're still working on Mama and Dada.  He's sort of crawled once, but went backwards.  His favorite item is Mommy's cell phone.  D is over 7 months old already, I can't believe it!

Time is flying by.  We only have a little over two months left here in the desert.  It is certainly not the most attractive locale in the world.  But it has been an amazing two years.  We've seen the Grand Canyon, Vegas, San Diego, LA, San Francisco, Monterey, White Sands, and much more.  We've been a part of an amazing AF family and have made great new friends.  We had our first son which is a fun adventure that has only just begun. When we go back to Ohio, I will be sure to correct those who say negative things about this assignment.  I will tell them that it is what you make of it, and for our family, it was a wonderful, memorable chapter.

It Lives!!!

So...it's been a while since my last post.  Try an eternity.  I could name any number of excuses: adorable infant son, icky migraines, several seasons of Army Wives on Netflix calling my name, seasonal affective disorder during the windy "winter" months here in the desert, etc.  The point is, I am back!  Think of this post as the renaissance of my blog, a rebirth of sorts.  As you may have guessed, a lot has happened in the last few months that I need to catch you, my loyal readers, up on.

The Big "D"
My afore-mentioned infant son D is now 6 months old!  He is currently wearing 12 month clothing.  His legs are longer than most toddlers.  Not exaggerating.  D is the most amazing little person.  It's true what they say, every day brings something new with a baby.  We've progressed from coos and giggles to glass shattering shrieks and pterodactyl noises, to babbling dadadas and lalalalas (but with some pterodactyl still thrown in for variety).  Being a stay-at-home mommy is the best job in the world.  His coy smile, innocent curiosity, and amazement at the world around him make even the difficult days so rewarding.  Take today: we're coming off of a four day vacation.  His schedule got completely thrown off, especially with daylight savings time on Sunday.  D woke up this morning in full-on dictator mode.  He is quite frankly a tyrant.  I can't put him down or leave him alone without tears.  He refuses to nap.  My hair is full of cereal he rubbed on my head in an angry rage, and my sweats are caked with spitup, drool, and god knows what else.  But when I pick him up and feel his chubby arms wrap around me,those bright baby blues fixed on me, and a mischevious grin creeping onto his lips, I am filled with joy and love.

Family Invasion
We had visits from both sides of our family in the month of December. First, my family rolled in. My big brother came in from the east coast, my little sister from Canada, and my parents from Minnesota.  This marked the first time when all three siblings had been in the same location since July of 2009.  Back then, my brother still had a full head of hair! Just kidding...we'd have to go way further back than that.

T's parents arrived on Christmas, followed by his aunt, uncle, and cousins a few days later.

We loved having a full house around the holidays.  Our families enjoyed the best the high desert has to offer - not much, but lots of hiking, games, and time spent bonding with D, who soaked up all the attention lavished on him.  On New Year's Day T got to go to the Rose Bowl Game.  Wisconsin was playing, which is where he was born, so it was an awesome opportunity to see a hometown team play in a big game at a storied venue.  Granted, they got beaten.  Badly.

O-H-I-O
God, I hate the Buckeyes.  Nevertheless, the Buckeye State keeps calling us home.  We found out a few months back that we are being stationed at a base in Ohio (again) starting this summer.  It is a great opportunity for T to earn another advanced degree (I am married to such an egghead :)).  Ohio is also a great location to raise a little man - lots of parks, museums, and activities catered to children.  We're looking at buying our first house.  It is very exciting, but is also very stress-inducing!  It feels very adult.  Too adult.  When did we get so old?  We have had a surprisingly great run out here on "the island," and will be sad to leave our friends behind (although pretty much everyone we know is leaving this summer!!).  Our good friends are also headed to Ohio with us, which is awesome.  July marks our official departure from the desert.  We will be staying a few weeks in Minnesota with family before moving onto (hopefully) our new house in Ohio.  Stay posted - our Midwest or Bust adventure has just begun.

Cali Travels

News of our impending departure made us eager to see what we can in California while we still have time.  In late January, we visited San Diego.  T's brother and his girlfriend came from Minnesota and drove down from LA with us.  We stayed in a beautiful hotel near the water.  Highlights included the San Diego Zoo and touring the USS Midway.

After our trip, T's relatives came back to the desert with us for a short visit.  The four of us spent a good 12 hours working on a jigsaw puzzle.  D was our cheerleader. Such is entertainment here.

Last week we went to San Francisco and Monterey.  Touring Alcatraz was a highlight, as T and I are both history buffs. Luckily everyone has headphones in for the audio tour, because D joyously shrieked through the whole thing.  The sun made a rare appearance when we went hiking at the Presidio near the Golden Gate Bridge.

My personal highlight in Monterey was the 19 Mile scenic drive.  D got to put his toes in the sands of the Pacific Ocean, and we saw harbor seals bopping in the water.

The weather was mixed, cold wet winds and chilly temps, but being native Minnesotans we managed with only minimal bitching.  That was probably our last Cali roadtrip.  We may squeeze in a few day trips yet, we're going to an LA Kings hockey game in April, and maybe a Dodgers game in May, but that's it.  Time is flying by.

Miscellaneous Notes
-We got rid of DirecTV and moved to streaming only.  Money-saving, and has opened my eyes to a whole new world of TV.  My favorite? Scandal.  Love Olivia Pope.  I am tempted every morning to chant "I am a gladiator" to myself in the mirror.
-Really sick of everything about the sequester, gun control, health insurance, etc...especially political posts for either side on facebook and social media.  Thinking maybe my sister has the right idea with moving to Canada.
-Did yard work last night and spent the remainder of the evening wheezing and chasing Benedryl.  Whoever said there were no allergens in the desert was a liar.
-Migraines have been straight up nasty lately.  See above post about allergens.  Damn desert.
-I joined the real world with my first smartphone - a Samsung Galaxy S3.  I like being able to access the internet, but it turns out smartphones don't fix the fact that we live in the middle of nowhere - still drops just as many calls as my old hunk of junk phone.
-Buster and Tess are in love with D - they are best friends.  Buster sleeps every night in the nursery. May have to set up some rules of engagement though.  Recently found Buster trying to snuggle with D's bare baby butt during naked playtime.  And caught Tess licking oatmeal off of D's bib.

Whew.  I think that's everything!  I will be sure to update the blog more often going forward.  I am hoping for once a week, but at least twice a month.  There are busy months ahead with lots of life-changing events - stay tuned!