...so random

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-29T07:39:00.000-04:00

Alright, many of you have asked and I haven't been so good or willing to take too many pictures of my expanding belly...but here it is.

It was really hot last weekend, so I actually ventured into a bathing suit and headed out onto the lake. Damn bathing suit didn't fit right, but it didn't matter cause it sure was nice getting into the cool water.

Getting over the whole bathing suit issue, I was so excited to wakeboard again. Glenn wasn't too sure about the whole thing...I had to talk him into the fact that although I am pregnant, I am not disabled. I had to try it and was open to the idea that maybe I just wasn't strong enough and knew I would stop if I just couldn't do it. Trust me I don't want to fall either. Anyways, didn't matter...the first pull and I was up! I couldn't do much and didn't last too long, but it was great just being pulled around the lake and made me feel good knowing I could still do it.

We had a great weekend, but I gotta admit that at 35 weeks pregnant I just don't have the energy I usually do. After a couple late nights with friends, out in the heat and playing on the lake, I was done by the end of the weekend! Anyways, hope you all had a great holiday weekend as well.

Welcome home Flying Tigers!

2007-05-25T13:19:00.000-04:00

Well all the guys have made it home over the past 10 days and I was one of the lucky ones -- Glenn was one of the first home! It was actually a huge surprise, because I wasn’t expecting him for another week or more. It was one of those bad deals, turned good. He left Iraq a couple days early to be the LNO in Qatar, however he got there and they really didn’t need him. He asked to leave early, but they kept saying NO. Well someone must have had a change of heart cause they suddenly released him and said he could go home but had to find his own way. Glenn said he never moved so fast, he grabbed his bags and headed for the terminal and begged to get on the next flight to the US. He ended up in Florida with their ANG. As he got off the plane there was a huge party for the returning soldiers and Glenn said he just walked up to some random guy and asked to use his cell phone. That’s when I got the best message from him saying “Hi, I’m in Jacksonville, Florida.”

Total shock!!! I was so happy to hear he was almost home, but at the same time I started to freak out -- I wasn’t ready for him! You all know, after spending months apart it is nice to have the house clean, fridge stocked, and most important…looking your best! Well, I only had a few hours to figure everything out so I had to prioritize what was most important -- such as washing the sheets because Boe had been sleeping with me every night. Anyways, everything wasn’t as perfect as I wanted it to be, but it didn’t matter. I found a cute outfit that best hid my baby belly and made it to the airport just in time to pick him up.

Sorry I don’t have any pictures of our home coming, but here are a bunch of pictures of random greetings throughout the week.

Not the best picture, it was windy on the ramp -- but this is the only picture I have from the last week of homecomings.

I got mail

2007-05-10T07:47:00.000-04:00

Well he might not be home yet, however I’ve had the first sign of Glenn’s return….LAUNDRY! Over the last week or so I’ve had 2 boxes and 1 large plastic tote full of clothes and military shit show up on my doorstep. I was actually kinda excited to get the packages thinking maybe there would be a gift inside for me or at least a short note. But NO, it was just his dirty laundry!

I can’t be mad…I would do laundry and many other things, just to have my husband home again. But I must say there was a little bit of disappointment; I thought there would be something more exciting inside (and I’m not talking about Iraqi desert sand). I even went through the pockets of the bags, jackets and clothing thinking I might find something. And then I got really desperate, I actually smelt a couple pieces thinking it would remind me of Glenn. No luck -- at least it didn’t smell bad, just that stale/musty nothing smell. (Did I just admit doing that? I sound like some sort of crazy teenage, superfan…aaagghh)

Well that is my excitement for the week. The good news, the guys are planning their trip home…so it shouldn’t be too long now.

3D ultrasound

2007-04-30T07:09:00.000-04:00

I wasn't too sure if I was going to post these pictures. Can't give you an exact excuse, except I was just a little nervous doing so. Not sure why I’m nervous, maybe it’s because I feel like he is so protected inside my belly and now it’s like I’ve let everyone in to see. Am I crazy? Please tell me that this solicitousness is just an uncontrollable motherly instinct!

