Honeymooning

Paradise.

This time I can tell you that it's taken me a while to post because I've been working! I'm so glad to be out of the house and contributing again. And now I'll try to remember the honeymoon almost 2 months ago. 

Soldier and I didn't take a honeymoon the first time around, so we decided to do it right this time. Two days after the wedding, we were off to an all inclusive in Mexico. Our flight left hella early after a few long days so that was super fun. I think the first flight left at 6 am, which meant we left the house at like 3. Gag. The good news is our flights went fine. We had a layover and breakfast in Dallas where we ran into many other honeymooners. Thankfully Soldier and I didn't have the cliche Mr. and Mrs. or Ball and Chain or Just Married shirts. They made me roll my eyes; I don't think it was because of how tired I was. 

After a few more hours we landed on a beautiful, sunny island. It was pretty easy getting through customs, and we used a site that took care of getting us from the airport to the resort so that was nice. They kept trying to get us to sit through time share or resort presentations and sell us stuff, which was super obnoxious. I just wanted to drop my stuff off, get a drink, and get in the pool. 
Finally we got checked in and to our room and opened our bottle of welcome wine. The best decision we made was to get a swim up room. So after a couple of drinks we waded out to the pool bar from the room. Ah-may-zing. 

A lot of our time there consisted of hanging out on the beach and by the pool. A couple of days in we had scheduled a dive so I could get my certification. For some reason I was really panicked and tossed and turned most of the night from the knots in my stomach. The next morning I had to force myself to choke down breakfast and continued to fret. 
It was pretty much a goner before it started; even jumping in the water i started getting the panicky feeling. I felt like I really wasn't prepared and didn't know what to do. Breathing on the regulator was weird and unnatural. We did see some really cool stuff: a couple of huge lobsters, an octopus, lots of fish, a barracuda or two, and the reef. It was ridiculously beautiful. 

We surfaced and I asked Soldier if he would still love me if I didn't do it again. As amazing as it was, I hated almost every minute of it and just wanted to be back up in the air the whole time. So we cancelled the rest of my dives and Soldier scheduled a couple for the next day. It actually worked out well because he got to do a wreck dive, which probably would have terrified me. So it was a win-win. 

Then it was back to beach and pool and booze. One of the cool things about the all-inclusive was they planned activities in the afternoons; one was archery, the next (when Soldier was diving) was rifle shooting, and our last afternoon was a foam party. I was pretty proud of myself, I wasn't half bad at the archery, and I looked like I knew what I was doing. 
The foam party was super fun, but I have no idea how people do that in clubs. It's sticky and gets everywhere and the saving grace was that we could jump in the pool. But damn it, it was fun! 

Our last day...well most days, we stumbled our way to breakfast and a little hair of the dog. (Soldier wisely says "you can't be drunk and hungover at the same time.") We got out fine but the airport was absolutely bananas. It took for freaking ever. Like somewhere between 2 and 3 hours...I was honestly getting a little concerned we'd miss our flight. And the majority of that time was just checking in; we got through security in a snap. But the flights went fine and my wonderfully caring mama brought me a winter coat that I'd forgotten to ask for. 

We had another couple of days back home which were of course too short. I basically spent the entire time crying because saying goodbye is the WORST. The W.O.R.S.T. 

But, those are the basics. We had a great time, minus a couple of alcohol induced arguments, and I'd be happy to solely have all-inclusive vacations from now on. 

Is it too early to go back now?

Wedding Bells Pt.3

Time to party.

After the family pictures we went to a park with some weeping willows and nice fall-colored trees with the wedding party. All the pictures didn't take nearly as long as I expected so we had time to run to a local brewery for some more pictures and a few drinks. 

I had talked to one of the owners and gotten permission to take some pictures back in the brewing area, which I was pretty excited about. It wasn't a big area so just Soldier and I got to go back, but we got some cool shots. It turned out that we actually had a lot of time, so we all had a couple drinks and some of the guys got a pizza. 

Off to the reception. Our entrance song was Danger Zone because we're fun and silly and it totally didn't take me weeks to decide on that. Just before we made our entrance, Soldier told me to just follow his lead and stick to the right. When we got out there, he spun me around into a high five...it was adorable. We're adorable. Totes adorbs. 
Somehow we got there a little late or they didn't serve dinner on time or something, but we only had the photographer for a limited time so we basically had to do everything at once. 

First we did the toasts while dinner was starting. Rockstar Sister did mine and made me cry. I think about it and cry. She started it by saying she had such a hard time writing it because she realized she had been writing it for the wrong person; she'd started writing it for the little girl she used to dress up and, yup, I'm crying again. Soldier's brother had some nice things to say about how he and Soldier both married their first girlfriend and some other cute stuff. 

We were able to eat for like 5 minutes, then did our first dance. It was Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight. Then we had our parent dances (at the same time) to a sweet version of You are My Sunshine. My parents used to sing it to us kids when we were mad at them. Then we quickly cut our little cheesecake for the camera, and I wanted to get a couple of pictures outside at the marina. 
Just as we were walking out the door, a friend of Soldier's stopped us. Now, the background on this guy is he's one of the most unreliable people anyone knows. Days before the wedding he still hadn't RSVPed and told us that he just might show up, possibly with his wife and a couple of their kids. Anyway he stopped us and angrily said he had to go pick up his kid. He asked Soldier how long we'd be there, how long we'd be in town, etc, and I was on the verge of telling him we were trying to do stuff, and he ended with "don't have kids till you've had all your adventures." It was one of the most cringeworthy but funny things I've experienced. 

Back inside we had time to shove a couple more bites in our faces before...I dunno. Something happened. People started talking to us or something. Then dancing started and then they brought out the cake. Which I had NONE of because I'm a damn DISGRACE. I'm so disappointed in myself! The rest is pretty much just a blur of dancing and drinking. Although I do remember seeing people eating our tiny cheesecake later on because they're super tacky. 

