Putting the Super in Supervisor?

Well, things here have finally started to normalize. We have come to terms with Fletcher's situation and are a week into Chemotherapy... we met our new Vet today and Fletch is still happy as a clam and more active than a toddler on speed. Life is pretty good here in South Dakota.

BUT.

Remember how I said this position was just supposed to be a "Lead"? Ha! After day 2 of working there, they kindly mentioned that I was now, in fact, the supervisor. Wha??? What makes this funny is that I applied for numerous jobs that turned out to be supervisory in nature and I turned them ALL down. Why? Because, as I told Swiss, I have ZERO interest in being a supervisor and all that entails. ZERO. And yet, here I sit, supervisor of a lab. How in the heck did that happen? I claim false advertising!

So far it is fine. (Knock on wood please!) The workload is bordering on insane... but that is temporary as we get the new portion of the lab up and running. But the folks are all super nice and I get the sense that they sort of feel bad for me. I won't balk at pity... not this time. The worst part is that there was no supervisor before me, therefore there is no one to show me the ropes. Which is making this job training more akin to being dropped off in the middle of the Pacific and told to swim to Hawai'i with no map, no compass, no water wings. Bah!

Anyway, today (Saturday) we have the company Christmas party... I am dragging Swiss along to meet folks who's names I don't quite remember yet. Should be a memorable evening.  But until then? UNPACKING! Lots and lots of unpacking... 'cause there's nothing like company coming to get your unpacking ass in gear!

Have a swell weekend everyone!

HYSTERICAL.

This. Seriously hysterical. If you have a dog and you have moved... you will understand. And the illustrations? I die. And I'm still laughing.

Bwahaha!

From here on out I'm referring to my period as Shark Week.

via Pinterest

Hmph. Chopped liver you say?

So my new job doesn't start until early December. BUT, my boss and the HR department were planning on hiring another one of me, only fresh out of school, so younger, less experienced, etc, thus making me the Lead/Senior/quasi-supervisor. Thankfully they included me in the process (as best as they could via phone and e-mail updates) since I'd be working with them closest. We narrowed it down to two... one excessively shy but incredibly technically proficient guy and one exceedingly friendly and of average technical skill girl. After much consternation (and consultation with references) we chose the guy. Only time will tell if this was a cataclysmic mistake or utter genius.

But, I kid you not, I lost count of how many times they told me how wonderful he is and how incredibly talented he is and how lucky we are to have him.

Hmmph. Naturally(?), now I'm a little butthurt. I mean... what am I? Chopped liver?   ...    I kid, I kid. Well... sorta.

See, I would be totally lying if I told you I wasn't a little intimidated by this kid and his Harry Potter-esque abilities. I don't want to be the dumb one in charge! That would make me the lab equivalent of Michael Scott from the Office. No one wants to be him! I really just don't want to look like an idiot next to this kid. What if I end up being the weak link in the lab? What if its like he's John Elway and I'm no better than an armchair quarterback with Cheeto crumbs on his shirt?

Now, all that insecurity aside, I do have quite a bit more experience than he does and if the job goes the way I think it will, my skills will be more focused on the quality control side and the legally required stuff. But yeah, I'm worried about working with a prodigy. I bet this is totally what the doctors at Eastman Medical Center felt like working with Doogie Howser, MD (Thanks Wikipedia!).

Anyway, I am sure it will all work out fine. I am sure that, in the end, he will push me to be better. But I can't hide it. The kid makes me nervous. And I'm sort of wishing we hired the other girl just so I could be the Smart One. I know, terrible, right? But what the heck is the point of an anonymous blog if you can't be honest?

Okay, so yes, that is my rant for the day. Go Vote and keep an eye on South Dakota. It might be legal to buy pot there after today, but no, you can't crash on our couch and eat all our junk food if you are stoned. Just so you know.

Some wisdom for your weekend.

And just so you know, this is more for me than it is for y'all. 

Nooooooooooo!

