Golf? Sure I'll Play Golf!

This is often how I feel married to a pilot....

So some of you (who know me) maybe wondering whats up with golf? I've never played golf though I have thought of beating people with a golf club if that counts?. Turns out my *wonderful* husband is playing golf today, which I would gladly do given what I am doing. Now you may rightly ask "who cares?" If any of you remember this post it seems today is about the same as that adventure, just in a different way. This is along the same line as before, with my husband who is away at work gets to play, while I (for lack of better word) don't. I love the sign in the picture, I bought and I often feel as if I do EVERYTHING around here!!

So for those of you who don't know we are (trying) to sell our house. We don't have to or anything, but we have decided to get someplace smaller here, and probably someplace where ever John is based. So they are having a realtor tour tomorrow morning sweet, whatever right? John and I did a ton of weeding out and re-arranging (aka staging) before Christmas so that parts done....But with as many critters as we have it's constant cleaning, and we have no cleaning fairy and of course putting the Christmas decorations away, along with Christmas presents that are languishing around.

You see, the last time John was home he wanted to leave the tree up (fake) and lights on just a little longer since we weren't here for Christmas this year, he wanted to enjoy them......but guess what this means? It means I get to enjoy taking all of it down by myself, and trying to figure out where to put it. For those of you that know me (and now those that don't) patience is not my most redeeming quality....and you know what really tries my patience? Christmas lights!! I HATE them, they get tangled up and I want to throw them across the room....perfect.....John (in only John fashion) put up the Christmas lights (obviously) and I'm sure they made sense to him when he put them up...but for me to take them down without the use of scissors is.....AARRGHH!! Plus then I had to try and shove the tree back in the box along with the train that he bought to run under the tree. The train was actually easier as each car had it's own designated spot...the tree...hahahaha, the tree..... I took the three pieces dumped it in the box and sat on it to close it. Good luck next year John, hope your enjoying your golf game now because that tree is going to kill you when you open the box next year!

A Great Concept

This is one of the blogs I follow

She is another pilot wife, in fact I had the pleasure of meeting her when both my husband and her husband were in the same new hire class! I really like her writing/blog about the concept of "living with no regrets." I once saw a quote somewhere (on facebook no doubt) that basically said "The things you regret the most are the things you don't do." I *try* and live like this (within reason/financially). I'm at the point (dear god am I THAT old?) where I've realised with some things there might not be another chance to do them, and while expensive and sometimes annoying to work out the details, it is worth it.

For instance this
trip. (You have to scroll to the top of the page when it links..not sure why, but I'm tired of trying to get it to work right) At the time buying a last minute r/t ticket to LAS was a complete (and expensive) pain and I wasn't even sure I was going to go until the day I needed to fly out. It was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to go in the sim, and I'm so grateful that the stars aligned and everyone was nice enough to let me go! Big thanks to John's sim instructor, sim partner, and vp who approved me to be there, and my mom who watched the fur children!


There are always reasons not to do something, mostly with us it's financial and logistics of who is going to watch all the fur children, but you have to think to yourself "Am I going to look back later in life and kick myself for not doing this?"

How well do you know someone?

So as much as I make fun of John (sometimes well deserved) we know each other really well. For example I went a got a new phone today (iphone!) but lets back up a little. Last night my phone took a dive and couldn't find a signal on Sprint..except to roam. So I thought my phone finally had bit the big one, understandable given the fact that it's what? 6 years old? So John leaves for work today and on the way into town I told him I was going to get a new phone later, ok so that's the last time I talk to him, that's all he knows.

So I go to find out what is going on with my phone and find out ALL of Sprint is down something about working on the network...whatever I don't care. As a side note you would be horrified (at least I was) the number of people that came in the store crying and screaming that their phone didn't work and how were they supposed to call their mom/dad/sister/friend/hooker?? I was saddened by humanity. Anyways since I've driven all the way into town I decide what the hell mine as well get a new phone. (There is a LONG confusing back story here, simply put John took my upgrade last year because he HAD to have a smart phone so I took his). So I pay for everything the girl promises me that we have the right phone numbers on the right phones (in order to get upgrade I had to very temporarily switch phone number with John), of course we can't confirm the numbers are correct again because our coverage is out and John is on a plane. Whatever...