It was somewhere between 11 and 12 when we left. Some people were going to after party at the in laws, and we considered going but figured we'd probably just get drunk and pass out there. So we went off to the hotel. In the room I realized 2 things: we had a large jacuzzi tub, and I was starving. After actually eating, I had another realization: I forgot the hook to undo all the buttons on my dress. Soldier was really patient and didn't even complain that he had to take care of it. 

I insisted on a bath because the jacuzzi was there, and we had a drink while soaking. 
Oh! I forgot something fun. So one night at my parent's house I went to make a drink and grabbed a bottle of vodka. Turns out it was empty. I started to yell until I saw a button...and it turns out it had a scrolly message on it! So when we got to the reception there was one of those bottles on our little table with a congratulations message on it. It was the coolest! 
So we had a drink with our fancy vodka and passed out immediately after. Not in the tub, don't worry. That may have led to drowning. 

The next morning we stumbled our way downstairs for that crappy hotel breakfast buffet and went to spend some time with our families before we jetting off to sunny Mexico.  

Wedding Bells Pt. 2

I do...again, still, always.

I'd like to blame my lack of posting on a new job or something but, alas, I cannot. Although I have been job searching and making healthy, delicious meals with all my new kitchen toys...and maybe playing some Candy Crush. 

I believe we left off on The Big Day. 

Unsurprisingly, the alarm went off way too freaking early. With a quick shower and base makeup, it was off to the salon. Mom-and Sister-in-Law arrived at the same time I did, and one of my bridesmaids was already there. As a bonus, she brought her son and sister. MIL and SIL brought breakfasty foods and mimosas, so that was nice. 
I had picked out a couple of hairstyles a la Kate Middleton...they looked very similar and I wanted to mush them together into one. What I got was...nothing like what I wanted. It was okay. The real winner was 14 year old niece. When I saw her the aunt in me wanted to tell her to take the makeup off, pull her hair down, and put on some dirty jeans; in reality I almost cried at how gorgeous she looked. But that's skipping ahead.

After the salon I had time to run back to my parent's house and mostly finish up my makeup. I was hoping to do a nice dramatic smoky eye, but it didn't turn out all that dramatic. So, in a nutshell, my look wasn't exactly what I'd hoped. Can't have everything, I guess. 
Just before I needed to leave, my niece and nephew arrived. My brother has recently gone through a lengthy and painful divorce, and he specifically requested that they be able to attend the wedding and a bit of a reception. I haven't said anything about the whole situation because I don't know who's reading my blog and what consequences my thoughts and opinions could have. But here's a fun example of the way things had gone--the kids showed up very excited that grandma did face paint with mama's makeup! It took a small army and many accoutrements, but they were very cute and free of makeup. Crisis averted and no fits thrown (that I know of).  But way to be a horrible person all the time, Mama.

So off we went to church, two of my sisters escorting me. My Phantom of the Wedding was already there getting everything ready. She wanted to show me the floral altar pieces MIL ordered; it was then that I noticed the giant memorial banner. I kind of laughed about it...Happy Wedding, here are all the dead people! It was not there the previous night but...whatever. On with the show. 
My girls continued to show up and look gorgeous and I couldn't have been happier to have them all there with me. At one point the wedding coordinator came in and said she didn't like the memorial banner so, yaaay, it came down and wasn't in all of the pictures. One of the things that cracked me up: the guests were starting to arrive and one of Mike's aunts popped in and asked if she could take some pictures. I was at the mirror, which is on the same plane as the door, finishing up my lipstick. The aunt came in and kind of looked around and went "oh, the bride's not here yet?" And as I was trying to hold back my laughter my Diplomat Sister (DS) deadpanned "she's right there." I honestly don't remember how long she stayed or if she took any pictures. Maybe she was looking for a poofier dress or something. I dunno, it just cracked me up. 

Ok. So lipstick was on, the beautiful veil that my mom made was in place, and we were all ready. While we were just waiting to walk down the aisle, my Rockstar Sister (RS) asked if we should say a prayer before we went. So we all got together and she said simply (along the lines of) "may we all make it down the aisle without tripping, and may Soldier and Laura make it through life without tripping." It was simple and kind of silly, but it was touching. Then my girls left me and my dad came in. Even though we've been married for a year, I almost cried "leaving" my daddy. He even wore the decorative kerchief I'd gotten in him Paris. Even thinking back on it now it's making me tear up. Stupid feelings and junk. 

And then it was time. The door was opened and we started to walk. Everyone was looking at us, at me, but I just kept looking at Soldier. Although I did take a second to wink at my mom. I told Soldier he should cry when I walked down the aisle, but he didn't. He just looked happy...I'll take it. Mass started, and we were about 2 minutes in when I said to myself "dear God why did we pick a full Mass?!" But then SIL did the first reading, Brother did the second reading, and other Brother did the prayers of the faithful; Little Princess was next to me and DS had the ring. I listened to everyone saying the prayers and saw how many people came up for communion, and I was so glad we did a full Mass. It made my heart ridiculously full. 
When we said our vows and put on the rings, I forced myself to look into Soldier's eyes even though I'm quite uncomfortable with direct eye contact for prolonged periods of time. I was trying to take in every moment of it and appreciate all the details of our second wedding. 

And before I knew it, it was over. We had two wonderful weddings with so many wonderful people and holy crap how did I get so lucky?! 

We rushed about to make sure we got all the family pictures and...I think that's a good place to stop. I'll try not to take so long to give you the details of the party. Because you care about that. 
Cheers!

Wedding Bells Pt. 1

I do...again, still, always.

I'm sure you've all been waiting with bated breath to hear about the big wedding. I was very excited to tell you all, but also got caught up in the shit storm that is the US. But we'll just try to put that in the back of our minds for now. 