I had this 3d ultrasound about 5 weeks ago. The little peanut was just 26weeks old and he probably weighed around 2lbs at the time. When we first started the ultrasound he was sound asleep. It took 5 minutes of shaking/poking/and me turning side to side to get him to wake-up and turn around so we could see his face. He never opened his eyes for us, but he sure was active. We could see him playing with the umbilical cord, sucking his thumb (or at least trying), drinking the amniotic fluid, rubbing his face…and oh ya, grabbing his 'package' (yes, it is definitely a boy).

*You can click on any picture to make it bigger*
"Hello...I'm trying to sleep in here!"

Sounds weird, but this is one of my favorite pictures.
I love seeing his scrunched up little body.
And I laugh, because that is such a Glenn knee.

Trying to find his thumb.
Does this mean I have a thumb sucker already?

Might be little, but this foot loves to kick!

"Thanks! I'm going back to sleep."

It was truly an amazing experience and it was really nice having a non-invasive, non-medical ultrasound. I loved the fact that we could just take the time to look around, see what he looks like and what he is doing in there. It was also great because I was able to leave the ultrasound with a disk full of digital pictures and a 30 minute dvd that I was able to copy and mail to Glenn.

Easter with the Family

2007-04-08T13:26:00.000-04:00

Deployments can definitely feel long for the family members waiting back home. Be that as it may, it does help to have friends and family around to make time go a little quicker. In March, I had my parents visiting me here in North Carolina and then I was going to travel with a friend over Easter, but when those plans fell through, I thought why not just head home again. So a few days after my parents left I jumped on a plane back to Vancouver.

Darin and I getting dirty
It actually worked out great because my sister recently had surgery, so I was happy to be able to go visit her on Vancouver Island and help her out a bit (or shall I say, keep her company on the couch). Easter was pretty quiet. Even my nephews are getting a little big for the holiday, but we still took the opportunity to paint eggs and have a small egg hunt Easter morning.

Nana, Jarid, and Darin painting eggs
Darin’s excitement for the weekend was getting a new Nintendo Wii…. which turned out to be a big family affair. The boys had everyone (including my mum and dad) challenging each other to new games of tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and even boxing. It was hilarious watching my dad really get into the games…I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his own Wii one day!

My dad boxing -- Wii style

Wrightsville Beach, NC (and Boe's new leash!)

2007-03-20T18:48:00.000-04:00

I’ve had my parents visiting the past couple weeks. Can’t say we did anything too exciting…generally, there was a lot of shopping and trying to decide which new restaurant we would try. But we did do some NC sight seeing and I think Boe’s favorite day was going to the beach.

I love the beach! For me, the ocean is energizing and yet calming at the same time. Boe loves all the new smells and exploring as much as he can. Wrightsville Beach is about 2 ½ hours from our house, but worth the drive every now and then. Not only is the beach beautiful, you can get some wonderful seafood.

Thanks to my mum (and my new camera we were testing out) there are a bunch of pictures of Boe and I. But you may also notice the ugly looking strap over Boe's nose. Well, I finally broke down and bought a Gentle Leader. I love Boe and believe he could be one of the best dogs in the world (yes, I’m a proud mummy and a little bias) but he has never been fun to walk. Actually, to be more accurate he is one of those dogs that likes to take you for a walk. It’s his hound nose that gets ahead of him and we end up playing a game of tug-and-war. Anyways, with me pregnant I’ve been getting scared that I’m just not strong enough for him anymore and he was going to pull me over. So with the advice of a few friends I was off to Pet Smart to buy him the Gentle Leader.

Well let me tell you, today I have a new dog. I was a little skeptical, but it works!!! Boe definitely doesn’t like the feeling of the strap across his nose, but it’s not hurting him and now I think he has gotten used to it. Nevertheless, the best part is that he has stopped pulling and we can actually enjoy a walk together. I LOVE IT!

As you can see, Boe is a huge part of my life…I don’t know how I would survive these deployments without him. He is pretty much my best friend right now. It’s really nice to have someone to come home to, he is a great listener, and he loves to curl up on the couch or in bed to watch tv. I just hope he doesn’t get too jealous when the baby comes, because we certainly spend a lot of time together now.

We miss you daddy!

Girls' Night Out

2007-03-11T10:19:00.000-04:00

Well, what do you do with a bunch of lonely, sexually deprived women whose husbands are stuck in the desert....you spoil them with a great meal and lots of drinks. Okay, so life isn't that bad, but it definitely helps to be surrounded by other women who are in the same situation as youself.