I go home, swap the house phones around because for some reason the cordless one upstairs wasn't working, of course John saw this when he was home...his solution=unplug it....sweet that helped now. Anyway I figure out about when his plane is supposed to land and try to call him on the house phoe...no joy....mmmm..this could be interesting, still no coverage at our house so the cell still isn't working. About an hour after he lands he calls, turns out that (of course) they still had the number screwed up so he couldn't call anyone on his phone, the only number he could call was Sprint. So my husband who knows me so well, figured out that his phone wasn't working because I had taken his upgrade and the numbers got swapped. So he called and got the numbers flipped around. As he's telling me what he did he said "well I figured something like that (number swap) had happened so I fixed it." We are 2000 miles apart and he managed to fix what I screwed up without him actually "knowing" what I did.....THAT is when you know someone!

A New Definition of "US"

So my wonderful husband called the other day after flying with one of his favorite CA's (whom I met when I was down there and took pictures of them taking off and landing). The conversation went something like this:

John: I showed Bob (not his real name) the pictures you took of US when you were down here and he really liked them.
Christy: (thinking he liked the pictures of John and I in the German Restaurant? He must have been humoring John)What? You showed him the pictures? We only took a few on New Year's Eve of US at the German Restaurant.....
John: What? What are you talking about?
Me: What? Now I'm confused..
John: You know the pictures you took of US (meaning him, Bob, and of course the MD-80)
Me: What?? (Light goes on!) Ohh you mean US, as in you and Bob..US...
John: Yep those pictures!!

And there you go folks the new definition of US is defined as: John, his buddy, and the airplane!

Shaved Cats!

Thats right...I said shaved cats....now some people (I'm sure think its mean) think it's weird, but when you have 3 long haired cats in the house, I have learned it's a necessity. Just wait until summer then we have shaved dogs. But getting back to the shaved cats, as you can see from the pics this is one of the happy contestants...also note the huge clumps of cat hair next to him, that is from AFTER I shaved him (imagine what everything looked like before!). When I washed the couch covers yesterday they were spotless, that hair right there, is why I shave them. Now yes I could just brush the crap out of them but they aren't real happy about that...now you may be thinking they aren't happy about being shaved (and looking like rejects) BUT they are surprisingly good for it. I did this while John was gone even, so I held and clipped at the same time with no drugs! The one cat actually likes it and rolls over on his back for me to clip his belly, the other two tolerate it. But it makes it a lot more tolerable here in the house!

I Hate New Year's Resolutions

So as a rule I HATE New Year's Resolutions, and never follow them...Ever. Of course that's really not much of concern for me anymore...because I don't make them. On the other hand if I were to make them (as you can see I have possibly done this before) my number one would be to workout more/loose weight. Not that I'm overweight, but I could stand to loose a few pounds around my stomach, some of this has to do with the bizzillion surgeries I've had. I have tried this resolution before, the last two times I "really" worked out it was a fastrack to surgery (apparently working out helped my ovary self destruct, and also I ended up having a tumor taken off my chest)...so naturally I'm a little guy shy of this whole workout thing.

But I was reading this blog
and thought it was really good, not just for New Year's Resolutions, but for any kind of goal in life! Now don't mistake this for some kind of personality change I'm still mostly negative/realistic but her "Ending All Excuses" does make a good case!

Cooking for One...

So being a pilot's wife is kind of like being single (esp since we don't have kids). One of my most frequently occurring problems is.... food. Mostly because cooking for one person is hard, most recipes are for at least 2-4, and if you get a recipe for 1 it's got such crazy measurements in it a mathematician couldn't make it work...what? you say I need 1/2 an egg???