I left for the Midwest a couple of weeks before Soldier did, and for some reason I had such a hard time leaving him. My flight was in the evening and I moped around all day, tearing up and sniffling way too much. Poor guy, he didn't really know what to do with me. We got to the airport a few minutes early and had a drink, so that helped. 
Overnight flights kind of suck, but this was the best flight I've had in a long time. Everything was on time, my layovers were long enough but not too long, and my luggage even arrived to my destination before I did. Whoa. It was a good sign. 

The couple of weeks before Soldier got there were spent getting all the final details ready for the wedding. Remember those paper flowers I bitched about making? Well MIL put them together and, oh my word, they took my breath away. This one's mine. Ready for the tearjerker part? If you zoom in or look closely you can see some grass, silver ribbon, and pearl pins...those are from the bouquet my siblings sent me last year. I'm pretty sure I choked up every time I told one of them about it. 

We were also able to get in to decorate the reception space a week in advance, which was awesooome. There were a couple of last minute additions for my Phantom of the Wedding to set up, but otherwise it was done and forgotten for the wedding week. 

Soldier got in on...Monday I think. His flights did not go as well as mine: one flight was delayed and his luggage inexplicably didn't make it with him. Luckily it arrived that night. Having gotten most everything finished, we spent most of our time hanging out with our families and friends. 
We had our respective parties that Thursday. The boys went up to his family's lake house to shoot guns, get drunk, and wrestle in the driveway (in that order). 
For mine, one of my sisters planned a really nice evening of drinks and dinner. It was small and classy; she went as far as to have a menu ready and waiting at a fantastic tapas restaurant. She also had some fun questions for guests to answer about Soldier and I. It wasn't a late night and it was lovely. 

Next day we had the rehearsal. There was, of course, a little bridesmaid drama which I guess started the day before, but what would a wedding be without one of the bridesmaids deciding it's all about her? The rehearsal went well, and I got to wear my fancy party dress. 
One thing that was really important to me was making sure each of my siblings (plus my niece) had a special task. My brothers did readings, one sister carried Soldier's ring, another signed the paperwork, and the third made the toast. 

Last summer, my Little Princess (niece) and I were sitting outside and I was telling her how things were working out with Soldier, and that we planned to get married. She asked if she would get to be involved and said that she was too old to be a flower girl and didn't really want to be a junior bridesmaid (she was 13). I assured her that she would be a regular bridesmaid. She said she was probably too young to be maid of honor, and I agreed. Since we didn't have a best man and maid of honor, I decided her task would be to stand next to me during the ceremony, but I wanted to surprise her. I'm not sure she really understood until my mom spelled it out for her at the rehearsal, but I was really glad to have her by my side the whole time. She's such a cool kid.

After the rehearsal we opted to just have a party at my parent's house instead of a traditional rehearsal dinner at a restaurant. We did have it catered, but I think it was cheaper and I know it was more fun. Plus there were just a lot of people. 
Everything went well and was fun, and it was so good to have the family together. We haven't had all 6 kids in the same place in years. It again wasn't too late of a night, but you know I didn't get that much sleep. 

Next up: wedding day!

The state of the country

We have failed. 

Like many others, I woke up on Wednesday to see the results of the American presidential election. And like many others, I was shocked, confused, and dismayed. There have been so many cries of outrage, protests, riots, and hatred...and it's only been a day.

And, of course, the blame. Conservatives, liberals, the electoral college, third party voters, etc etc etc.
So whose fault is it really? Everyone's.
For not being open minded about political issues and really listening to why someone supports one candidate. For being short sighted and ego-centric. For not acknowledging that a personal belief might not be the best or only option for millions of people.  For not thinking about our families, friends, neighbors when thinking about the future of our country. For not looking at history.

And who will lose out? Everyone.
Ok, I'm not one of those "he's not my president" people  because, whether I support him or not, he is.  So I looked at his 100 day plan, and things only got worse.  (Although I will give credit that he wants to put term limits on congress, which is woefully needed.)
But, judging by his plan, Trump would like to turn America into an isolationist, militaristic country. Close the borders...build the wall...get rid of Muslims...take away reproductive rights...cancel universal healthcare (okay, I know a lot of people aren't happy with healthcare right now, but it has also given a lot of people the chance to have it)...ignore climate change...stop trying to take care of the environment...more tax breaks for corporations. Overall, just take care of the rich white man.

I'll step aside from the doom and gloom for a moment; Soldier reminded me this morning that somebody like Trump doesn't get where he is without listening to advisors and boards and specialists. Though those people would likely be more rich white men, it would give me some hope to have others there that have a clue what they're doing.


Soldier and I are currently on our honeymoon in Mexico. I wondered how people would treat us when we went out on Wednesday. I hoped that they wouldn't assume we fed into the hatred and bigotry. Of course we're staying at a resort so they're all very professional but I still have to wonder.

I truly hope the next four years go well. I hope the end of President Obama's time isn't overshadowed and that some of the progress he's worked so hard for remains.

I know that some people won't agree with this post. I do try not to get too political, but I feel very strongly about this. If we are the Christian nation that so many claim, I hope we can call on the teachings of Jesus to love and care for one another.

Even if you're not Christian, I hope you'll all join me to go forth and not be an asshole.

169 Books: Armenia

Armenian Golgotha by Grigoris Balakian

Armenia: 

Description: 

On April 24, 1915, Grigoris Balakian was arrested along with some 250 other leaders of Constantinople’s Armenian community. It was the beginning of the Ottoman Empire’s systematic attempt to eliminate the Armenian people from Turkey—a campaign that continued through World War I and the fall of the empire. Over the next four years, Balakian would bear witness to a seemingly endless caravan of blood, surviving to recount his miraculous escape and expose the atrocities that led to over a million deaths.
 
Armenian Golgotha is Balakian’s devastating eyewitness account—a haunting reminder of the first modern genocide and a controversial historical document that is destined to become a classic of survivor literature.

Bullet points are back in full force, because that's the only way I can think of to let you know how phenomenal this book is. Balakian seems like a cross between a historian and a novelist and I love it. 