So, last night a group of us went out to the Coach Light Cafe in Southern Pines. For those of you who don't know the area, we kinda live in a weird spot for restaurants (or any kind of shopping for that matter). It is 30 minutes to Fayetteville, 30 minutes to Sanford, 30 minutes to Lillington, or 30 minutes to Southern Pines. Southern Pines is only 2 miles from the Village of Pinehurst, so I would guess that 75% of the people who live in the area are retired and/or golf fanatics. That said, the town is pretty quiet at night. Anyways, we pretty much had the restaurant to ourselves. The only other table was a nice older man and his wife. The manager came over and introduced the gentleman and said he wanted to help us out with our bill. I guess he asked when we came in what the occasion was and she said not much, just a bunch of military wives whose husbands are deployed. Anyways, we all thanked the man and thought it was so sweet that he would do such a nice thing. Now I'm not sure about the other girls, but I was thinking he might buy a couple desserts for the table that we could share...or something small like that. But no, we got the bill and he had put $200 down on our table. We couldn't believe it! It amazes me that a complete stranger would jump so quickly, to do something so nice...I guess it was his way of saying thanks.

I could go on about the generosity and kindness of so many people, but it doesn't take much to make a pregnant girl cry....so, moving on.

After dinner we headed out in search of a bar. The first bar we found was really shady and we were ready to give up when the next two were closed. But we actually found a great pub style, sports bar in downtown Southern Pines....and it was packed with people. I couldn't believe it. I felt like asking half the people in there where they came from. Anyways, we had a great time and I will definitely take Glenn there when he comes back, I really think he would like it...and it's something different to do.

How did we let DeAnn and Denise sneak out of this picture?

Thanks for the great night girls! And I'll send the rest of the pictures by email.

We're having a BABY!

2007-02-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is true…I’m pregnant!

I know this may come as a shock for some and others may of suspected it for awhile…but either way, can you believe it, Glenn and I are going to become parents! It’s still a little surreal and at times it is hard to fathom that in a few more months, my life is going to change forever.

Things seem to be going well, at least now that the first trimester has passed. From week 5 to 15 I had my head stuck in a toilet bowl and Glenn thought it was humorous that I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime. But the last 6 weeks things have been much better. Unfortunately, that was when Glenn left, so he probably saw the worst of me, except I didn’t have a belly yet.

I guess you can also tell from the pictures I had my first ultrasound. Around week 16 we had some of my blood test come back positive (for both spinal bifida and down syndrome) and I was referred to a perinatologist for an in-depth screening. To make a long story short, the baby looks great and everthing should be fine. Can you see in the picture...he is sending us the thumbs-up, telling us that all is good!

Oh ya, we also found out that we are having a BOY!

Glenn was ecstatic...although, he claims there was no doubt in his mind that it wouldn't be a boy. I, on the other hand, was going to be happy either way as long as the baby was healthy – I know sounds cliché, but I think most pregnant women would agree.

So I hope my faithful blog readers won’t be offended that I’ve kept this my own little secret for so long. It was just my way of dealing with things and wanting to make sure that everything was going to be okay. But now that I am more than 21 weeks, I think it is okay to share news....I'm going to be a mummy!!!

Happy 40th Birthday Kathy!

2007-01-23T09:09:00.000-05:00

As my sister’s 40th birthday approached, I knew we had to do something special for her. It was a little hard because both my mum and I don’t live nearby, but my mum was able to recruit a few of her friends to help plan a surprise dinner. My job wasn’t too hard; I just had to make it 3000 miles (to Comox, British Columbia) without her finding out. Well everything worked out as planned and we were able to get over to the island and be waiting at the restaurant for a big surprise.

The biggest surprise was that me, mum, dad and a friend from Calgary all made it in from out of town to surprise Kathy. I haven’t seen Kathy since last spring, so I was definitely the big surprise for her….and the tear said it all.

Me and Jenn (from Calgary) setting up for the party
We were able to spend the next 4 days on the island and make Kathy’s birthday a weeklong celebration. Everyone had a great time and I’m so glad we were able to give Kathy some wonderful memories she will never forget.