It is totally snowing this morning. Not the kind that will stick or accumulate. But still. Snowing. It was 92 degrees when we left Texas. Boo hiss!!!

That is all. Carry on!

Like a lizard.

So, I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret now that our time in the Army is measured in hours. We are stationed in Texas(!?!?). Which means it is still in the 80's here. In fact, this is my favorite time of year here... it is finally cool enough to enjoy the outdoors again and it is the perfect weather for evening walks. We can finally enjoy the spectacular Texas sunsets without risking heat stroke. Amen and hallelujah!

BUT. All this warm weather isn't really doing a good job of easing me into winter. In Minnesota we have September and early October to gradually, slowly, beautifully ease us into those cold, crisp late fall and winter days. I find that just looking at the forecast for Swiss's hometown (highs of mid 40's, lows in the low30's) alone makes me shiver. I think I've turned into one of those thin blooded pansified pseudo-Southerners.

So for the last few days, I have found myself soaking in all the warmth and sun I can out on the hotel balcony. Like a lizard. I am willing myself to store all this sunshine and balmy temperatures for future use. Sadly, I don't think it is going to work. Better get out the long johns and fleeces. Sad face.

Do you think, if I ask really nicely, that the sunshine and warm weather would follow me North when we leave tomorrow???

So true, you don't even know.

Weather forecast for Minnesota.

Thursday: A chance of rain and SNOW SHOWERS. Cloudy and breezy, with a high near 42. 

OMG. I DIE. We are going to be there for that. I AM IN FLIP FLOPS RIGHT NOW! FLIP FLOPS!!!! I can't do snow yet!?!?!?! I'M NOT READY.

Seriously. I DIE. Dead. Lit-rall-y. Dead.

Know what I love about the Army?

Nowhere else do they wake you up for PT in the morning with canon fire. I'm telling you... nothing will kick you ass out of bed like good old canons. BOOM!

Our fridge is now devoid of any and all foods with nutritional value. We only have beer, milk and OJ.

Just though you should know that.

No, I'm not dead.

So yeah, with this terminal leave well under way, we have been bouncing around the countryside hopping from place to place doing mostly nothing to get ready for the looming PCS. Great plan, right? Hahahahahah!

We are currently hanging out in WI with my family, we leave for MN later this week to spend some time with them. Before we head home to Fort X, I get to stop in South Dakota (!?!) for a job interview. I'm nervous and excited and curious about this job, the employer is non-traditional (in a good way) and I've heard great things about the city despite it not being a place neither Swiss nor I would have chosen.

Swiss is still waiting to hear from the contractor job he's applied for. So yeah, we are still jobless and homeless and clueless.

And we don't have the move scheduled yet either. Yep, move.mil is still throwing roadblocks in our way. We finally got our password and now the system won't let us get to the DPS site to organize/schedule the move. Fun right? Me thinks I'm gonna get to be really good friends with the customer service folks.

Anywhoodles, that is mostly it from here. Thus far my stress level is super low (owing surely to the Wisconsin beer and baked goods) but I'm guessing the minute we hit the gates back at Fort X I'll be back into full-on panic mode. Thankfully there is a super OCD calendar and list system waiting for me on the wall.

So yeah, just thought I'd let you all know we aren't dead... we are just taking an inappropriately timed vacation when we should be getting ready to leave Army life for good. Blame Swiss.

Have a great week everyone! :)

Home sweet home...

So I've been thinking lately... we live on post, but most of my MilSpouse friends don't. Like I'd guess 90% don't. And that makes me curious.

We love living on post. Yes, Swiss's high rank allows for a larger house (though his BAH is also higher and could be used -perhaps- better off post), but we really like being close to everything here. Because we are so close to everything, it isn't an ordeal to run to the PX/Commissary/whatever and usually Swiss gets to come home for lunch. And the 'rush hours' (all 8 of them) on and off post here are RIDICULOUS so we figure it would be best to not have to mess with it. Plus we knew we wouldn't be here a whole year, so dealing with the housing office in regards to leases made a ton more sense than a landlord to us. Now, to be fair, I truly think that if we were staying in much longer or got Stop-Lossed we would still live on post. Swiss likes it and, oddly enough, so do I.

