21st Birthday

My birthday was fabulous!!

Ahhhh California..

I've obviously been horrible at blogging during my stay in California.

I was supposed to fly home last Sunday, April 19, and spend my birthday, April 28, with Drew in Georgia. Well, when Drew got home from Cali, he found out he would be sent out to the field on Monday for ten days, and would miss my birthday. We decided it would be best for me to stay in Cali with my family and friends for awhile longer, so I wouldn't have to celebrate my 21st at home, alone.
I am excited to be staying here longer, and am having a blast. But, I would give this up just to be with Drew for my birthday. Its really devastating, especially to him. He had some kind of surprise planned for me, but as the Army is quickly teaching us, we can never plan for anything.

I will be back in Georgia on Wednesday, April 29.

I'll update again later with pictures from my trip, so far.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

The time has come!! I'm about to leave for Atlanta airport, and will be on the plane, headed home, in four hours. 

I cannot wait to see you all in Bakersfield. I love and miss you so much!!

4 hours and counting....

Katelyn

2 more days to Cali!

Well, Drew is currently on the plane, homeward bound to Bakersfield, CA. Unfortunately, when we found out that he would be getting a four day weekend this week and could go home, we couldn't change my tickets from Saturday to Thursday. So, now, I'm at home all alone, while my hubby flies to meet my family in Los Angeles. Its pretty bittersweet. I am so thrilled that he gets to go home for the weekend, but would have loved to spend more time with him there. I'll get there Saturday afternoon, and he will leave Monday. 

Then there will be another week while I'm in Cali and he is back here in Georgia... That will be the ultimate bittersweet time. 

I hate being away from him for a day... It only makes me think more about his future deployment. How will I ever survive a year without my other half?

I bought Eric Church's new album last week and have been listening to it nonstop. Eric is seriously the most overlooked country artist out there. He is unbelievable, but I never really hear much about him. Anyway, Drew heard this song and believes it was written about me. He loves it, and says he plays it over and over again because it always reminds him of me. 

No if, and's, but's or maybe's

So you wanna be her baby

I can read your face like a book

Yeah it looks easy to love her but believe me brother

It's harder than it looks

She's as pretty as a picture

Every bit as funny as she is smart

Got a smile that'll hold you together

And a touch that'll tear you apart

When she's yours she brings the sunshine

When she's gone the world goes dark

Yeah she's heaven on the eyes

But boy she's hell on the heart

Yeah she's good when she's bad

She's cute when she's mad

And she does all the wrong things right

Yeah boy it's a fact when they're made like that

You ain't ever gonna sleep at night

She's as pretty as a picture

Every bit as funny as she is smart

Got a smile that'll hold you together

And a touch that'll tear you apart

When she's yours she brings the sunshine

When she's gone the world goes dark

Yeah she's heaven on the eyes

But boy she's hell on the heart

Once you feel her touch and you've felt that rush

It's gonna mess up your head

But here's the kicker son

Your old ticker's gonna beat you half to death

She's as pretty as a picture

Every bit as funny as she is smart

Got a smile that'll hold you together

And a touch that'll tear you apart

When she's yours she brings the sunshine

When she's gone the world goes dark

Yeah she's heaven on the eyes

But boy she's hell on the heart

Yeah she's hell on the heart

I have to admit, its pretty dang true. =)

Maintain A Healthy Level of Insanity

To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity 

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair 

Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down. 

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice ! 

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that. 

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over 

Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso. 

5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana. 

6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get. 

7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face. 

8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.. 

9. Sing Along At The Opera. 

10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache. 

11. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!' 

12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run 

For Your Lives! They're Loose!' 

13 . Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have 

To Let One Of You Go.' 

14. PICK UP A BOX OF CONDOMS AT THE PHARMACY, GO TO THE COUNTER AND ASK WERE THE FITTING ROOM IS..

New Hair Pic

My dark hair with new bangs =)

I love it.