• The book starts with the author studying in Berlin, and he talks about the German people's treatment of Russians. It's the same thing they'll do about 20 years later to the Jews. And it's just like wtf, Germany? Come on, get your heads out of your asses. You JUST did this. How'd that go for ya? NOT WELL. But what's really sad is this sort of thing continues to happen. And it's almost fascinating, albeit terrifying, how fear turns people into absolute monsters.
• So, off Balakian goes to Constantinople. He's a pretty observant, level-headed guy, so he sees the need for a bit of discretion, but the Armenian people are like #TeamRussia. And he's like "well, we're fucked." And he was right. 
• This group of 250 was taken by train to some sort of military bunker, and he's still pretty much the only one who thinks it might be a good idea to mind his Ps and Qs and try not to be noticed. The rest of them are all YOLO! And guess what? MURDERED. 
• At one point one of the people in exile is in a local official's office and sees an official document: "Without mercy and without pity, kill all from the one-month-old to the ninety-year-old, but see to it that this massacre is not conducted in the towns and in the presence of people."
• WHAT?! Just...WHAT!? Just straight up, hey kill this ENTIRE RACE of people but...you know...don't make it obvious. 
• He goes through each section of the journey and holy shit. Part of me has a morbid fascination with stuff like this--how can people possibly commit these atrocities? How do they justify it to themselves? I still don't have an answer for that. I won't go into any of the details because spoilers, and also it's horrendous, but it's also unimaginable. 
• Balakian has a pretty raw deal...maybe because he speaks German, or maybe because he's a clergyman, but the rest of the exiles pretty much make him to everything. Get us bread. Take care of us. Get us out of here. Bribe them to let us stay. Do something. Do other things. Dance, monkey!
• On the other hand, there were so many people that risked their lives to keep him alive. It's pretty incredible.

Guys. Whoa. Okay, here's the most important thing to say right now. Are you listening? Lean in a little closer. Closer. Closer. READ THIS BOOK. Everyone. Everywhere. Seriously. Read it. 

This is honestly one of the most amazing, devastating, mesmerizing books I've ever read. It shows the worst and best sides of humanity and it's unbelievable how this man survived. It's devastating that people keep doing this shit to each other for what? Power? Money? Stuff? Because they're different? It's sickening, but it's something that people need to know and be outraged about. 

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. After telling you once more to go READ THIS BOOK. 

169 Books: Argentina

Musicians and Watchmakers by Alicia Steimberg

Argentina is a rather large country in South America. You may remember it from the musical/movie Evita (which I actually haven't seen, but know almost the entire soundtrack to...it's on my list to watch.)
So here's the lowdown on the book:
Told from the perspective of an adolescent girl, this humorous and deceptively intuitive account of a Jewish family living in 1940s Buenos Aires tackles themes of identity and history through a flawlessly rendered colloquial style. Semi-autobiographical and charged with energy to match the young narrator's age, this episodic novel tackles issues of religious belonging, the first sparks of political awareness, budding sexuality, and the complications of an eccentric family.

I know for the previous "reviews" I've made bullet points, but I'm not doing that for this one. There weren't a lot of specific areas that caught my attention, and I think it would just be easier to give an overall. 

One thing that did stand out was the mention of the pogrom, the massacre of Jews in Russia. There have been so many Jewish massacres throughout history. It's kind of insane. 
Anyway another big theme that jumped out in this book was kind of crappy family. The women in this family seemed to completely hate and resent each other and do nothing but fight. It was honestly kind of depressing. 

The account of the childhood was a little disjointed for my liking; the stories didn't transition or connect very well. It was entertaining enough, but I didn't really see much of the humor and energy in the description. 

Toward the end of the book it gets a little political. It talks about Peron being elected and how most of the people that she knew didn't support him. It kind of spurred me to read a bit about him, and I'm confused. Ok, I haven't quite finished my "research," but so far it sounds like he did a lot of good for Argentina. There also aren't dates attached to the Peron stories in the book, so that makes it a bit harder to relate the two. 

Alright, so this book wasn't quite as entertaining or telling as I'd hoped. But my final thought is that it got me interested in learning some different parts of world history, so I'll call that good. 

Touristing

See the world at home

It's about time for another Juneau post, and this is going to be a long one laden with beautiful pictures for you to be jealous of. (And maybe some ideas of things to do if you ever make your way to the last frontier). 
So one of the best perks of my job is the opportunity to go on lots of the local tours. I mentioned at the beginning of the summer that we got to go on the zipline and to the Glacier Gardens. Unfortunately I had left my phone on the bus and don't have any pictures of those. But it was a fun break into the touristy side of Juneau. 
Another work trip was to the State Museum. I'm a bit of a nerd and really enjoy history and culture, so I loved the chance to learn all about Alaskan history just after the museum was renovated and reopened. There's a big population of Tlingit natives out here, so there was a lot of stuff about them in the museum. There was also stuff about the gold rush, the oil pipeline, and Alaska becoming a state. I had fun. 

Soldier and I started our rounds with a trip up the Mount Roberts Tramway. It's 1800 feet up to the top of Mount Roberts with beautiful views of Juneau from the top. 

 

Unfortunately I wasn't dressed for hiking, and Soldier isn't big on heights, so we didn't do a whole lot up there. But I enjoyed the view. 

Around mid-summer, Soldier and I finally had a day off together. We adulted first thing in the morning and got new passports. As we were leaving the post office I got a call from my boss telling us to head downtown right away. We were able to get on a seaplane tour going out to Taku Lodge. It was awesome to take off from the channel, and we flew by 5 glaciers. The lodge is nestled in an inlet and you can only get there (I'm relatively sure) by boat or seaplane. I was really excited and surprised to find that the Lodge has ties to our home town. The ride was a bit bumpy, but we had a really good time. AND! I finally saw my first bear! He likes to eat the blueberries and check out the salmon cooking at the lodge. 