So this is how I solve my problem most of the time...
My Favorites:
1) Campbell's Chunky Baked Potato with Cheddar and Bacon Bits....Hands down favorite!!
2) Instant Lunch Chicken Flavor....I eat this more than anything else..
3) Spaghettio's.. chop up a hot dog and throw in some cheese..yummy!
4) I LOVE Lucky Charms...but cereal in general is good.
5)Oatmeal...this is a newer on to me as John left this here so I figured I'd give it a try..not bad..
6)Popcorn...the old stand by...

So pretty much these cover everything....The problem is when I deviate from this list...for example John's been gone for what? ever? (he had training this month) so I made potato soup in the crock pot (that for once turned out well) but I ate if for 4 days!! And I'm not talking just dinner..lunch AND dinner....and yes I did freeze a serving of it!

Since I clearly didn't learn anything from that experience I decided I wanted BBQ the other night...so I got out a 1lb of hamburger meat from happy cow, cooked it up threw some BBQ sauce in it and viola! BBQ! Which I then turned into a Texas type version and made a baked potato (in the microwave) stuffed the meat in it with cheese...it was yummy.....the first 3 days....after that it gets a little old.....

Not to say it's all bad, my good husband (haha good friend...but I call him the good husband!)and I regularly try and poison each other with new recipes while the real husband is gone, and even sometimes when the real husband is home. Alas the good husband sometimes has other plans (unlike me) so sometimes I am forced to fend for myself and that is what happens!

Mexican Patch Day....

So since we now have horrific health insurance, it's an HSA (which is a different blog in itself) I/we really can't afford most of the prescriptions I am on...just you give you some numbers it would cost us about $350 a month in prescriptions, and that's just what I use normally, not if we are sick. So in order to combat the astronomical effects of our shitty insurance I got my prescriptions from Mexico. SO MUCH CHEAPER....Now keep in mind I'm not buying anything "fun" no narcotics or anything like that, not to mention those are cheap here anyway. No my astronomical costing prescriptions are for migraines and my hormone patches remember this post

So I managed to get my patches and migraine meds from Mexico...now before everyone starts whining about how they might not be safe or whatever, both come pre-sealed from the factory so to speak. But what did concern me is that my hormone patches haven't been working that well recently, and those are the ones I am used to! Since they don't make my "exact" brand in Mexico I got the German (where they are made)/Mexican (where we got them) equivalent.
Since it seems recently any little hiccup in my patch leads my down a road of death and destruction resulting in an ER trip, I was a little concerned about using them...but it's not as if I had a choice, they were half the price they are here (well actually a little less than half!). So my family, friends, and I started taking bets on if the new Mexican Patches would land me in the ER or Urgent Care today....so far everyone has lost! Which is a good thing, as it seems they are working fine (knock on wood!) for right now. I supposed the real test will be when I change it again Monday but so far so good!

Pilot Rule #1

Pilot Rule #1 Thou Shalt Not Whine About Not Being Home.

So in all fairness this months schedules sucked really sucked!!!! On top of it he had training which means he will only be home 6 days this month (that does not count the 2 he was home for but was horrifically sick and we had to go to Urgent Care which is a different story).

The last few days he has been whining about not being home much, he wanted to come home for 2 days, in which I told him don't bother. Now don't think I'm awful for telling him not to come home, but it really didn't make sense for him to come home. Here's why:
1) he's still *kinda* sick so I want him in a plane as little as possible though if he didn't blow out his eardrums already he won't now..probably....
2) By the time he would get home I would be at work and he would have to sit in the airport for about 3 hours before I could pick him up at night.
3) Then I have to work at least half the day on Saturday...the only day he would be home for a full day.

At this point I didn't/don't see much point for him to trek all the way home, he however is whining about it, which in general annoys me. It's not like he didn't know that being a pilot he would be away from home! You don't say!

