Jessica | Kingsquared

Posts Tagged ‘Jessica’

Uhhh….

Date: 2010.07.07 | Category: Life as we know it, wedding | Response: 0

We’re getting hitched in 10 days….

that’s just around the corner
This is not the same country

Date: 2010.01.11 | Category: desert | Response: 0

For starters I’m not freezing to death. On average, its been about 20 degrees warmer throughout the entire day. Last time I was here we endured temps that hovered in the high teens and low twenties but now the nighttime low is in the 40s. This is simply too odd. I’ve got a bunch of cold weather gear but I don’t know if I will even need it. I’m going to hold onto it just in case irony strikes – it always seems to strike when I’m not prepared.

We also have some brand new buildings that are nicer than the ones I have back at home station. We may be a little short on supplies mostly due to transportation issues but we can make do with what we have. I’m working at Inspection so this is a welcome change. I’ve done inspections in my building but I haven’t worked in an inspection shop so I have a few things to learn. I shouldn’t have any problems picking it up as I go.

The food is better and its served in a bigger building. I didn’t think the food could improve but it did.

The gym has doubled in size since I was last here.

I haven’t heard a single mortar hit yet (knock on wood). Last time I heard 8-10 hits on the first day.

I am away from Jessica and my kids (the dogs) – that is, by far, the worst part of the trip. I’m not going to count the days because time seems to slow. I’ll be back home in May and all things considered its not that far away.
Leaving home

Date: 2010.01.06 | Category: Life as we know it, desert | Response: 0

It’s that time once again. I’m set to get on a plane and travel half way across the planet away from everyone that I know and love.

I’m headed to Iraq for another 4 month stint in what should be a relatively easy trip. I’ve got my bags packed and this time my trip will be all about distraction and self improvement. I’ve got textbooks for two classes and some workout gloves so I know what I will be doing with my spare time. I should have lots of it. It’s probably going to take 3-4 days to actually get there so I won’t be able to update this for a bit.

The dogs, Duke and Havoc, will have to keep Jessica company while I am away – I’m going to miss her greatly. Luckily for Jessica, her family is nearby and she has friends all over the place. Hopefully they’ll keep her distracted enough so that the time passes quickly.
Havoc in our day

Date: 2009.12.18 | Category: Life as we know it, family | Response: 0

Havoc – general destruction, devastation, desolation or wasting. In our case, its a little puppy that hasn’t destroyed anything as of yet. She does have a nose for socks and she always seems to find them. They can be off the floor but if we leave her unwatched for a minute or two she’ll come out with one. It’s like “hey, look what I found!”

Jessica likes the puppy

Puppy training is not without issues but it does help to be down to two dogs. She picks up alot from Duke and that certainly helps us out. Hopefully she doesn’t pick up any of his bad habits. She is crate trained (miraculously) but house training is still going to take some more time. Yesterday, for example, she woke up from a nap to follow us to the basement. When she got to the laundry room where we were standing she decided she had to pee. There was no warning – simply, I’ve got to pee. Great.

They like each other

She and Duke get along great – when I went to the back yard I found them snoozing in the same dog house. She follows him practically everywhere he goes. For the first week she slept in the same dog kennel with him and she snuggled right up to him. Now that she is in her own kennel I no longer get to sleep in. As soon as my alarm goes off she reminds me that she has a small bladder and that she needs to go outside. Reminding me is a good thing – not pooping on the floor is a good thing – and I’ll grudgingly take her out early in the morning as long as the arrangement continues.

She really likes Duke
Time will tell

Date: 2009.11.11 | Category: Life as we know it, family, work | Response: 1

Due to the federal holiday I am not required to be at work so I’ve got a few things planned. I’m heading to an animal shelter to check out a dog that needs a home. We’re hoping that we can provide that home. We’ll see how it goes in time. They want all other dogs to meet the one you’re planning on adopting. This is no big deal – the big deal is that the shelter is over an hour away. So, if for some reason it doesn’t work out Duke is going to have a long and boring day in the car ahead of him. I’ve got a few other “projects” that require my time. Unfortunately, its little too cold outside to finish one or two of them. I have the appropriate clothing but a specific temperature range is required to finish something. If it warms up before noon I’ll be in business. If not, well, time will tell.