When we got back to the dock, there was a text from my boss that we had a thumbs up to go whale watching with her and another coworker. Soldier and I had enough time to run home and change before meeting up with them to go to the boat. Not gonna lie, I didn't take pictures on that trip because I was more focused on hanging out with them. We did see some humpbacks, but it's honestly more exciting to see them in our little skiff. They seem so much bigger. 

Flash forward to a couple of nights ago, I got another chance to go whale watching with colleagues. (Meanwhile, Soldier was out catching us a 42 pound halibut. My freezer is now completely stuffed with fish. Literally. There's no more room for anything else.) This trip was a little different because we saw orcas. I WAS SO EXCITED. And it was so cool...there were a couple of pods that just kept surfacing next to the boat, almost going right along with us. 

This past Sunday we got to go on board one of the cruise ships. It was neat, we got a tour and had dinner. I've never been on a cruise, but I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy it. I told one of my coworkers that I'd spend the entire time with my sunglasses on looking down at everyone and not smiling, like I'm super important. 

Today was a huge treat. I was at work, not feeling great, just counting down the minutes till I could get out of the cold and wind. Towards the end of my shift, one of the helicopter tours was about to head to base with only one person, some others just hadn't shown up. The dock reps knew I'd wanted to do this tour to the all but pushed me into the bus. So before I knew it, I was strapped into the helicopter on my way to dogsled on top of the glacier. 

It was windy today, so I kind of started to understand why Soldier calls them flying death machines. He also calls them helio-chop-chops, which I like a lot better. And it's fun to say. 

It was cool to see Juneau from that perspective. I also loved seeing the puppies...and actual puppies, only 3 weeks old! A lot of the dogs at the camp have or will run in the Iditarod, and they would start barking and strain on the harnesses every time we stopped. 

 

 
 

Doing all this stuff is one of the reasons I wanted a job like this. It's been so worth it to get out and experience so many different adventures in such a beautiful location. There aren't many places in the world where you could do all this.

169 Books: Antigua & Barbuda

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

This one is a small island in the Caribbean:

And here's the summary:

Annie John, the protagonist of the book, starts out as a young girl who worships her mother. She follows her everywhere, and is shocked and hurt when she learns that she must some day live in a different house from her mother. While her mother tries to teach her to become a lady, Annie is sent to a new school where she must prove herself intellectually and make new friends. She then "falls in love" with a girl by the name of Gwen. She promises Gwen that she will always love her. However, Annie later finds herself admiring and adoring a girl that she called the "Red Girl". She admires this girl in all aspects of her life. To Annie this girl is the meaning of freedom because she does not have to do any daily hygienic routines like the other girls.

Annie John is then moved to a higher class because of her intelligence. For this reason, Annie is drawn away from her best friend Gwen and the Red Girl, while alienating herself from her mother and the other adults in her life. It later becomes clear that she also suffers from some kind of mental depression, which distances her from both her family and her friends. The book ends with her physically distancing herself away from all that she knows and loves by leaving home for nursing school in England.

• Let me start by saying that one description I saw of this book likened it to Catcher in the Rye. I hated that book. I even tried to read some of Salinger's other works and couldn't stand them either. Buuuut, in the interest of growing with my worldly reading endeavor, I decided to go for it anyway. Yay, me. 
• The first line is "[f]or a short while during the year I was ten, I thought only people I did not know died." Interestingly enough, I really identify with this and I've been thinking about it lately. Back home, I would sing at funerals...it was always a bit sad, but not a big deal. But every once in a while, I think about the people I love dying...and it's freaking terrifying. Like panic-inducing. We'll see where this one goes.
• Though I'm only a few pages in, we're heavily focusing on a theme of death. 
• The main character digresses, and as punishment her mum tells her she won't be in to kiss her goodnight. I remember, when I was small, having my mum tuck me in and saying that my dad would be up in "just a second." And I would say "No just a seconds" because I'd be asleep when he came up to say goodnight. Now that I'm older I appreciate it much more...Dad working hard to support six kids so Mum could stay home and raise us. At the time I would get all small-child-frustrated, but now I smile when I think about it.
• I'm a little confused about the relationships with the other girls. 
• There's a really great description of depression in this book. She says it's like a black thimble spinning around inside her, burning everything it touches. 
• The last couple of chapters got a little vague. Annie gets sick, so it's understandable that it's vague, but all of a sudden it's about 5 years later and she's leaving
• As we follow Annie to the ship, she reminisces about her childhood as she walks through town. She's happy about the decision she's made to leave, but starting to think about all the things she'll miss. I completely understand this; when Soldier and I knew we'd be leaving, I just wanted to get out. When I found out we were going somewhere I wasn't excited about, I started to see all the things I would miss.
• Annie's relationship with her mother runs the gamut during the book, but they did have a nice goodbye before she leaves. Not gonna lie, it made me tear up. I miss my momma.

I've really lucked out on the books I've picked. There were a couple of times that I was a little annoyed with the ADD feel of the book, but it wasn't as bad as Salinger. I almost wish the book had been longer to see if she ever went back or regretted severing ties. Families are complicated.  

Climbing

Higher and...not.

This summer has been a lot different than most. To be fair it was supposed to be, but it's even more different than I expected. 

I really enjoy my job. Well, for the most part...although half the time I don't want to talk to random people. But usually I start the day cranky and it completely changes. 
Okay, there are a couple of reasons for that. The majority of the people I talk to are happy and it's a bit infectious, so it brings my mood up. Maybe it's also the "acting" part. You kind of have to be "on" when you talk to people: friendly, helpful, not annoyed at the stupid questions and jokes you've already heard a thousand times. Maybe not, I dunno. The other reason are my favorites. I have 3 coworkers that I truly enjoy and (*gasp*) love. 
I was drawn to them pretty quickly, and I think...maybe just hope...that they were drawn to me as well. Let's see...one is very perky and pretty much likes everyone but he feels like family. Another started out very guarded and now has opened up and seems as happy to see me as I am him. The third is even better. We have similar personalities (although she's much cooler) and we've shared some secrets. And honestly, when Soldier and I are having a spat or whatever, I look forward to seeing her even more. 

