As deployment has gotten closer and closer, I’ve found myself with very little desire to write blog posts. To my readers, I’m sorry! I know my lack of updates are disappointing. Take my excuse or leave it, but either way, I apologize. I’ll get back to updating soon. I promise!

Previous Fridays

1. I love when you hold doors open for my Gramma.

2. I love that you found Dragon Age: Origins just for me!

3. I love your brilliance, even though it means you usually win.

4. I love you making me breakfast, especially when it involves French toast, eggs, and/or bacon.

5. I love watching you with kids.

What it is – What it do!

Leave, in the Army, is taking time off from work. Basically, it’s vacation time. You save it up and then spend it, similar to how you save and spend vacation hours at a civilian job.

Block leave is a block of time usually several weeks long when the whole unit takes leave at the same time. Block leave is usually given around holidays such as Christmas and before and after deployments. It’s supposed to be optional (after all, you’re “paying” for those days with your “vacation hours”), but usually soldiers are all but forced to take block leave because, if they don’t, the officers in charge have to come up with work for them to do and people to supervise them.

Pre-Deployment Block Leave

It has been going well for us so far! Hubby and I took a short vacation that included a lot of time in the sun. Two all-day trips to amusement parks and a day and a half at the beach! Hard to decide which part was my favorite! I think Hubby’s favorite was Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and I do have to admit that was quite a fun day. We rode the Poltergeist at least three, maybe four, times. That is my new favorite rollercoaster!

The beach was, of course, lovely. The only downside was getting stung by a jellyfish for the first time. I couldn’t believe how many jellyfish were in the water! I’d never seen anything like it! Sea World was fun, too. The sea lion show was my favorite part of that day.

I was somehow able to make it through the whole trip with very minimal burns. Hubby got to worst of the sun, but he has a nice tan to show for it now. Finally his torso skin color matches the color on his hands and neck! (Silly Army tans are even worse than farmer tans.)

To sum things up, here are some pictures from the trip!

Several blogs I read are participating in this weekly meme that was created by Wife of a Sailor. She has a linky to all the blogs that are participating, so if you’re interested, head on over there!

1. What is something you wished you’d learned to do earlier in life?

I wish that I had learned to make daily exercise a habit when I was younger. I never really exercised as a kid or teen. Now, I’m trying to do it, and it never seems to stick. I have to fight myself every step of the way because I’m just so un-used to it. This is one thing that, when I become a mother, I really want to help my children learn early on. Be active every day!

2. What is your biggest pet peeve with the military?

I just hate the disorganization. You’d thing the MILITARY, of all things, would be the most organized unit. Our country needs the military, right? We need them to be able to take care of certain things – quickly and efficiently. Argh! If I were running things, by golly, they would be running much more smoothly. Communication, people! Seriously!

3. What tourist attraction near you have you never seen?

Hrm, I don’t know! I haven’t seen the museums on post, for one thing. Does that count? There aren’t really any tourist attractions in central Texas – that I know of!

4. What are you avoiding doing right now?

I’m avoiding my habit of worrying. My hubby and I are leaving on vacation in a matter of hours, and we’re not finished packing, he’s still at work, and I’m due at the doctor’s office in 10 minutes! Hubby is supposed to be picking me up. So, rather than stress about that, I’m using the spare minutes to update the ol’ blog.

5. Wine, beer, or liquor?

I’m very picky about my wines. If I can find one that basically doesn’t taste alcoholic at all, I’ll take wine over anything else. But otherwise, shots are the way to go. Get it over with.

Previous Fridays

1. I love you for saving me from a billion crickets every day! You’re my hero!

2. I love you for taking turns cleaning the litter box.

3. I love when you help me cook by chopping the chicken/veggies/whatever.

4. I love playing Ragnarok with you.

5. I love your non-scrawny-ness.

Oh hai!

I missed the first five Fridays, but as they say: Better late than never! Several blogs I read are participating in this weekly meme that was created by Wife of a Sailor. She has a linky to all the blogs that are participating, so if you’re interested, head on over there!

1. What is your spouse’s best feature?

Physically, gosh, I don’t know. I have to pick one? It’s really a three-way-tie, but if I have to pick one feature I’d pick his arms. Especially in the last year or two, they’ve gotten even bigger! I should really post a picture of his PT shirt. He ripped the sleeves apart one morning doing pushups. I love being held by his big, strong arms!

2. Mild, Medium, or Hot sauce?

Hot! As Sharone says, “It’s not spicy enough unless your nose is running.” Last Saturday, Hubby had to inform me that something I was eating had jalapenos in it. I couldn’t even tell.

3. What is the worst uniform you had to wear for a job?

I actually only worked one job that had a uniform. It wasn’t too bad, but it did have its downsides. You had to wear all white – white slacks or skirt and white non-t-shirt. The only problem I really had with it was making sure nothing was see-through. Now I have these white slacks that I never really wear because I never really understood when it’s okay and not okay to wear white.

4. You have invisible powers… where is the first place you would go?

I think the first place I would go would be to Hubby’s work to see what really goes on there. Not out of suspicion, just out of curiosity. “We sat around.” What does that really mean? I just will never understand what they really do at work until I can see it for myself.

5. What’s left of your “to do” list for this summer?

Block leave! We’ve got a short-but-awesome trip planned for next weekend, and I’m really looking forward to it. Did you know that Sea World has a program that allows active duty military (and I think veterans, as well) to visit for free and take up to three dependants with them for free? One of our friends from our FRG informed me of this fact, so we had to arrange to go to Sea World on block leave! Check it out here if you don’t believe me! Other than that, summer is almost over, and then we’re moving into fall and deployment, which I don’t really want to think about!