Jessica, on the other hand, is at work today and wishes she could be with me. On top of that, she didn’t wake up at the right time this morning so she is working on a massive energy drink. I hope that her heart doesn’t explode at some point.
Feeling a little bit restless

Date: 2009.09.09 | Category: Life as we know it, family | Response: 0

On Saturday I woke up feeling like death warmed over. Jessica started feeling like garbage on Sunday morning. Since that time, we haven’t been able to do much. Sure, we scrounge for some food and leave the house to get the necessary supplies but we have to trade turns with the walker/shopping cart that we both cling to for support. We’re both fairly active people and having the stamina of a half drowned cow is really starting to get on our nerves. We may have all of the ambition in the world but we don’t have the strength to get anything done. When was the last time you felt winded when you went to get your mail? (If you’re over the age of 65 that question doesn’t apply.)

We went to lunch (courtesy of Jessica’s parents) and slept for most of the day. Yes, that’s about as exciting as it has been around here. We were planning on a BBQ but we postponed until the quarantine has been lifted. My sister is headed out next week so I can only hope that we rid ourselves of the funk – my sister would probably hold it against me if she flew across the country and I ended getting her sick. She doesn’t like to be sick – and I don’t want to die.
It was quite fun

Date: 2009.08.24 | Category: Life as we know it, family | Response: 0

Over the weekend Jessica and I traveled across the country to mess with my parents and attend Grant and Sheena’s wedding. The second part of that sentence probably made sense but the first part should have you asking questions – let me divulge the details.

We’ve been planning on attending their wedding for more than six months but I thought it would be hilarious if I could surprise my parents by simply “running into them.” My sister and I were in cahoots on the operation and I think it was an overwhelming success. Weeks ago my sister found out that my parents were planning on going to the state fair. She coerced them into changing their plans so that she could “go with them.” Little did they know that I was planning on meeting them there. Through a series of text messages we coordinated the surprise. I knew that they were planning on parking at SE Polk H.S. so we arrived early and sat waiting in ambush. There was a shuttle bus that provided easy transport to and from the fair for only a few dollars. We ended up parking in the same row and as they walked by I stepped out and said “hey, what are you doing here?”

Watching shock, confusion, and realization on someones face is quite a bit of fun. I found out later that my dad thought someone called him old man and he didn’t recognize the voice – when he saw me he really didn’t know what to say. In fact, it took him an entire bus ride to the fair before he could comprehend the whole thing. The weather wasn’t cooperating with us on our trip and we ended up leaving during the middle of a rain shower in the early afternoon. Jessica, a lifelong Washington resident, was the only one that really appreciated the rain.

Rain shower at the Iowa state fair

My parents headed home for the day and Jessica and I drove around Des Moines for a bit looking for something to do. A while later the rain cleared up and we decided to head back to the fair. We hadn’t thought about returning to the fair so we had forgot about getting wrist stamps. I had to sweet talk the ladies at the gate when I showed them our ticket stubs and they relented and let us back in. We stopped at the petting zoo on our way through the gate after getting some chocolate covered bacon. If you like chocolate and you like bacon you’ll love the combination.

Mmmmmm bacon and chocolate.... on a stick

I didn’t want to go to the petting zoo because it meant facing my fears. Many years ago… lets say about 16 years ago, I started my visit to the fair by walking through the petting zoo. All sorts of animals were inside and all was glorious and wonderful. That is, until I met the llama. I started to pet the llama and it decided to thank me by sneezing (or spitting) all over me. Lets say that I wasn’t a fan llamas from this point on.

I had to face my fears this time around…. damn llamas.

Damn llamas

Jessica stopped a few places to grab food on a stick (there are over 50 types) while on our way to a hall full of merchants.

Mmm.. food on a stick

As soon as we walked though the door I saw someone I recognized – granny. For those not in the know, I am the only person on the planet that calls her granny. I point her out to Jessica and tell her to watch this. I yell out “Hey granny!” and spent the next minute laughing at her reaction. This was one of the few rare instances in the history of her life where she had nothing to say. I thought she had actually unhinged her jaw because it nearly hit the floor. After she recovered enough to speak the first words out of her mouth to Jessica were “let me see the ring.” We all laughed. I love that lady.

The wedding, the primary focus of the trip, was fantastic as I got to see many friends I hadn’t seen in years. It was also nice to see two of my best friends finally get married – after almost 9 years.
I should be doing something more important

Date: 2009.06.27 | Category: Life as we know it | Response: 0

It’s a struggle to stay occupied on the weekends when the rest of the time zone is sleeping. I have a few things that I would like to do but I need the freedom to make as much noise as I want and I really need the warming glow of the sun above me. Sitting around is hard to do and it starts to wear on me physically after a while. What else can I do? The dogs are sleeping. Jessica is sleeping.