"My liver is screwed"

So I have wanted to write a blog about this for some time but wasn't really sure how... I happened to stumble upon someone who already had! So for those of you who don't know I have endometriosis, it is explained excellently in this great blog Life with Endometriosis

I have had about a bizzillion surgeries, and have had a complete hysterectomy. But the fun doesn't stop there! I ended up in the ER on Christmas Day as mentioned in my Christmas Poem
The reason for this ER visit is that since I had a hysterectomy I am/have to be on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which for the last few months has been some what for lack of better word, "out of whack." This means that I get migraines all.the.time. Unfortunately for me I got one on Christmas Day...then started throwing up, so I couldn't keep any of the medicine down...so on to the ER we went. The ironic thing is I told John on the way there "My liver is screwed." We often joke about this because of all the medication I have been on and I am on. Ironically in the aforementioned blog she says the same thing! Who knew this was a common phrase among us Endo sisters?

My Christmas Poem

So my Christmas/New Year's was pretty crazy and busy...rather than right about what happened I put it in poem....my version of the "Night Before Christmas."

Crazy Ass Christmas...


T'was the trip before Christmas and all through the house

everyone was stirring perhaps even a mouse.

The truck had been packed with less than a care

in the hopes that I would soon get the hell outta there.

The animals were snuggled all safe in the back

while visions of sugar plums danced while they yacked.

While me in the front along with puma the cat

had just settled down to drive forever at that.

When out on the road there was such a shudder

I turned back home before the truck went a flutter.

Back to the computer I ran in a dash

hoping to book tickets that wouldn't cost me much cash.

Success with free tickets, send me away

only to turn out at the airport I must stay.

And to what did my tired ass eyes appear?

the snow of the century that all airport passengers fear.

When I spy a poor old F9 driver so sad and quick

I knew in a moment he must work for the "Revered St Dick."

More rapid than a hare he said they went missed 4 times

and this will no doubt cost you another dime.

On Delta on Airways, American, and Continental

and whoever we could ride on without being judgmental.

Into the line you must rush

to see how to get out of all this fuss.

So I call my pilot who flies in the sky

to shout about what is happening and why.

Up to the front of the line I flew

to find out my ticket was book on American anew.

Then in a twinkling I heard on my phone

my husband calling to let it be known.

That I would be staying the night in a hotel,

because the roads to my house had closed...what hell!

I schlepped all my bags, boxes, and cat

onto the hotel with all of my crap.

In the morning I got free breakfast for my trouble,

and back to the airport where American charged me double.

By the time I arrived in Chicago I'm not merry

and want to beat the shit out of the Christmas fairy.

Little did I realize my fun was just beginning

back to the airport I drove to pick up my husband who was grinning.

Two days I got to see my husband before

he flew off to Ft Lauderdale for work once more.

Then quick as flash back to the airport I drove to get him

and on Christmas Eve at midnight by now I'm quite grim.

But my fun was not over, because I got sick myself

what better to visit an ER on Christmas day...when else?

After receiving two shots which I dread

the rest of the day passed in my happy floaty head.

Lucky for me I had a few days to shirk

before following John to Ft. Lauderdale for work.

Could barely stay awake till midnight on New Year's Eve

then my one day at the beach it was 30 I was peeved!

Then back to ORD I went like a missile

and waited for John to appear looking official.

The next morning again to the airport for our O'Dark thirty flight

And we finally made it back home before midnight!

Gone forever!

So it's been FOREVER since I have posted anything...mostly since I have been gone (ABQ-ORD -FLL-ORD-ABQ) since Dec 17..well 18th if you count the fact that my flight was cancelled on the 17th....so many fun Christmas stories..which I promise to get caught up on soon! This however was my view from the hotel in FLL 2 days ago (really only 2 days, seems like forever!). I somehow having the worst luck end up with my 1 Day at the beach being one of the coldest days ever in FLL... a balmy 35 degrees! So I went with option B while John was working, sitting at the table playing on my new christmas toy (ipad) and drinking, that way I could still see the beach at least!