But. I know we aren't in the majority. Loads of folks live off post for a litany of reasons. Heck, most of the folks we know down here at Fort X live off post and, like I said before, most of my MilSpouse friends live off post too. So what gives?

I guess I am wondering why you choose to live off post... what is it that drives your decisions when you PCS somewhere new? Is it based on the deployment schedule, availability, location, intense desire to get away from the bugles and Humvees or do you love waking up to the sounds of Reveille and Apaches flying overhead? Does it very depending on the post you are at? Do you rent or buy if you live off post? I am super intrigued to hear your responses and reasoning!

So you tell me! You can choose multiple items in the poll... first choose where you live (one of the first 3 options) and then tell me why... either in the poll or the comments.

Home sweet home is... and why?
	On Post
	Off Post (own a home)
	Off Post (rental)
	Housing can be had for less than your BAH
	Need a break from all things Military
	Love the convenience of living near everything on Post
	Other, I'll tell you in the comments
pollcode.com free polls

Thanks for humoring me dear Readers! Hope your weeks are all off to a great start!

In case you needed a visual...

Have a super stellar weekend everyone!!! And let me know which of the above songs is now playing in your nugget? Me? Midnight train to Georgia... woo woo!!

Quilted for your comfort.

So I've been a busy sewing bee lately. These quilts are fun to make... something about making something so utilitarian and comforting with you own two hands. In any regard, I think I am getting better, though not 'good' by any measure. In any event, here's the one I just finished...

And here are the projects in the queue...
For my Mom (Christmas)

For my MIL (again, Christmas)

For us (with the fabric I won over at FabricWorm- so lucky and so excited!!!)

For one of my lucky friends who gets preggers with a girl first. Its a stash quilt... make it and keep it til it is needed!

This is the one I am working on pining and quilting now... so yes, off I go to pin until my fingers cramp and quilt until my back aches!

Again?

Oh man the yard *just* dried out....

What the eff Fort X weather??? I can't tell what's worse... 100 degree weather or solid weeks of rain and muddy dogs/backyards.

Cuteness.

So a while back, Swiss, Fletcher and I hopped in the car and drove out east to a different Army post to visit Swiss's eldest son and his family. My eldest step-son (not Kid A), who we will call Kid B just to keep things simple, is married with three girls, all at the tender age of 23 (if you are struggling with the math here, Swiss adopted him when Kid B was 5, and yes, he is only 8 years younger than me). It boggles my mind and I don't know how they do it, but I digress, I'm getting off track...

While we were out there visiting, Fletcher stayed with us at their house and the three girls (who, yes, if you want to get technical are my step-granddaughters... stop laughing and pointing... I know, I'm only 31 and I have 3 grand-daughters. I don't even know what to say to this. But you are totally allowed to ridicule me mercilessly in the comments. 100% fair.) fell in love with our quirky dog. The girls played with him and were always asking where "Fwetcher" was. Tres cute.

So, on to the point of the story. Kid B and his wife bought the girls a new puppy (a cute black lab) and for the first few days they had her... the girls would only call her Fletcher instead of her real name. How cute is that? I think Fletcher would feel so honored! So yeah, big build up for a little story, but it was too cute not to share.

So that is all. And now you all know that at the ripe old age of 29 (when Swiss and I got married) I became a grandmother. Ha! In any event, I'm using this as an excuse to post photos of our cute furry baby who gets  me up too early.

When did this become Florida?

This week's forecast... Behold.

I do not approve. That is all. Carry on.

Stuff.

Okay, so art class was a rousing success. The class is tiny (just me and one other Army wife) and the very sweet teacher. He is quite talented and not nearly as restricting as the previous instructor I had. I totally dig it and can't wait to go back this week. It is really just what I needed and I'm so stoked I found this place!