Luckily, I have one last weekend in the dark and a few more days of work and I can resume my normal life. I’ve been watching TV but I think I’m going clean out the garage. Sounds boring doesn’t it? At least it’s a way to kill some time without making too much noise.

We have both noticed that we spend too much time in front of the TV so we’ve made an effort to spend a little more time with our noses buried in books. I’m working on a new book by Henry Rollins and a book about Home Brewing. Henry has always been an inspiration and I always get a kick out of his books – its a shame he has been avoiding me. I don’t stalk him per se but I feel that he schedules his shows to avoid me. If I am in the desert he is in the states touring. If I in the states he is in the desert doing a USO show. If I am in Canada for the weekend he is in the Seattle area. Lately, I haven’t been able to win. He doesn’t have much coming up on the calendar for this year but I hope some more dates show up soon. I’m reading the home brewing book because I caught an article about making cider… strong cider. Our 2nd annual Halloween party is coming down the pipeline and I thought it would be a cool idea to make our own cider instead of making death grog like we did last year. Research got me on a bunny trail and soon after down the rabbit trail I went and I found that making cider and beer aren’t that far from each other. I only need a few more pieces of equipment to make beer so if I can squirrel away the money Jessica will hopefully give me the go ahead. It sounds fairly simple and it could actually be fun. We’ll see how it goes.
Well….

Date: 2009.06.18 | Category: Life as we know it | Response: 0

I had an interesting evening. I had to deliver an item and the document needed to be digitally signed so I had to bring along a toughbook. The toughbook did not work as designed. In fact, it completely locked my out of the network and nobody could fix it till after 0700. The promotion list came out at 0600.

I called Jessica when the time came and told her how to find the list – after a minute she had it up. The next 30 seconds seemed like hours. She was looking for my name and I thought she was just messing with me because she could sense my tension. After four or five more days she finally found what she was looking for.

My name was on the list… this is awesome!

I don’t get to wear the stripe until next year some time (that’s the way promotions work) but I still get it in the future. The best part is that I don’t have to test for the next stripe for two more years… and then I get to repeat the process all over again.
Stress, workouts, and the little things

Date: 2009.06.04 | Category: Life as we know it | Response: 0

Switching to night shift is always difficult and the events of this week haven’t made it any easier. I’ve found that it takes a good 4-5 days for me to get my internal clock adjusted to working an off shift. I need copious amounts of caffeine to make this work because I can’t stay busy enough to keep myself awake. I’ve tried to keep myself busy but there have been times when I caught myself dozing while standing up. Summer has arrived in the state of Washington and in the land of no air conditioning our house tends to get a little toasty during the day even if all of the windows are open. If it’s dark I can usually sleep but when its warm like this I don’t sleep quite as well.

Jessica has had a rough week. Jeff, her brother in-law, was in the hospital because of kidney stone and a brand new diagnosis of diabetes (boo!), her uncle passed away earlier this week, and she has been running on empty all week long. She has been stressed (obviously) and taking everything in like this simply wears a person down. Stress feeds stress and I haven’t been my normal self all week.

My normal stress reliever is a trip to the gym. The heat and the lack of energy due to the time shift has prevented me from getting in a decent workout. I feel like a weakling right now. Its extremely difficult to time to calorie intake so that I have some energy come workout time. When I work on dayshift I normally workout 4-6 hours after my last meal and 1-2 hours after my last snack. When I am working nights I haven’t had anything to eat in at least 9 hours. I feel like I am trying to win a race with nothing in the gas tank. I have tried eating immediately after waking but I hardly have enough time to digest. My only options are to suck it up or wake up in the middle of the night (or day) and eating breakfast. Can you imagine waking up at 2AM to eat a meal? I can’t and I really enjoy my six hours of sleep a night.

Little things at work have been driving me crazy. Communication from my shift to the other shifts is a one way street. I try to send out as much information as possible and in return I receive nothing. Dayshift may do something and have some solid reasoning behind it but without communication I feel that they have lost their damned minds. Ten to fifteen times I night I ask myself what the hell were they thinking. Oh well – I’ve vowed to get in a good workout tomorrow and the weekend is fast approaching. Hopefully I can ignore the little things and relax – this isn’t the end of the world and I need to stop acting like it is. I really want to be able to work myself to exhaustion but finding enough work to stay busy is a difficult task. I’m writing this post instead of doing something because I want to be able to stretch out my one hour of scheduled work for this evening. Motivation is difficult when you are working by yourself. When you have no communication with other people it’s hard to gauge how much work you need to finish to be a contributing member. I’d much rather work with someone I despise than work alone – at least I’d have some competition.