Alright none of that information is super important. Maybe kind of background? Maybe me just saying things. 

Transition! I used to enjoy rock climbing. Uh, rock gym climbing, I have no desire for the real shit. I even have my own, relatively nice, harness. I also used to enjoy jogging, yoga, dancing, and skiing. 

But...autoimmune changed everything. I mean everything. Ok it's hard to describe if you're not sick like that, but once your body "betrays" you, you don't really trust it again. I mean, really, it's been like 2 years since all that stuff happened. But since it happened, I've been afraid to do so many things. Even simple things like squatting or kneeling concern me. I'm scared to hurt my legs, scared to get sick (the kind of autoimmune "sick" that's different from normal sick), scared of messing something up, scared of feeling like that again, scared of...I don't even know what else. Everything. 

So, to get back to the point kind of, there has been talk of being under the influence enough to climb. I can't tell you how badly I've wanted that. 
Yesterday we had a work party. It was also the day that my Soldier headed off for the weekend. He gets to see family and friends, which I love, but I hate that I don't hear much from him when he's gone. And I'm also a little jealous that he gets to hang out with them. Can I request that we inject a little bit more emotion in there? Alrighty then. 

The two of my favorite coworker gentlemen (the lady coworker was out of town) let me chauffeur them to the party, and were influenced enough afterwards to climb. Well, maybe I should add in here that I had much more fun at the party, and stayed much later, than I expected to. 
Seriously, I've been waiting for this. I've put off climbing during regular hours because I've been afraid. I've wanted to climb and try and it out. And...I climbed. Not very high. Mostly because I looked down and knew it was too far for me to just jump. 
Anyway I did it. Barefoot, in jeans. And it hurt, but it was amazing. Because I did it. After a couple of us climbed a few feet, we back tracked and just laid on the squishy floor. And I just laughed and felt so fantastic. I found out that I could handle it. 
I've tried jogging a little bit, but I'm pretty lazy about it. Even standing on my feet at the docks scares me, I wear knee braces every day. This was really actually working my knees and body and, yeah I know that it's still going to be hard on me, but I feel like I can start doing things again. You know, if I stop being lazy about it. I think I'll try to go skiing again this coming winter.

I know that these three will be gone after summer. Not just out of the vicinity...out of touch and everything. Sometimes I think friendships are like that--they're only there for a little while and you know it'll end. We won't talk anymore. I'll be sad that they're gone, think about them sometimes, and check them up on Facebook every once in a while. I know that, and I don't like it, but maybe it's just a part of growing older. But for the time being, they're helping me a lot, and they're very, very important. 
I've gotten out more, pushed my physical and emotional boundaries a little bit, and lots and lots of fun. 

I'm glad this summer has been more different than I expected. You're never too old for some adventure. 

Soul Mates

You just know.

I had an interesting conversation with a coworker last night. She said when she first met Soldier she was surprised: she thinks I'm better looking, but as you get to know his personality we're more understandable. I was a bit shocked at this. Of course I love his personality (although I'm irritated with him a lot), I find him incredibly attractive. I also just assume everyone else finds him just as good looking. Years (and years) ago, it was his eyes that first caught my attention, and I still find them captivating. I don't really understand that everyone wouldn't have that reaction. 

This morning I was looking at some of my memories on Facebook. I found that Soldier and I have been together for over a year and married for 8 months. I was a bit surprised at that, I hadn't realized it'd been that long. In most of my other relationships I've felt like it was a bit of a drag, and that if we just hit some sort of milestone it'd all be okay. I honestly started to think that that's just how it was, and maybe I was just better off on my own. It's really weird to think that this much time has gone by without me really even noticing. And before you know it, we'll have been on our Alaskan adventure for a year (which means another winter will be upon us...whiiine.) 

I'm sure I've told you guys all about how I don't believe in soul mates and "the one." Despite my love for Soldier, I'm still sticking with that line of thinking. There are still days when he's just doing everything wrong (because I'm obviously always right), or that it feels like we're just not on the same page. That stuff doesn't really feel like a relationship death sentence anymore, though. It's more like we'll just try again tomorrow. (I feel like I've heard that about parenting...but sometimes Soldier seems like a kid sooo...). 

I'm on the verge of getting mushy, aren't I? I'm so sorry guys. I don't think I've ever experienced this sort of thing. I kind of just wanted to be like "what are you talking about? How are you not in love with him? How is everyone not in love with him? Look at him! He's adorable!"

Alright. Anyway. I just had to share those weird thoughts with you guys. The moral of the story? Soldier irritates me and drives me insane, but he's my lobster.

169 Books: Angola

My Father's Wives by José Eduardo Agualusa

Angola is in western, southern-ish Africa:

And here's the recap of the book:
 When the celebrated Angolan musician Faustino Manso dies, his youngest daughter Laurentina journeys to Angola to trace the story of the father she never knew. Setting out to find the 7 wives and 18 children he left scattered across southern Africa, the fictional account of Laurentina's journey runs parallel with the author's chronicle of the novel's genesis. As the characters and their creator travel the southern African coast-from Angola through Namibia and South Africa to Mozambique-they meet extraordinary people and, along the way, discover Faustino's secrets.

