Sans Surgical Steel

After 6 years of forgetting I even have it... I have finally decided to remove my navel ring. Yes, I had a navel ring and now I'm left with nothing but empty space.

I got it done along with a friend as one of those foolish things you do when you're young for shits and giggles. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would and it was an experience I suppose.

I decided to take it off because I didn't really care for it anymore. I guess I grew out of it. I kept forgetting it was there and since I ripped half of it out a couple years back, it has always been more sensitive. It kind of stuck out a bit more than it should so I was always a bit paranoid. I decided I should remove it and be left with a normal navel ring mark than an ugly ripped piercing scar.

Adieu, navel ring! It was great while it lasted!

I *heart* Baking

I've discovered a new love for baking! I never really had the time/space/equipment to do much of it before and now I've sort of developed a routine of baking some deserts on Sunday so we have them for the week. Js approves.

Here is my latest...

Vampire Cupcakes
(inspired by the almighty Pre!)

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate chips, whole raspberries and almond shavings. A definite fave around here!




This week, I'm making some brownies with Skore pieces and chocolate icing. Om-num-num! I'm hoping to make some Maple Leaf cookies for Canada Day next week... stay tuned!

All the best, friends!

Another milestone survived!

Last night, we said our good byes to some friends before they left for their new posting. It was a lot harder than I thought and I was really bummed out about it.

He was a great friend of Js and a great co-worker and his wife and I got along really really well. We admired their relationship a lot and she always had wise words for me when we first got here. We all agreed that it would have been awesome to get to know each other more and it would have been a great friendship, I'm sure.

It was a first time we had to say good bye to friends because they were leaving and we were staying behind. So far, we've always been the ones leaving. It was strange to see Js deal with the situation. Usually, we're saying good bye to each other, not to someone else. Seeing him hug his buddy good bye broke my heart in teeny little pieces. We left the boys to bond and shake hands like real men while us girls pretended not to want to cry.

I didn't think it would affect me that much because I've only known them a short period of time. I guess their departure came along with the realization that there would be many many more short friendships and long good byes for us. We really hope to keep in touch with them and meet again on a different posting... but as she would say "It's our life, right!?"

Weekends

This are finally back to a normal pace out here and it's nice to take a breather and blog a little... :)

There was a "Fondue" night at the Mess this weekend. I don't know when "Fondue" became "Fried steaks" but we sure as hell didn't get the memo. It was tasty (and free!) so we enjoyed it. They had huge inflatable games so the boys enjoyed batting each other around with some huge gladiator things for a bit. Good times.

It was nice to do something else than go to the bar. That place got really old, really fast. We went last weekend. We had a great time over here, drinking and talking with friends. Then we decided to go out and it was just "meh". We stayed for about half an hour and then came home. It was a giant bore.

There's a fine line between being boring and being over the whole let's-get-trashed-as-often-as-we-can thing. It's hard to keep a good balance. We're at a place right now were we want to hang out with friends and socialize but we don't want to feel like we have to drink to have a good time. I mean, sure, this town isn't that exciting but it's got it's charm and we make the best of what we have.

I'd much rather kick back at home on a sunny Saturday afternoon and read a book in my back yard (which is what I did today) than get pissed on Friday night and ruin what's left of the weekend.

Charlie-Brown-Cloud Day

This weekend has been all over the place to say the least. It's been an emotional havoc and I'm glad it's over and everyone's limbs are still attached.

"He's okay but someone shot at your cousin." were the words that woke me Saturday morning. I bolted up from my comfy bed and had a short but efficient mental break down. The 2 seconds where my head went "Is he hurt!? No wait, Js just said he's okay!" were enough to send me into panic mode. Someone tried to kill him and that just doesn't compute in my head. It's part of his reality and he was fortunate enough not to get hurt but I guess it just hit home for me. Clearly, the man on the other side of the gun wasn't well and he's being charged. I was on edge for the rest of the day... giganta-headache included.

Then, I went to try on some wedding gowns here, in town. By myself. It sucked. I kept looking at the empty chair and wished Maggie was there to make faces and say "Ew!" when I needed her to. It made me miss her incredibly and if it weren't for the fact that I know she's within driving distance now, I would have broken down and unleashed a tidal wave of salty tears in the bridal shop.

Then, last night after a long match of arguing, Js convinced me to go back to bed. I was tired and emotionally drained so it didn't help. We resolved what needed to be resolved so we woudn't fall asleep angry. I just wanted the day to be over.

Important thing is, I woke up this morning to a new day! Everyone is still alive, I'm one more day closer to when I get to see my best friend again and I spent a great day with my love.

Move aside, Charlie-Brown-Cloud, I've had my share of rain for the weekend!