Dead Broke, But Still Happy =)

Columbus Bank & Trust is really, really making me mad. I'm not a confrontational person, but tomorrow when Drew gets home we are going to go talk to the manager and take our business elsewhere if need be.

I have yet to deposit a check without them putting a five day hold on it, which has caused HUGE inconveniences when we needed the money that day. Due to them, our rent check has been considerably late and we were threatened with eviction. This morning, they refused to deposit the large check we received for Drew's retirement plan from his previous job without putting a hold on it. Its an OFFICIAL check. I could understand them putting a hold on personal checks, but this is ridiculous. Also, I have never had a problem depositing checks made out to only Drew, as long as he signed them, but this morning that posed a problem as well. I won't be able to put the deposit in until tomorrow when Drew can go with me, which means the money won't be available until Sunday, and we NEED that money to fly home on. 

Wal-Mart won't cash this check, either, because the amount exceeds their limit. I'm going to get my hair cut and colored today, and had to cash in my collection of change to have enough money for it. Why don't I ever learn not to depend on money that isn't tangible yet? I guess I had this coming, but I continue to believe that the next time will be the exception.

I woke up at eight this morning and went straight to the bank, and fought that for about an hour with no success. Maybe Drew will be able to negotiate better tomorrow. Afterward, I went to Wal Mart's CoinStar with a purse filled to the top with change, and got $125 out of it! I love collecting change, but now my empty change bottle is a very depressing site. Its screaming at me "YOU'RE OFFICIALLY DEAD BROKE!!!" I'm going to have to find a new, hidden, place for it.

Around ten this morning I went to the gym and ran a mile on the treadmill. I'm down to a 9 1/2 minute mile! Two weeks ago I couldn't run one lap without having to stop and walk. The weather is cold and ugly today, so I used the tanning beds, which is not nearly as wonderful as laying by the waterfall pool. I went home to do my ab workouts and free weights. The gym full of big, buff soldiers is pretty intimidating for me, and when I can never feel comfortable enough to really get a good work out. Besides, I like to be my own workout DJ with my own pump-up music. 

Its almost time for my hair appointment... I'm dying it dark again and getting my bangs cut short. I'll post pics later!

I'm Alive!

Yes, I AM still alive. Boot camp did not kill me. Thanks to all those that texted and messaged me just to make sure!

I officially am grateful and so, so happy that Drew convinced me to go to boot camp. I can't believe the change that has occurred in just two weeks. I have so much more energy, am in an overall better mood at [mostly] all times, extremely motivated, and TONED. After the first week, I was already noticing definition in my arms, abs, and legs, but I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me. Last week, though, Drew actually mentioned how different I look and confirmed my thoughts. I have lost five pounds, which is surprising considering how much muscle I have gained. I've always had a very athletic build, but now its just intensified and I look like I never stopped being an athlete after high school. My tennis game has even improved, because of the strength in my arms. I absolutely kill Drew at tennis now... don't tell him I said that though.
I knew the last day of camp was going to be intense, and I was right. We went to a high school on the very top of a big hill, and it has steps leading all the way up to the entrance. We had to run up and down the four flights of steps ten times, then did five sets of lunges up the steps. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but I was the first one in the group that finished and was still able to jog back to the park afterwards. Its amazing how every day's activities intensify, but you go home feeling better and better.
And the biggest achievement... I dug out my bikini from two years ago from the bottom of the moving boxes (yes, we still have unpacked boxes..) and went to tan by the pool... and I felt confident the whole time. Last year I NEVER went out without a tank top over the bikini. Drew and I have been tanning by the pool every day this week, and we look very ready for California next week! Our apartment complex has six gorgeous pools with WiFi in the area. Drew brings the laptop out and I read a book. Its bliss.

This week I don't have camp, so Amanda and I are going to take fitness classes on post. They have step classes (which we did one class of last week), belly dancing, cardio dance, spin, water aerobics, and lots more for only $3 a class. Amanda and her husband are going to the Bahamas next week while Drew and I are back in Cali, so we both have the motivation for our last blast workouts.