Jarid, Kathy, Alan, and Darin

Another Deployment

2007-01-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

Everyone who is part of the military knows that deployments are inevitable. You know it going to happen and you try to do everything to prepare….but it doesn’t matter what you do, it is still never easy.

Honestly, I think one of the hardest parts is the time leading up to the deployment. It starts with the tan uniforms entering the house, writing “Ott” on every piece of clothing, stuffing two A-3 bags with everything they could possible need in six months, visiting the lawyer for a will and a POA, calling banks and insurance companies…..and so on. Then comes the day you have to drop them off and say goodbye...

That said, Glenn has left on another deployment. But I have to say, that now he is gone I have a small sense of relief that we can stop talking and preparing for it, and we can get this deployment over and done with!

Saying our last goodbye at Green Ramp
So the guys have headed off to Iraq. I know it was a little rough for them getting settled and Glenn got hit with the flu his first week there...nevertheless, things seem to be going well now and I’m just looking forward to the day that everyone gets to come home safe and sound.

Learning to shoot a handgun

2007-01-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

I guess I should start here with telling you just how afraid I am of guns. There are so many reasons, but the biggest is that I just don’t trust them. Glenn has always said he wanted to teach me to shoot a gun, so that maybe I wouldn’t be so scared. So for Christmas last year Glenn got me a gift certificate to Guns Plus (yeah, aren’t I a lucky girl). Anyways, the gift certificate sat on my dresser for a year and Glenn finally asked when I was going to use it. So Glenn and I made it a date and spent a whole afternoon with a 9mm handgun, going over the safety features and teaching me how to shoot.

It is definitely harder than I expected.

Not too sure if this is something I should be proud. But I should thank Glenn because it did help me get over some of my fears.

I actually hate to admit it...but I had fun. I think I may even be up for going again someday.

Christmas in Portland

2006-12-25T10:32:00.000-05:00

Well we didn't get to go home for Christmas, but we had the next best thing and that is spending it with family. Right now, both Erich and CJ are living in Portland. Erich is busy with his first year of dental school and CJ (and his girlfriend Chrystal) are down from Fairbanks, living it up in the city. It was bit of a full house, with 5 adults and 1 bathroom, but we had a great time and can't thank the boys enough for letting us visit.

Glenn, Me, Erich, and Ashley at a Portland Trail Blazer game

Glenn has some great memories of Portland. During his 4 years at Oregon State, Portland was the big city they would go to on the weekends to party and see concerts. Some of Glenn’s old college friends still live in the area and we were able to get in touch and visit a few. Glenn loved getting caught up with what’s going on in everyone’s lives and it was great for me to finally meet some his friends, whom I’ve heard a lot of stories about.

Mike, Steph, Achim, Glenn and me

We also got to visit with Jamie, an old high school friend of Glenn's. Jamie and her husband live on a georgous farm just outside Portland. I am so glad I got to meet Jamie and it was fun hearing some really old 'Glenn' stories from his high school days.

Me, Jamie, and Glenn at the bonfire.

74th FS Christmas Party

2006-12-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

This year Glenn's squadron had their Christmas Party at the beautiful Oates House at Wood Lake. It was a lot of fun and I haven't had the chance to get dressed up like that in a while. Anyways, here are just a few pictures from the night.
Take note...it's me in a dress.
Who knows when you will see that again.
Everyone lookin' good!
Who brought the lobster?
Don't ask...but it was funny!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T08:59:00.000-05:00

One of the great benefits of living in the south, is that you can deep fry just about anything. And there is no better way to celebrate Turkey Day, than with a juicy deep fried turkey. It made my job easy! Our good friend Jason came over with a fryer and we got to watch the guys sit around outside as the turkey fried itself. As you can guess, dinner tasted great and it was wonderful to sit down and celebrate with friends.

The rest of our long weekend was celebrated with Glenn's brother and his daughter Katie, who came to visit from Pennsylvania. We really didn’t do much, just a lot of sitting around watching movies and we let ED glue himself to the playstation. But we did take some time to make a few good meals, including one night that we did a full halibut and salmon fish fry (ummm….my favorite).

Katie and I prepare the fish for frying

Glenn was trying to find a way to beat Katie at Uno

Valdosta, Georgia

2006-11-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

On my way home from Tampa I was able to make a short detour to see Noel and her new beautiful baby, Salem. The last time I saw Noel was in June, at Denali National Park. And the crazy part, Noel was 7 months pregnant. Now, 5 months later and more than 4,500 miles away from Alaska, Noel is in living in the south with her husband and her new gorgeous baby girl.