Also, Saturday we went with some friends to a total stranger's house for a BBQ. This woman and her husband were perfectly nice and had a beautiful home... but she took conservatism to a level I've never seen/heard in person before: She told the folks we were with that they shouldn't let their 3 month old son watch Law & Order because of all the liberal propaganda they sneak in the show... CSI is a way better choice. This made me giggle- regardless of your politics this is just plain silly. Also, she HATES "those stupid new-fangled lightbulbs they are forcing us to buy" (meaning compact fluorescent), because it is a government conspiracy and THEY HAVE MERCURY IN THEM! Again, giggles. But I digress. Just had to share those little gems.

I heart the Argentinian soccer team. Mostly because I've always loved Lionel Messi (in a totally non-sexual way) and secretly think Diego Maradona is awesomesauce. But more than anything? That team gives me a bad, bad case of hair envy. Am I jealous that a team of men have more luscious flowing locks of thick hair than I do? Yep. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Lastly, the battle of the lawn has finally won at Casa de Tucker and Swiss. The guilt of having the only crunchy tan yard on the road has finally gotten to Swiss so we bought a soaker hose today. I am not particularly fond of this policy (especially since the acres of mowed lawn beyond our fence are all tan and crunchy too) but so it must be. At least we aren't putting all that H2O airborne and losing some of it to evaporation. Somehow this does make me feel better. In any event, gone will be the days (and weeks) of not having to mow the lawn because it is all mostly dormant and now we enter the grueling dedication of lawn-waterers everywhere.

That is all the news that is fit to print. Perhaps the 4th of July ridiculousness will bring more exciting material? All I know is that we already bought Fletcher his big box of Benadryl because the poor thing might have to be sedated all week long. :(

Art classes, World Cup, Morons and Onions.

My apologies, I am going to subject you all to more randomness. I'm afraid it can't be helped with the current state of my mind...

First off, I am SUPER geeked because I'm starting oil painting classes here on Thursday. I've been wanting to do this ever since we moved down here and a new studio opened up just minutes from the house. And they give military discounts. So excited I could tinkle. But I won't.

Second, I'm totally entranced by the World Cup. I mean, SO much  more fun than all the other "World Championships" that are really only American teams. Also, I love the Spanish team and have a crush on Lionel Messi. I want to carry him around in my pocket. I know, weird.

Third- WTF General McChrystal? I am sure this topic warrants further delving into, more time and many more words. But I couldn't get past the first 2 pages of the terribly indulgent article. I mean, first off, the man admits that Talladega Nights is his favorite move and that Bud Light Lime is his favorite beer? Double WTF. But more importantly, what the hell does this say about our leadership in this war? Would I be lying if I said it didn't make me cringe that he is leading the troops over there with that massive dick-swinging attitude of his? Yep. I've even heard rumors that the only reason he took that job (he was considering retiring when the President offered him this position) was to eventually f*ck over the administration. Now, that might be way out of line... but then again, after some of the choice quotes from this article? Might not be all that far off. Suffice it to say, I'm dissapointed, disgusted, and my eyes haven't yet rolled forward from the back of my head. Do better man. Do effing better. And... it would serve you right if you got your own ass fired.

Lastly, the hubs has invited some of the guys he works with over for lunch next week. He does this lots. Partly because he wants me to meet these folks, and partly (his own admission) to brag up my cooking skills. Aside from making me feel like a culinary rock star, it poses some challenges when the lunch guests have food-based issues. I, for one, have no food based issues. If it tastes good, I'll eat it. Except baby cows and organ meats. But, one of the guys for next week? No onions. Whaaaaa??? Dude, I put onions in like everything. Really, every lunch recipe I make has onions in it. So now I have to make "special" guacamole and "special" salsa with no onions in it (sacrilegious if you ask me) and chop up extras for the normal folk. I think I am just sort of shocked by the sheer number of weird food issues that are out there... am I hopelessly out of touch thinking that most people will eat generally anything???

Okay, that is all. But really, this weekend you should all consider going to see Get Him to the Greek. I'm still laughing about it two days later...