Speaking of California... Only SIX more days until I'm there! And even better, Drew gets a four-day weekend so my mom bought him a last minute ticket for him to visit Friday - Monday. It couldn't have worked out more perfect, and I think he is even more excited than I am to visit. He is very, very homesick. He went out to the field again today and will be back Tuesday. Hopefully the excitement for Cali will keep him motivated this week. Only 4 more days, baby.

A ton has happened since I last wrote, but this is starting to become a novel. Drew and I have been hanging out with Amanda and her husband, Rob, a lot lately and it has been fabulous. We went to Atlanta last weekend and had a blast, although we do NOT understand the huge hype over Atlanta. Our consensus is that it is extremely overrated.

Thats all my personal blogging for today.

On to politics... Did anyone see that Obama bowed down to the Saudi Arabia king at the world leader convention?

President Obama greeted the king of Saudi Arabia with a full bow from the waist yesterday, a move one commentator described as a violation of protocol and not worthy of the office he holds. 

"I am quite certain that this is not the protocol, and is most unbecoming a president of the United States," writes Clarice Feldman in an American Thinker commentary. 

The situation developed as leaders of the world attending the G20 summit in London assembled for a photograph to mark the event. 

In this first image, after the king extended his hand while Obama approached, Obama bends from the waist until his head is nearly at the monarch's waist:

The action appeared especially awkward since among the dozens of world leaders and their spouses, handshakes abounded, but there appeared to be no other bowing in the room. 

The U.S. State Department's office of protocol did not respond to a WND request for the proper etiquette for two heads of state meeting, but the online Travel Etiquette website for Saudi Arabia said handshakes are common greetings between members of the same sex. 

This article says it best:

President of the United States Bows to Foreign King

By Bob Ellis on April 2nd, 2009

Didn’t anyone tell President Obama that Americans don’t bow down to anyone? Didn’t anyone tell President Obama that the President of the United States especially doesn’t bow down to anyone?

Didn’t anyone tell President Obama that Americans fought a long and bloody war so we wouldn’t have to bow down to a king anymore?

To my knowledge, even the Queen of England (a nation with values similar to our own) didn’t get this kind of worshipful treatment.

Is it a Muslim thing? The Saudi king is, after all, a Muslim. Is it something Obama picked up while registered as a Muslim in school in Jakarta?

I don’t want to make a mountain out of a mole hill, but when one bows, one signifies the superiority of the one bowed to. It is a gesture of submission. The leader of the most free nation in the world should not be slobbering on the ring of some king!

It was embarrassing when President Obama ungratefully gave back the gift from the British of the bust of Winston Churchill (one of their greatest prime ministers and one of America’s greatest foreign friends). It was embarrassing when the British gave President Obama a gift made from historic wood and President Obama gave the British…some DVDs–that won’t even play in their DVD players!

It’s been embarrassing enough to see other foreign relations gaffes (e.g. the red button we gave to Russia), feeling as if the White House was being run by a 9th grade school social club, but now…

It has been bad enough to hear Obama attempt to curry favor with the despots, tyrants and socialists around the world–since even before he was elected. It has been bad enough to see the President of the United States worried about what a bunch of European snivelers think of the United States. It has been bad enough to see the President of the United States treat terrorists and sponsors of terrorism as anything other than the dregs of humanity.

But to now actually see the President of the United States rendering obeisance to the king of a foreign nation, one with a poor human rights record–from which 15 out of 19 hijackers on September 11 came…I’m feeling sick (and something else, too).

And then there was his American arrogance speech to Europe. Direct quote from Obama:

"In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive."

Has he not read the memo that America is the leading force and leading nation in the world? Its not an opinion, its a fact. And now we have elected a President that believes Americans wrongfully THINK their country is superior. We are clearly not equals to other nations. Well, up until now I thought that was pretty clear...

On the Huckabee show last night, they showed a new comic of Obama giving that speech and holding up one of those big foam fingers that said "We are only 1 of 20." Nothing special, just one of many. Thats all that really needs to be said.