As if friends and family weren't enough of a reason to clean my house, now the President is coming!

Today I found out that President Obama is expected to show up at Fort Drum on Thursday for our annual "Mountainfest" celebration. It pretty much is like a big barbeque with musical acts. But the news speculates he will speak about the drawdown in Afghanistan. I certainly hope so. The last thing I need right now is the threat of another damn deployment. I am ready to be free and clear of the army, as employer to my husband. At least I have no chance of being deployed, even though I work for them too.

I actually like Obama, which is unusual for a military spouse, as most are staunch republicans. I voted for him. I liked George W and Clinton too, because even if our polical ideologies didn't match, they seemed like funny guys to have a beer with. I know my bipartisan attitude pisses people off...so I will leave it at that. No matter if you like the President or not, it's still the President of the United States. And it's a big deal. I have shaken one President's hand, and seen another from 10 feet away.

So I will be pretty busy this week...I have a bbq at work on Thursday as well, where I have to bring a potluck dish. I have mountains of laundry to put away, bathrooms and carpets to clean and bedding to wash. We have company coming for our vow renewal on Saturday. Being busy is a good thing. It keeps me occupied and less time to dwell on unproductive thoughts.

Home projects, family visits, scary movies, pending weekend trips and work. These are the things that are helping me get through the past month.

I’ve decided (#3)…

…that balance-ball technology only applies to women who don’t have cottage-cheese thighs to begin with. Those bitches in the commercials were already blessed with good genes, so excuse me for doubting a pair of sneakers are going to trim me down while I eat a bowl of macaroni and cheese.

…that I’d like to know when my wrists and cleavage started looking old?! I swear last time I looked down things were still in good working order.

…that no matter how many times I’ve gone to bed alone because my husband is gone playing soldier, it sucks more and more.

…that the true definition of Determination, is waiting in line at the Burger King drive-thru for 45 minutes so that you don’t have to get out of your car and walk inside.

…that military haircuts are unflattering, at best, for most soldiers due to misshapen head issues. I would like to vote in favor of the “Kingpin” aka the Bowl Cut ….

…that in light of the recent earthquakes in the world and terrifying damage that has happen because of them….I think I will take my chances with moving to California because it means I won’t be obligated to go see my family and/or in-laws every month or endure guilt-trips. YOU ALL OWN CARS TOO, PEOPLE!!!

…that not understanding the lyrics to some songs is NO excuse for not attempting to sing along with them. This is how “La Isla Bonita” became “Lucky Star Oneta.”

…that I still kind of like Charlie Sheen, even though, by all accounts, he is a giant pompous ass. He’s funny as shit and kind of rascally.

Contest to Write to the Troops

Pentel's people contacted me, and asked if I would let everyone know about their contest, so here goes:

Pentel’s

 “National Handwriting Day: Heroes Worth Writing For” Contest

Pentel has launched a contest  where they are asking children and adults to write a hand-written letter to our troops. Those who enter the contest will be required to send their handwritten latter to Pentel and they will ensure that they are given to our troops overseas via their partner organization, Operation Gratitude (www.opgratitude.com).

Dates: December 1- January 31

Prizes: Grand Prize: $200 Visa Card and $100 in Pentel Products, Four Second Prizes: $50 Visa Card and $25 in Pentel Products

To Enter: Handwrite a letter to the troops and send to:

Pentel of America-Marketing Dept

C/O National Handwriting Day: Heroes Worth Writing For

4000 E. Airport Drive, Ste C

Ontario, CA 91761

After the winners are announced, Pentel will send the letters to the troops.

I think this is a great contest, especially for the time of year. For many deployed soldiers, the holidays are a dark and lonely spot in their year since they are far away from family and friends. This is the best time of year to bombard them with letters, telling them how great we think they are for all they do!!!!

Please get involved and send those letters!!

Do you really save money shopping on base?

Every time we have guests, they are always intrigued by the mystery of the PX and Commissary. After all, anywhere you can shop ONLY if you have proper identification is a draw for people. But I just want to clear it up for those of you who are wondering if you are missing out on some “secret squirrel” deal.

The “Shoppettes” are your run-of-the-mill gas stations. Things are generally overpriced than if you would buy them at a grocery store. They carry the same things as other gas stations, but they do carry alcohol which is great in a pinch, depending on your state’s liquor laws. Gas is normally a few cents less than it is off-post, but not cheap enough that if I didn’t pass by it on my way, I wouldn’t bother.

The Commissary is the grocery store. You definitely save money here, but it’s not a gourmet grocer. That being said, you can find a large selection of ethnic foods here because it caters to the military families, whose ethnicity is widespread. And you can special request things. Pricing is great on your canned goods, boxed sides and frozen meals. The deli section is not any cheaper than Walmart, nor is the produce. However, we have much better fruits and vegetables at ours than off-post. One downside to the Commissary is that their meats seem sketchy to me. I have gone back there several times to find raw juices dripping all over the shelves. NASTY. I have to be careful when I buy yogurt, that it’s not too close to the expiration date. They will fill an entire shelf of products that are on the cusp of expiration and this drives me insane. The other crappy thing is that the baggers who work there only work for tips, so you feel incredibly guilty if you don’t let them bag your groceries and they insist on taking it out to your car. And a lot of them are retired Veterans, so you really feel like an asshole if you say no. All in all, I avoid the Commissary when I have money to spend on better quality, but in a budgetary pinch, you can’t beat it.

The PX or Post Exchange, is like your Kmart. While you can get your department store cosmetics, Coach purses, and perfumes here, I find that most things aren’t any cheaper than Walmart. Some things, I think they charge MORE for because they can…like electronics. The clothes are all generic, and I rarely see anything that I have to have. The pro to shopping at the PX is that it’s tax free. If you are looking for souvenirs for friends or family who come visit, take them to Clothing and Sales instead. Here you will find PT shirts that say “Army”, as well as other apparel, hats, shot glasses, lanyards and car stickers.



I was nominated on Babble's Top 50 Mom Blogs List. So pretty please take two minutes and click here: http://www.babble.com/babble-50/mommy-bloggers/nominate-a-blogger/index.aspx then scroll down to "Glamorous Life" and click on the "like" button.
Thanks a bunch!