30

I had a wonderful birthday. =)
The best part was that Johnny sent me flowers. ^_^

They are so lovely. =)

They smell gorgeous, too. ^_^  It's been too long since I've had flowers in the house.
I got some fried chicken and macaroni and cheese from Harris Teeter for my dinner and a cute little birthday cake from the commissary.

I got some cute new summery shoes, as well. :)

So, I watched Despicable Me and talked to my family on the phone and had a nice birthday. :)  I didn't want to be sad just because I was by myself.  I like me. :3  And there are worse ways to spend a birthday, for sure.  I got to chat with John on Facebook for a while, too, and his internet was working well enough we got to play a game online together.  =D  My kitties were here with me, too, being all cute and furry, as usual. ;)  It was a good day. ^_^

Changed Plans

Hello, all. :)
I talked to my therapist about my medication situation.  And how annoying it is.  We decided that maybe it's time to see how I do for a little while without medicine and see how it goes.  My psychiatrist said he'd support me if that's what I wanted to do, so I'm trying it. =)  It's only been a week and a half since I stopped taking the medicine, so it's too early still, but in a few days it should be completely out of my system.  I actually had an allergic reaction to that medication and got a rash on my face and had a lot of unpleasant side effects. x.x  Happily, I've already lost the few pounds it caused me to put back on. =D
Sadly, I won't be able to visit Utah over my birthday.  My washing machine is slowly dying.  It is making weird noises.  So, I either need to spend a certain amount to just have someone come look at it and then more to fix the problem, or get a new one.  It would probably be best just to get a new one.  I'm going to try to hold out until Johnny gets home before getting a new one, but if it dies I'll need the $$ to get a new one ASAP.  I'm sorry Utah buddies! :[  Trust me, hanging out here by myself for my 30th birthday was not my #1 plan.  But, I'm going to get a little tiny cake with frosting balloons and watch Despicable Me and stuff. :)  And I'm pretty sure mac and cheese will be involved. :3

And there will be pink. ;)

Try, try again.

Well, the new medicine hasn't been going well. v_v  I seem to have had a reaction to it and I've gained back a couple pounds in only a couple of days.  I keep track of my weight on an app on my iPod and you can completely tell when I started taking the new medicine on the graph.    So, I went back in to see my psychiatrist again today and we're going to stop taking this one and wait a week so it gets out of my system and then try another one.  If that one doesn't go well, I'll probably just go back to the one that was doing well and only had the jaw clenching side effect. *le sigh*  Just something that will help me manage my anxiety but not cause me to gain weight would be good.
I'm watching To Have and Have Not and Lauren Bacall's character just called herself "too skinny."  How times have changed. Lol.  A woman wouldn't say that in the movies now for anything.  In some ways things have gotten better for women, yet in other ways things are worse.  It seems that now everything is about looks more than ever before.  It's sad.  In any case, Lauren Bacall was a knockout.  And she had such a unique way of speaking. :)

Johnny is still doing well.  I try to send him presents often.  Just things he needs or things like beef jerky or ramen noodles.  I can't send him too much because he'll have to bring it back with him and he only has so much room for luggage.  He's been able to communicate with me more often now and things seem to be getting back to "normal" for us.  We both still have dreams that we are together again and wake up alone and missing each other.  At least I have the kitties with me.  Though, sometimes I feel less grateful when they jump on my stomach in the middle of the night. x.x  They're good babies, though.  They try to take care of me.

Here Zoe is laying between me and the laptop and Miles is chilling on the back of the couch.  So cute! :3
I've been keeping up the dancing. :)  Only missed one day so far.  I've been able to do more and more lately, too.  Sometimes I get set on earning a certain score or unlocking something new in the game and keep dancing and dancing.  That's one way I knew the medicine was messing things up.  When you don't change how you eat and you work out more but you gain weight, it doesn't add up.  That's how it was before with the first medicine I took out here.  I started eating less and working out more and still was gaining weight so fast that by the time I washed a pair of pants I'd worn I'd grown out of them.  And then I couldn't get off the stuff.  That was a difficult time for me.  And I was feeling like this medicine was starting out too similarly.  I am nervous about trying another new one.  I had a positive outlook before, but now I've gotten a little scared remembering how bad it could be on some of these meds.  We'll see what happens.
In the meantime, Spring is starting out rather blustery.  It's been pretty windy and rainy but we've had some luscious sunny days that have been worth it.  The kind of days that when you step outside you take a deep breath and just let the sun soak in and listen to the birds and feel new.  I love it. =)

Oscar season has past and now Spring is on its way. :)

February went by so fast! o.o  I can hardly believe it is March already.  This makes me quite happy. =)  Another step closer to when Johnny comes back and also it's almost birthday time! >:D  Yay!
I loved watching the Oscars!  I enjoy Billy Crystal as a host.  He is so fun. =)  My favorite dress of the night was Penelope Cruz's dress. ^_^  Love!

