Safe.

Denna Boo called and left me a message today at 1:27 pm. She said Mom, Mommy (aww!) We got here at 11:30 and I haven't done much but sit in a car but it's really really pretty and I'll call you from a better phone in a day or two. I love you.

Not much but I know she's safe and she sounded really happy. Through my tears, so am I!

Have a great night!
dawn

She's leaving..........

My eldest child, a female, has accomplished much for her young years. Denna is her name and she's always been beautiful and smart, very very funny but lazy as heck. Crazy, she drives me. Born in May of 1989, she is going to be 19 in a few short weeks. When she was 16, she told me she wanted to go into the military. Yeah, yeah, two years you can do what you want. She persisited and wanted to join early for a split entry program. That means going off to basic training the summer before the senior year in high school. Coming home, finish school then off to AIT the summer after graduation. From there, it's enlisted life. I wasn't going to make that decision for her. I wanted to let her wait until she was 18 and it would be her decision, possibly her mistake, if you will. I'm a big time fan of the US. My dad, brother, uncle, grandpa- all in the military. Not my little girl, ya know? Or so I thought.

She persisted and I told her to research, interview, find out what the real deal is then come back and show me. Convince me. All a ploy to keep her busy. Busy she was! She talked with newly enlisted and people who have been military for years, even retired from the military. She wrote down why she wanted to go and to what end. Turns out, she wants to be in the FBI someday. According to them, which she actually called and asked their HR what the best way to get a job with them is, having prior military experience with security clearances counted big, along with a college degree. Well, that all sounded good to me. I get my kid to do what I want her to (college) because someone else told her to. Okay, whatever, it works for me. Because she, for once, had some ambition (coming from me, it was amazing and irritating how much ambition she didn't have... up to that moment:).

I signed the papers. She chose the Army National Guard. I liked that schedule more, for sure! She went off to basic that June at a new 17 years old. Fort Jackson, SC. Hot, humid. Hot. They worked her butt. I got one letter the whole time, near the end. It was 7 pages long. I went crazy that summer not hearing from her but it was how it went. Nothing I could do. I hate that.

She did well in her senior year of high school, but could have done much better. She wasn't old enough at 17 to do the MOS (job) that she wanted in the Guard, you had to be 18 for that, so she chose Human Resources and Payroll. Good, solid, use in civilian life occupation. She went to AIT (in Fort Jackson, SC again:) and got her training after she graduated, came home and got a full time job with the Guard at Indian Town Gap in Harrisburg, PA. She rented an apartment and was making 48k. At 18 years old. GEESH. She did a lot of crazy hours for them, tons of paperwork and stood in front of guys twice her 103 lb size, making them work for her. Cool, huh?

So... this past February or so, she told me that she wanted to go active Army. Full blown, gone all the time, ACTIVE. Yikes. She said she is applying to an intelligence unit and they will interview her and decide if she can hang. This is what she needs for the FBI gig later. Shit. Okay. She moved home so she could do some stuff (like travel and hang with friends) and not have to pay for an apartment that she'd hardly be at. It was fun (most of the time, mother and daughter do have conflicts occasionally) and sad (for sure) and she left last week for the place she would stay until her orders came through. The Intel Unit accepted her and they are stationed in Italy right now. She flew to Ft. Jackson (again!) which was comforting to me since she's familiar and I've been there a few times and I love love love SC and it's just so okay for her to be there. She called 3 times. Once, I asked her about my new shoes and she admitted taking them. I told her I didn't even notice them on her when she left amidst the hustle. She said she wasn't wearing them, they were hidden in her luggage. Hmm. Funny but not nice. But nothing to do about now. I told her since her bday is coming up the end of this month, happy birthday. It's okay even if it's not right, it's okay.

She called today to tell me Happy Mothers Day. And that her orders came through. She is leaving at 5 pm for Vincenzia, Italy. 1 hour from Venice. North East Italy. She will arrive tomorrow at 11:30 am at her new home for the next 2 years.

Yeah, Happy Mothers Day.

I'm so proud. And sad.

Disclaimer

As you may (or may not) know, I am a very upbeat, gernerally happy person. I am not mean and don't pick on people 'for real'. I am generous and helpful and sweet and kind.

That being said, check out www.despair.com

How's the new job, you ask?

Ever have one of those days when you wake up and your head hurts so badly that you think you might hurl? That was yesterday for me. Oh yeah, I was out the night before but if you hang with me, you know I don't drink that much (3 is puhlenty) and I don't have hangovers anyway. This was something else entirely. Okay, so I was struggling through the day at the still-kinda-new job. I've been there a month now and there's still a lot to learn but they have me doing these projects that make me a seriously overpaid secretary but whatev. It got to be around lunch and there was no way I was going to eat anything. So, I was working on this same day deadline for an expo in Milwaukee and I needed a signature from the owner for the charge card. I went to his office and he was working diligently (Right). I asked for the signature and he was upset that I was expediting him. (Huh?) He doesn't like to be expedited. (Again, huh??) So, while he was 'explaining' that he, too, has deadlines and while he may look like he's not doing much there is actually a whole....... wait-I'll be right back! I went running from the room into the bathroom and blew stomach juice. Ewww. I have a toothbrush and paste in my desk so I took care of that and then went back to his office. First he said 'that sounded productive'. Then he asked if I threw up because he was yelling at me. Obviously he doesn't know me as someone yelling doesn't change my course of action whatsoever but I was tempted to say yes. I've never been the frail willow of a chick that gets all torn up so everyone kid handles and that was a tempting moment but he would soon learn how I really am. (I'm going to go with the word tenacious.) He suggested I go home but I declined. I (he) had a deadline I had to meet. Sides, I felt better!

In the meantime, really, I love the job. I love my boss and the people I'm working with. The industry is wayyy more interesting than I thought it would be. Wire and Cable. Who would have thought? They have so much potential, it's unbelievable. All of the business is inbound! No one develops new business and they have still managed to stay open. Amazing. It's an excellent product, obviously. I'm going to come off looking like some incredible genius that increases business by 40%. That's my plan anyway! :)

I have to get going... there's house cleaning to be done and then I'm taking the kids for new bikes. Then we may go to Gettysburg for a bit. It's battlefield season:) After they leave to go to their Poppyseeds (their dad), then I'll go out and have some fun.

I hope you have an excellent weekend!! Thanks and take care......!