Unfortunately, my visit was short. But it was so nice to sit and enjoy a Starbucks coffee with Noel and her mom and get all caught up. You also know when you have a great friend when you can sit down for just two hours and it feels like old times.

Thank you Noel! You look amazing, and I love seeing you as a mommy. Can’t wait for our next visit, and I promise next time we will have a bit more time.

Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay

2006-11-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

Overall, I had a great trip to Tampa….but really, it was pretty quite. We didn’t do much, however Sunday I was able to steal Glenn for 5 hours so we could go to Busch Gardens. And for those of you who know me well, I LOVE roller coasters! So you can guess that I had a great time.

I don't know what it is about roller coasters, but they make me feel like a kid. Glenn was really excited too, and I haven't seen him like that in a while. We are such losers, we even wore our running shoes so we could hurry to the next ride (and there were a few times we got back in the same line so we can do the ride again).

One thing I didn't know about Busch Gardens is that it is a zoo, as well as an amusement park. So don't worry, we didn't forget to check out the animals.

Glenn with a Florida Gator

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T21:43:00.000-05:00

Well for those of you who don’t know, I’m on the road heading down to Tampa to see Glenn for the weekend. It’s his Birthday Friday and thought I would be the kind, loving wife to drive 600 miles to give him his present….isn’t he lucky!

I’m traveling to Florida with Alli and Charlotte. Pretty uneventful so far….we dropped off all the dogs at the Pet Resort and then headed for the interstate. South Carolina is pretty boring, from the highway, and the only excitement had was a huge truck blowing out a tire in front of us (18-wheelers should not be going 85mph in the left-hand lane).

Tonight we are in Savannah, Georgia. Don’t have time to see anything (or go looking for any ghosts, they say Savannah is one of the most haunted cities in the United States), but we just came back from dinner and I had some great Cajun shrimp! We will back on the road tomorrow morning and should be into Tampa early afternoon.

So I guess you could say, no Halloween for me this year. Actually, I shouldn’t say that….Charlotte got dressed up in her Belle princess dress for dinner. It was so cute, and she got the most looks in the restaurant.

Anyways, I hope you all had a great Halloween!!!

I'm Guilty!

2006-10-28T10:51:00.000-04:00

It’s true…I’ve been ignoring my blog! I’m so ashamed and I won’t give you my list of excuses, or try to elucidate further details why my cranium has been so far removed from my body…or more simply put, I’m such an luftmensch (definition: one more concerned with airy intellectual pursuits than practical matters, aka an airhead). So instead, my guilt-ridden self will just fill you in on what the hell I’ve been doing the last month!

Well the biggest news is my parents came to visit. I think they gave up on me. I haven’t been home in over a year, so they decided to come see me. (ha ha, my psychosomatic game worked: if you wait long enough, they will come to you -- just kidding Mum)

Anyways, it’s been a month long affair. You see, my mum is clean-freak (I can say it because she will agree), so it took me a few days of cleaning and organizing to have the house up to par for their arrival. Then there was three weeks of visiting, playing with the grand-dog, doing a few side trips, shopping, eating out, and more cleaning of the house! Needless to say, to finish up the month, I needed the last couple days to sleep and make my house look lived in again!

I hope that didn’t sound like we didn’t have fun. Quite the contrary! We had a great trip…check out a few thing we did over the past month:

(ps - I back dated the last 4 entries)

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2006-10-16T16:19:00.000-04:00

In Canada, Thanksgiving in celebrated on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering Pilgrims and settling in the New World, Canadians give thanks for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada compared to the United States, due to the simple fact that Canada is further north.

This year I’m thankful that I was surrounded by some of my family on Thanksgiving (honestly, I can’t remember the last Canadian Thanksgiving I was home for). Anyways, dates didn’t work out perfectly since we were on the Outer Banks for the official Canadian Thanksgiving….so, I decided to delay it a week and by doing so I was able to have my Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Doug here with us too.