 Gorgeous!
My favorite Oscar of the night went to Christopher Plummer. ^_^  I've been watching him act my whole life and when they said it was his first Oscar, I was amazed.  He's such a great actor.

I've been wanting to see Beginners since it came out, so I'm going to need to move it up higher on my queue!  Ewan McGregor is also in it, and he is another of my favorite actors. =)
Recently, I got Just Dance 3 for the Wii and now I am addicted. xD  I downloaded the Charleston on it and other pop and rock songs and have been having a lot of fun dancing. =D  And, hey, it's good exercise, so why not?  I love dancing with Ellen and I figured I would just dance some more.  I have a goal to dance every day. :)

I'm still going through side effects, which has been tricky, but I am really grateful to be done with the withdrawals from the other medication.  It made me so dizzy that I was leaning on my grocery cart for support at the store.  So, I'm really glad that part is over.  And I think I'm adjusting to the new medicine pretty well and I'm excited to see how things are with it. :)
Johnny is still doing alright, still safe. =)  We haven't been able to talk as frequently as before the riots started, but I am thankful that we are able to communicate.  It was a lot harder for my parents, so I know how lucky I am.  They had 2 years apart with just letters.  They are some tough cookies. ;)  Johnny also just got an award for doing a good job training some other soldiers on a different base.  I am so proud of him!  He really applies himself to his job and excels and I really admire that about him. =)
Spring is coming here.  I am very happy for it to arrive.  The birds and the spring showers and the new smells. :)  I love the feeling of renewal that comes with Spring.  Maybe I'll even do Spring cleaning this year. ;)

Baby bunnehs.  In honor of the Spring. ^_^

Lots of random stuff.

We're all healthy again! *knocks on wood lol*  The kitties have finished the medicines and I have finished mine and we are starting to get a bounce back into our steps.  They've decided to keep the same sleeping arrangement that we had while we were sick - both kitties sleep on my lap.  Clarification: there is no cuddling between them, however.  Miles wanted you all to know.  He doesn't do that. ;)
This week I've also stopped taking my anxiety medication (with instruction from my psychiatrist, not just for kicks lol).  It worked very well for me, but a side effect of it was that I would clench my jaw and grind my teeth more in my sleep which can cause damage to my teeth and even if I had my dentist make a guard, I would still experience jaw pain and headaches as a result.  We even tried adding another kind of anxiety medication and vitamins to the mix to see if that would help and it did at first but once my body adjusted to it, the jaw pain came back.  So, we're going to stop taking both of those medications and try something else.  So, I'm taking nothing for several days and then I will start the new one and see how things go.  The only bad things: withdrawals and then side effects. :\  That's going to be no fun. v.v  But, I'm getting so I can function pretty well in spite of them. :)
As you may have seen on the news, there have been riots in Afghanistan this week.  I've been able to hear from John a little bit because he can use the internet some while he is at work.  However, his personal internet will be unusable for at least a couple of weeks.  But, he's safe and alright.  I do my best not to panic when I don't hear from him for a while.  I do feel the stress of it, but I do my best to stay calm for him and just be here for him when he is able to contact me. :)  So, hopefully things will mellow out over there in the near future.  I try never to think about what *could* happen.  In one of the recent episodes of Downton Abbey, a woman's husband might die and he tells her she needs to face it.  She said she'll deal with it if it happens but not before.  I feel the same way.  I stay positive for now and I will deal with what comes when it gets here.  The thing people say to me the most when they find out I am a military spouse is, "I could never do that."  Honestly, neither could I.  But, somehow I'm doing it, one heartbeat at a time.  And I feel every beat.  Johnny's worth it.  And much more. ;)

Recently I was able to finally acquire Rachel and the Stranger on dvd with Loretta Young, William Holden, and Robert Mitchum. :)  It's one of those old west type movies.  I don't like that it paints Native Americans as the villains of the movie, though, like so many did back then.  It's an unfair representation.  But I do like the acting and the way that Rachel's character changes throughout the movie.  When I was a kid, I had a little crushes on William Holden and Robert Mitchum. :3  (Especially since William Holden was also in Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn.)