• "How many truths make up a lie?" Whoa. Deep. On the first page. 
• This is written like a diary, which is kind of cool in some ways. However, there are multiple characters "writing" as well as the actual author's story, and I kind of have to guess who's point of view it is. It's irritating to spend half the section trying to figure it out.
• An essay on silences, and how many different silences there are. Happy, sad, afraid, tense, calm, dramatic, and on and on. 
• Even though I haven't read a whole lot of my Around the World books yet, I'm finding a theme about heritage and ancestry. Maybe white people don't really have such strong ties to the past...or maybe just me. I'm having a hard time understanding those potent themes.
• Ah. She slept with her nephew. Cool. 
• "A person who has no enemies doesn't deserve to have any friends."
• There's a lot of discussion about apartheid and frank deliberation about racism, from both the black and white sides. Some really interesting thoughts, I like it. 
• "Life is neither grey nor rose-tinted. It depends on the lenses through which you look at it.
• "Life is no less incoherent than dreams, it's just more persistent."
• There's an interesting twist that she doesn't take very well. Kinda sad.

This book took me for.ev.er. I know. I won't bore you with my myriad of excuses. Only some of them are good. This was definitely a thinking book. There wasn't a whole lot of action, but a ton of interesting thoughts and some discussion on tough topics. I did like the twists but didn't love the main character's attitude toward them. 

Like I said, I was kind of meh about the diary-style narration. Mostly I didn't like that, to an extent, you had to guess which character (or the author) the perspective was in. There were also a lot of references to poems, though I don't know if they're actual poems or the author made them up. Either way, it was a pretty intellectual book. Overall I liked it. 

A Shower

Good, clean fun.

Get your mind out of the gutter, not that kind of shower. Although those are also good, clean fun. 
I realized I hadn't written a post from my trip home and the wedding shower. So, very late, here it is.

Now, I may or may not have mentioned it (I think I did), but I did not want to have a shower. I used all the excuses of being so far away, the expense of getting out of Alaska, and not being able to bring gifts back. All those excuses were answered, tickets booked, and before I knew it I was headed back to the continental (or, as I like to refer to it, the real) United States. Let me tell you, I know I'm still technically in the US, but it feels like going to a completely different country with so much more stuff. More things to do, see, and buy, places to go, and people to hang out with. It's glorious!

Know what's not glorious? Traveling for 12 hours. I shouldn't complain, my sister and brother in law traveled for like 17 hours...but that doesn't make it suck less. I think I left Alaska at like 6 in the morning and got home at like 10 or 11 at night. Craziest part? When I got up in Juneau at 3:45 in the freaking morning the sun was getting up with me. THAT'S NOT RIGHT. I felt like a vampire hissing at the sun. And then it was so dark when I landed. I kept saying that the time change wasn't too hard on me, but the light change was. It was weird. 
Anyway, I got in after basically forever and got to see my parents and some siblings and the dogs and it was wonderful. And I was tired. 

The next day we went shopping. We were looking for a bridesmaid dress for my sister...it was not the most pleasant experience. I thought I was being the opposite of a bridezilla by telling them to pick whatever they wanted. What would the opposite of a bridezilla be? Hmm. Dunno. But I thought they'd get to pick something that the felt and looked good in and spend the amount they wanted. Sister decided we had to go to a bridal store and she discontentedly picked out a bridesmaid dress. Well, okay. I'm not sure she's the least bit excited for the wedding, but I did give them all the choice to opt out of bridesmaiding. 
So we moved on to the mall where I was super excited to shop. I did a great job at Sephora and then lost my excitement. I do this every time: I'm so happy to be able to shop and then remember that nobody dresses up or tries to look nice for stuff in Alaska and I lose steam. But it was nice to spend time with my mom and one sister nonetheless. 

Uh, I'm not gonna go through day by day, I don't remember them specifically. But I got to spend time with my side of the family, Soldier's side of the family, and some friends. 

The day of the shower, I was expectantly nervous. So many people, so much attention, so stressful. 

I'd ordered a dress from Rent the Runway. A beautiful, $700 Marchesa that I wore for $30. Not too shabby. So I was feeling pretty, which was a good start. I tried making small talk as people arrived and felt like a huge idiot. Things started moving along: food, gifts, chatting. And then it was over.  

That was it.

It was quite awkward. I don't really like having all the attention, especially when people stare at you while you're opening cards and stuff. But it was also really fantastic. It was a whole bunch of women who really love Soldier and I and who we're so lucky to have in our lives. As much as I didn't want to do a shower, I'm so glad I did it. I can't wait to get back home to see everyone again. But really, on the other hand, hella awkward.

Summering in Alaska

The city awakens

My next Around the World book is going to take a while (it's long with small print) so I thought I'd update you all on life here in Juneau. 
Guys. It's like a completely different place. I've lived almost solely in northern areas where things change drastically in the spring, but not like this. In the downtown area, stores close in the winter so they're all opened back up, people are out and about, cruise ships are here almost every day (Soldier said this is the last day for the summer that there isn't a ship), tours have started up, there are boats and planes going by all the time...and I have a prime view of all of it. 

Let's start with...the boat. A few of the guys at Soldier's work have a skiff, and he got a share in it. I'm not a super fan, partly because it's a lot of work, partly because it's small and doesn't feel stable and the ocean is big and has lots of creatures in it. However. It does mean fresh crab and adventures. For example, I dropped my phone in the ocean while preparing for a boat ride. This was not ideal. 
I was holding the boat at the dock while Soldier parked the car and it just slipped out of my pocket. The water was murky and it disappeared before I could even reach for it. I was pissed and couldn't even get excited at the little seal heads popping up as we passed. I take much better care of my phone now. 
But this week, we went on an adventure that turned out much better. We went to an area that had super clear water, so we could see down to the bottom and we saw a bunch of crabs chilling in the sunshine (the weather has been gorgeous the past few days). We sat on the beach with a picnic and went to check the crab pots again, when we saw some chuffing not too far away (that's when the whales spout). We went a little closer...and I saw my first whale ever! A couple of times we saw the fin and tail...it was amazing. I was so excited. 

The other day I went out with work to check out all the places our tours go. It was really cool. There are a lot of neat hidden places in Juneau. We ended with ziplining, which is pretty awesome in the mountains. 
The weather is supposed to turn back to normal (not great) tomorrow, so I've been soaking up the sun. I even went to the beach a couple of days ago! 