I think this is where I need to be a little honest. I did have a bit of an ulterior motive wanting a turkey dinner. Two things: (1) I love turkey dinner (and I haven’t had a traditional turkey dinner in a long time) and, (2) I don’t know how to cook a turkey. So my plan was to have two of the best cooks, here in my kitchen, to show me how it's done.

So, Turkey Day arrives and I’m committed to learning how to cook a turkey. But this is all I heard: “just do this….oh, little bit of that…couple spoons full, maybe more….and in the oven for 5 hours or so”. Aaaghh!!! Can we start over???

Anyways, in the end we had a wonderful turkey dinner! Not sure if I could duplicate the whole process again....but that's okay.

Raven Rock State Park

2006-10-16T13:09:00.000-04:00

So while we waited for our Turkey to cook I took everyone for a hike at Raven Rock State Park. Raven Rock is a large park with hiking trails that lead to the Cape Fear River. It’s nothing compared to hiking in Alaska, but it’s nice to get away from the main highway and feel like your in the middle of nowhere.

Aunt Bonnie and I found the best camping spot!

Be Careful Uncle Doug!

We Made It!

Wings over Wayne Air Show -- Goldsboro, NC

2006-10-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

Well it seemed like we only had time to come home, get a few loads of laundry done, and we were on the road again. But this time we only headed 90 minutes away to Goldsboro, NC for the Wings over Wayne Air Show at Seymour Johnson AFB.

The other nice surprise we had for the air show was my Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Doug from Ottawa, Ontario were able to drive all the down to NC and meet us. It was so great to see them and fun for Glenn to walk them around the planes and explain was he does for a living.

Aunt Bonnie & Uncle Doug with the A-10

I’ve been to a lot of air shows in my life but this one was a lot more special because Glenn got to fly the A-10 in the Combined Armed Demonstration. The regular demo pilot was there to do his show, but there was an additional part where Glenn and Varmint did fly-by’s as they blow stuff up on the ground to make it look like bombs were going off. It was fun for us on the ground knowing he was up there, but most of all Glenn said he enjoyed it and could see all of us waving our arms frantically as he taxied by the crowd.

Glenn's first pass over the air field

Glenn talking to people after the demonstration

Road Trip to the Outer Banks

2006-10-12T14:55:00.000-04:00

The first week Mum and Dad were here, Glenn took some time off work and we all headed to the Outer Banks. The good news, the weather held out….the bad news, I had the flu! The glands in my throat were the size of golf balls and it felt like my ears were going to fall off, but I was determined not to be the wet blanket and spoil the fun.

Here is a map of our road trip:

We traveled in a clockwise direction...first heading to the area of Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head & Manteo. We spent a few nights in Nags Head at an old Bed & Breakfast called the First Colony Inn. It is really pretty and being so old it had a lot of personality. But I think the best part was having a few beers at night, in the hammocks on the old veranda and listening to the sounds of the ocean.

Mum and Dad on the beach at the First Colony Inn

It was windy...check out Boe's ears flapping around

Only 15 minutes from our B & B was the town of Kitty Hawk and the famous beach where on December 17, 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic first flight. There is a small museum with a full size replica of the Wright Flyer and marked spots outside where you can see the 4 flights made by the Wright Brothers.

This boulder marks the spot where the first airplane left the ground.

Before leaving the area we went over to Roanoke Island to the Fort Raleigh National Historic site. This is the location of the first English settlement in North America (1584 – 1590) and the famous “Lost Colony”. Besides a small museum there really isn’t too much to see. In the summer there is an outdoor drama performed at the Waterside Theatre, but we were too late in the year and missed it.

Next we headed down the Outer Banks to Hatteras Island. At the end of the long island is the largest lighthouse on the east coast, Cape Hatteras Light. The lighthouse is still used today, although, it was moved inland 3000 feet in 1999 due to erosion of the shore.

Leaving Hatteras Island is done by one of two ways....you turn around and go back -- or take the free ferry to Ocracoke Island. Obviously we went for the ferry! The island of Ocracoke is small (actually, I should describe it as skinny), can only be accessed by boat or small plane, and consists of a single paved two-land road from one end to the other. The village of Ocracoke is located at the far end of the island and has a population around 700, but can easily double in the summer with tourists. Tourist love it here… it has great beaches and fishing, and is home to the oldest operating lighthouse in NC and the second oldest in the United States. Another great reason to love Ocracoke, there are no chains for franchises! The most popular restaurant on the island is Howard’s Pub…the food was great and their beer list was huge, with over 200 beers to choose from (not bad for a small island with only ferry access).