 I thought they were dreamy. xD

 The scenery in Old West movies like Rachel and the Stranger makes me miss Utah, though.  I always thought I wouldn't miss the mountains that much cause I'd been around them so long and I thought I was ready for a change.  But all of you that told me I'd miss them were right. xD  My debit card has a picture of the mountains on it and often when I pay for something here the cashier will remark on how beautiful it is. =)  I also miss not knowing which direction is which!  I always used to know according to which mountains were where.  I thought I had a good sense of direction, but that wasn't it. xD  I couldn't point out west here unless the sun were setting at the time. ;)

Also, one of the sweetest times of the year is upon us: Cadbury Egg Season. ^_^  I love this time of year.  Cadbury Eggs are probably my favorite candy of all time.  Just perfection wrapped in aluminum foil with chicks printed on it.  So, I wish you all happy Cadburies.

Things Looking Brighter :)

We're all still sick. :\  Zoe caught it as well and the vet said she has a rasp in her right lung that he's concerned about, but she seems to be doing better.  At least, running around the house at breakneck pace at 2 a.m. leads me to believe she is feeling better. xD  I've been giving them both their medicines every day but they aren't holding it against me so much anymore.  I think they can tell that the medicine is helping them feel better.  :)  And today is a rainy day which makes us feel very cozy and cuddly. ^_^

As you can see, Miles routine hasn't changed much. xD
We're watching Winnie the Pooh today.  Sometimes it's the only thing that helps you feel better. :D  I've developed infection so now I'm on antibiotics, as well. *le sigh*  So, cozy is necessary today.  Winnie the Pooh and banana oatmeal make things feel so much better. =)
We had a fun little Valentine's Day. :D  I talked to John a little bit on facebook and that evening I ordered heart-shaped pizza and watched an awesome episode of Nova (Iceage Death Trap).  It was nice. :)  I had sent my Mama flowers - red roses and white lilies n_n - a few days ago so they'd be all bloomy for Valentine's Day and that made me really happy.  Sometimes it really is more rewarding to give than to receive. :)
The rain today is making me excited for Spring to get here.  There are a few things I love about Springtime: tulips, daffodils, bleeding hearts, and lily of the valley. =D  I remember being a kid and seeing the tulip leaves starting to grow up out of the ground and it always made me so excited.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to visit home for my birthday anymore, though.  All of the trips to the vet have been costly. v_v  Also, getting my computer fixed was an unforeseen expense.  Thankfully I had taken some steps and the repairman said that I had done 75% of the work before he got there so he mostly just had some cleanup to do.  This saved me some money! =D  He even said maybe I should go work for them. xD  So, I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford a trip next month.  And I will be nervous to leave the kitties again since they got so sick from the kennel last month. :(  But, we'll see how things go. :)
I've discovered a new show that I'm loving.  When I was little, I was simply mad about My Little Ponies. And they've made a new version of it for kids these days and the little girl in me has been loving it. ^_^

Well, I'm going to snuggle into my blankey and watch Pooh bear deal with the blustery weather. ;)

Mending and Repairs

Miles and I have been sick this week. x.x  He picked up a cold at the kennel and though I tried to help him get better it kept getting worse and then I got it. :L  So, I went to the doctor and he went to the vet and we both have been taking our medicines.  It's been crazy keeping track of my 3 medicines and his 3 medicines and making sure we take them the right hours apart. lol  But, today we are both on the mend. :)  Zoe's been fine and happy, as usual. xD  After the first round of Miles's medications, though, he would peek around the corner every time he'd enter a room to see if I had the medicine in my hand.  And every time I give Miles the medications when I walk anywhere near Zoe she runs and hides because she doesn't want to be next.  I feel like I'm running some kind of weird kitty torture chamber. xD  But the medicines will be all gone soon. And we can start rebuilding the trust. ;)

Also, a virus happened to my desktop computer.  I think I killed it, but the computer's still behaving oddly so the Geek Squad will be here tomorrow to help me. =)  My washing machine has also been acting up but it will just need to stay alive and wait its turn. *crosses fingers*
Since I've been on the couch for a week and a half, the kitties and I have been watching a lot of tv and movies (pausing for sneezing and nose-blowing, of course).  There are my usual programs, Ellen, The Daily Show, Conan, 30 Minute Meals, Chopped, Ghost Hunters, etc.  But, we've also been watching some other stuff.  I've gotten hooked on a series called Downton Abbey on PBS.  Love it!  Gorgeous costumes, scenery, architecture, and the score is beautiful.  It tells a story starting around the time the Titanic went down and moves through WWI.  And, of course, I love Maggie Smith. ^_^

I've also been enjoying another British series on PBS that I'd wanted to see from beginning to end.  A mystery series taking place during WWII called Foyle's War.  One of the main reasons I like it is the stellar acting ability of Michael Kitchen.  The rest of the cast is excellent as well, with appearances by Rosamund Pike, Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, James Wilby, and many other awesome actors. :)

When I get all better, assuming I still have money left xD , I am going to take myself and a book out to Carrabba's and get the shrimp and scallops in champagne sauce and enjoy not being sick. =D  I am very excited. ;)