Lastly, I've been trying to get rid of my winter hibernation weight. Whyyyy is it sooo haaard?! And I've been procrastinating the working out by writing this. I'm trying Insanity today. We'll see if I make it through. 

Seriously, if any of you get the chance to visit Juneau, do it. It's amazeballs. Remind me to never say that again.  

169 Books: Andorra

The Teacher of Cheops by Albert Salvado

Andorra is a small country in between France and Spain. 

When Soldier was still in the Army, he told me he did some special favor for someone high up in the Andorran hierarchy. Because they owed him, I would be able to become a princess of Andorra. At first I thought he was making the country up and it was some cute little story he was spinning. Turns out the country is real, but of course the rest of it wasn't. Regardless, Andorra has a silly, special place for me. 

But, again, the author is from Andorra but the book isn't set there. It's set in Egypt. This was the only book on the list I'm using, but that's not really an excuse for me. Anyway, the deets:

This is the history of the time of Pharaoh Snefru and Queen Hetepheres, the parents of Cheops, who built the largest and most impressive pyramid of all. It is also the story of the high priest Ramosi, Sedum, a slave who became Cheops' teacher, and how the first pyramid came to be built.

Sebekhotep, the great wise man of that time, said, "Everything is written in the stars. Most of us live our lives unaware of it. Some can read the stars and see their destiny. But very few people learn to write in the stars and change their destiny."

Ramosi and Sedum learned to write in the stars and tried to change their destinies, but fortune treated them very differently. This is a tale of the confrontation between two men's intelligence: one fighting for power, the other struggling for freedom.

And away we go!

• We're starting off pretty quickly with a sex scene. Of a very young slave girl losing her virginity. Lovely.
• This is written at a pretty low level. I can't decide if I like it or not. 
• According to this book, basically everyone in ancient Egypt was kind of a twat.
• So the Pharaoh died, and everyone mourned for a week. And after that week was up, this is what I imagine happening: 
  

• Here's a really cool thought: [T]he universe is mental, it only obeys intelligence because everything is perfect. Imperfection only exists in our eyes, which only see part of the whole."
• I wonder if any of this is historically accurate. 
• Oh. Pharaoh wants to have sex with his niece. But she won't sleep with him until he marries her. Cool. 
• They're all wily fuckers.

Alright, the end. This book was okay. I'm still kinda disappointed it had nothing to do with Andorra, but it was entertaining enough I guess. It did seem kind of shallow. Personally, I like to be immersed in my books and feel like I'm actually part of the story, and this just didn't do it for me. It was a decent story, but it seemed to skim the surface for most of it. After finding out this author wrote children's books, it makes more sense...this could almost be for kids, except for the random sex scenes. They made me uncomfortable. Not in a good way. 

Anywaysies, I'm neutral on this one. Carry on. 

Fine Line

Assertive: having or showing a confident and forceful personality

For the most part, wedding planning has been tolerable. I think it's helped that I'm far away; I'm not exactly the shy, blushing bride. So far, I've used pretty much every excuse in the book to get out of the typical bridal milestones. 
The other day, I got an email from Mom in Law really pushing me to agree to a bridal shower plan. So far I'd been pretty adamant that I did not want a shower, and used excuses that I'm in Alaska, it's hella expensive to get home from here, I can't really get stuff back here, and I'll be working. MiL even went so far as to say their present would be to fly me back for it...excuse 1 down. I texted my mama to ask for some advice and she responded "Let me get this straight. She wants to fly you back here which means I'll get to see your face, and I am supposed to object?!" Mic drop. 

Well, I started thinking about it, and asked Soldier if I should just suck it up and do it. Of course he was indifferent, as he has been with much of the wedding stuff. Guys. Normally he's fantastic, and you know how much I love him, but it's kinda frustrating not getting any feedback. 
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea to do it; I'd get to visit with everyone and it would give me a chance to bring back some wedding prep stuff. But, that still leaves the problem of getting gifts back. For the wedding, we're only doing an online registry and asking that gifts be sent to us as opposed to physically brought to the wedding. 
Welp, I dusted off my assertive hat. It doesn't get much use. 

I made sure to first thank her for her generosity. As much as I don't like being the center of attention and having a crowd stare at me, it is very generous. I let her know that gifts are kind of an issue for us, and that I'd like to do something a little different. I suggested everyone bring a favorite recipe instead. 
The reply I got was that we can store gifts at home. 

This has been stressing me out to no end. What's the point of getting gifts and sticking them in an attic? Am I being ungrateful? Do I really get any say since she's being kind enough to throw the shower? 
So I thought maybe I could come up with a theme for small stuff that people could stick to. But, for once, the internet was not much help. The best I got was gift certificates, although I did run into the recipe theme a few times.
I honestly don't know what to do. (And don't get me started on the wedding guest list that she wants to tweak again. But we're paying for that so I guess we have a little more say.)

Then I start to get all worried that I'm just being a stubborn jerk. I get that some people are squeamish about the idea of opening gifts in front of a crowd (and admit that I'm one of them) but I feel like the fact that I live in m'fing Alaska is a legit issue. 

So then I got a little silly. I was once again talking to Mama (she's always my go-to when I need some advice. ...like that's unique.) and I told her it might be okay if I could figure out how to make sure we only got small things. My dad's suggestion? Diamonds. YES, PLEASE! 
Building on that, I said I'd make a Tiffany wishlist just for the shower. Best idea? Sex toys. I was joking with a friend and imagining that conversation. It was hilariously mortifying. I wouldn't make it 10 seconds in. 

Maybe a paper theme, since our wedding day will actually be our first anniversary. And how big can stuff get with that? I still like recipes. I'm not sure I'll be able to get away with it. 
While Soldier sits blissfully in his non-wedding-planning ignorance and apathy, I have the growing thought in the back of my head that we should perhaps have just stuck with eloping.