The next morning was on to another ferry, this time over to Cedar Island. I have to comment this but really my Vancouver Island friends will only understand, but the 2-hour ferry only cost $15 and it included a reservation. You guys are being ripped off! Moving on….Cedar Island isn’t much but from here we were able to take an bridge back over to the main land. For lunch we stopped at Beaufort, known for being the oldest town in NC and home of the famed pirate Blackbeard.

So that was it. After lunch we headed inland and realized we had almost completed the circle... and in only 4 hours were back home in the Sandhills!

Peanut Butter M&M's

2006-09-27T19:54:00.000-04:00

For my birthday Glenn got me a beautiful card and my favorite Peanut Butter M&M’s and mini Reese Peanut Butter Cups. I know, your thinking, that’s lame…but you see, Glenn had bought my birthday gift earlier. He bought me a new wakeboard and it would of done me no good getting it right now, at the end of the summer.

So, where is this going…

Well, by the time Glenn got home from work last night all the Peanut Butter M&M’s were gone. Yes, the whole family size bag gone! I wasn’t going to tell him, but my guilty conscious got the best of me. The worst part, he got mad and couldn’t believe that I had “no self control.”

But that’s right, when it comes to chocolate covered peanut butter….I have no self control!

Step 1: I admit, I have a problem.

That said, my solution is easy…I don’t keep any Reese or M&M products in my house.

Anyways, it’s not that bad, I don’t crave M&M’s. And I’m not totally psychotic, I don’t go running out to the store just to buy M&M’s, and I can stand in line at the supermarket without having to buy a package. But, if they are sitting in a bowl, on my kitchen counter…they are asking to be eaten.

Why does it seem like only girls have these uncontrollable tendencies? Or am I the only one with a problem?

(Now I need to worry about the bag of mini Reese Peanut Butter cups in the back of my freezer)

Happy (30th) Birthday to me...

2006-09-25T14:09:00.000-04:00

I remember a decade ago thinking 30 was old...and alas, now I am 30!

"Oh, how time flies!"

I've been worrying about this day for a few months now. To me, it seems like 30 is the new 21....the age of entering into adulthood. You can get away with things in your 20's, but now, it's like we should have it all figured out and there are no excuses.

Nevertheless, I have some incredible memories of the last 10,680 days of my life, and overall, I am proud of where I am today. I also must not forget, that I have an amazing husband, a wonderful family, and a ton of great friends, whom I all love dearly.

Me yesterday, enjoying the last day of my 20's

So, as I move on into my 30's, I'm looking forward to many new and exciting times ahead. I can guarantee that Glenn and I will move again in the next year or two (and who knows how many other times in our lives) and quite possibly start our own little family (don't go getting too excited yet). But honestly, my melancholic views of turning 30 are slowing dissipating, as I realize that time does go fast, life is meant to be celebrated, and you're only as old as you think you are.

Boob-Honking

2006-09-22T10:36:00.000-04:00

(Don’t worry…I promise this is a clean blog)

Yesterday, as I strolled the chip aisle of the commissary, wondering if I could actually buy Glenn his favorite Sea Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips and get them home without opening the bag, it happened. A young (well not that young, do I still consider myself young) happy couple walking side-by-side towards me, her pushing the cart and him ever so nicely putting his arm around her neck, over her shoulder, and dropping his hand over her boob and giving it a big old HONK! Aaggh! My mind is thinking, “No, he did not just do that”….but worse, I must of gasped out loud, because the couple suddenly stopped. The poor girl looked at me with eyes of embarrassment, and he, with his hand still over her boob gave me that look of, “what did I do?”

Anyways, what seemed like a long frozen in time moment was over, and all I could do was rush to the end of the aisle (sorry Glenn, no Kettle Chips). I peaked around the corner to see if the couple was in the next row yet, and thought, instead of risking the chance of running into them again, I would skip the next 8 aisles, go straight to the dairy section, pick up my blueberry yogurt and head for the cash.

So guys, here’s the lowdown on boob honking:

Boobs are great….and go ahead if she wants, give them a grab (a nice, sexual way) or a even a honk if you like, but keep it at home, the drunk nights at the bar, private parties or with close friends…

BUT please do not honk your girl’s boobs at the supermarket!!!

(ouch…am I getting more conservative in my old age???)

Washington DC

2006-09-19T09:46:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Glenn and I took the time to head up to Washington DC. Not only did we want to see a few of the memorials and national museums, we made plans for Glenn's brother Ed to meet us there for a visit.

We arrived late Friday night, checked into our room at Fort McNair and set our alarm to wake up early the next morning. Saturday morning we succeeded in waking up early, getting breakfast and taking the Metro down to the National Mall, only to find out the museums don’t open till 10am. Oh well, it was a nice morning to sit on the steps of the National Gallery of Art and watch all the runners go by. (This city is a runners paradise, there were literally hundreds of runners on the streets of the mall….if I only knew, we could of brought our running shoes too)

We had to meet Ed at 11am, so we only had an hour to check out the art gallery. My highlight was hearing Glenn ask the security guard, “is that really a Monet, I mean the real thing and not a fake” and the security guard staring back at Glenn with the expression “who’s Monet?” Anyways, the art gallery is beautiful and there is tons we didn’t see, so it goes on our list of things to go back and see one day.

At 11am we found ourselves running down Madison Ave to meet Ed, Liz and Katie at the Natural History Museum. Few minutes late, but we made it and found them without a problem. The Natural History Museum is awesome for kids (and us adults too) with lots of hands on displays. Glenn seemed oddly fascinated with the bug exhibit, were as I enjoyed the animals (even if they were stuffed) and the 45-carat, deep blue Hope Diamond (they say its over a billion years old). One day I would love to visit the museum with Mama Ott; not only would she love it here, she is a great biologist and wonderful teacher.

Later that afternoon we crossed the Mall to the Air and Space Museum. Glenn and I had been to the museum before, but we both love aviation so much we can visit over and over again. After touring around the displays for a few hours (and by this time our legs were starting to hurt) we sign up to see the 3D Imax “Walking on the Moon.”

After the movie we were ready for dinner. Ed, Liz and Katie said they were up for anything so we all jumped on the Metro and headed for an Indian restaurant we found in our tour book. You always take a bit of a chance trying a totally random spot, but dinner was excellent. Glenn and I love Indian food and I think Ed, Liz and Katie were impressed too.

We had a great day but we had to say goodbye at the Metro station. Ed and Liz had to go pick up their two younger boys who were spending the day with her family, and head back to Philadelphia.

Sunday morning we woke up to the most beautiful day. We quickly packed up and headed back down to the Mall, this time to see the memorials. Last time we were in DC it was snowing and not as pleasant walking around the park. So we took our time and checked out the WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Washington, and Lincoln memorials.

Well that was it….we headed back down the highway and was home by dinner. It was short, but a great trip and it was wonderful seeing Ed, Liz and Katie. Next time we get together should be Thanksgiving at our house…and Sam and Jacob will be here too.

Am I officially part of the bloggosphere now?

2006-09-18T19:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I don't know where to start, but I guess I will first thank Andrea. I’ve been thinking about writing a blog for a while now, but it wasn’t till I read her exciting adventures (Dawson City and the emergency landing was the best) that I thought this is something I need to do.

I'm not sure why I’ve been dragging my heels doing this, the web is nothing new and the bloggosphere has been exploding for years. I’ve had my own website for a while now, except I only ever used it to sell things (most recently Buddy’s boat, which I hope the sale went through because I erased it this weekend). I’ve had great intentions, and I still do, that one day it will be a site for Glenn's family, filled with pictures and updates of the whole Ott gang. I also have a myspace page. It's fun, and Glenn and I have found some old friends using it...but it just doesn’t feel like the right place to write a journal.

Nevertheless, here I am getting ready to turn 30 and thought it was a great time to start something new. (I know, I've probably said something like this before, but really this time is different) Anyways, most of you that know me well can commonly consent that I am terrible at sending emails and keeping in contact...so instead of waiting for me, please add me to your list of favorites and enjoy this blog of “my life and it’s random findings."

ps ~ To my Mum and all my friends who are teachers & linguists, please ignore spelling and grammar, its never been my strong point (and Jill 'my editor' is still back in Alaska)

…...oh ya, and comment are always appreciated!!!