Puppy Blues

I was so surprised...That I'm not surprised...Just, raising a dog is annoying.

This adorable, little dude's name is Clover.

Well, friends, it's been a while since I've written anything for you, and I know you're all just weeping knowing life is going on over here and you don't know about it. And I'm sorry for making you cry. I just have...really not been busy enough to use it as an excuse. I'm lazy. Sorry.

Anyway, since I last posted, we've gotten our house, FINALLY gotten our furniture (after 3 weeks of waiting, calling and accidentally frustrated-crying at the guy and getting us a $50 gift card for our troubles). Oh, and we got a puppy.

As you can see, he's just adorable. He likes playing in the snow or grass (but snow's better), snuggling, new people and dogs, chewing things (especially paper and mom's...ahem, delicates), playing with/chewing on the cat, piña coladas, gettin' caught in the rain, and sneakily peeing on the carpet.

But look how cute I am, Mom!

Yes, a couple of those are just not very fun. We crate-trained him while we were still staying at the Fort Drum Inn (Sorry, neighbors!), so he's become really good at even just walking into his crate when we tell him, most of the time. Especially now that we've upgraded him to sleeping in our room at night and being crated just generally in the laundry room while we're gone. He does great with that, sleeping through the night and not peeing until Russ gets up and takes him out most days, and never peeing or pooping in the laundry room. He listens very well when we tell him "no," or just call his name. And he generally stops the behaviors we scold him for.

Damn these sweet animals.

However, we've hit what I'm deeming the terrible twos, because, despite having been almost fully potty trained, he's resorted lately to peeing on the carpet again. Ugh.

 The worst part is not disciplining him, because Russell and I are really good at being consistent. The problem comes when he just looks up at me. You see that face--he's so charming! And it's even harder to be mad at him when he comes scampering in from outside, snow all around his snout because he's weird and loves to sniff it. If I had a picture of it, I would show you, because it's so cute, but I don't.

Oh, and, he has vivid dreams all the time. It's hilarious.

The dog's kind of obnoxious. But he is very well-behaved, for the most part, and he's stolen my heart.

Big Girl Pants

I was so surprised...I'm a married woman, starting her adult life, in a strange, new place.

I knew this day would come. Well, I'd hoped I wouldn't be a spinster cat-lady the rest of my life. But I just knew I would get married someday, because I was just too much a hopeless romantic not to find love. And I did, miraculously, find someone who wants to spend the rest of his life with me, even though I'm weird, and blah, blah. That's not what I'm here for today.

Surprised that I'm starting my adult life, married? Sure, I am. Surprised I'm starting that life somewhere new? Not really. Surprised it's New York (and upstate, too)? Yessir, I am. And not only am I now starting life with a partner, it's in a society I don't really know anything about. But I'm not here to talk about that, either.

Mostly, I kinda wanted to update those who care about what's been going on in our lives since I pretty much fell off Facebook. I know everyone knows about our getting married. Duh. I posted just way too much about that. And I know you've all seen the pictures floating around, but here are my favorites:

The First Kiss.

The First Dance.

The Wedding Party.

 Anyway, "What's been happening since then?" you ask. Well, I'm sure you also know that we moved across the country. With two adults and one cat. In one car. From Arizona to New York. Ugh.




If I have any advice for anyone, it's this: don't do it.

The Bridesmaids.

No, but really, it wasn't that bad. We were extremely lucky, and had basically no problems along the way with tires, weather, other car problems, cat problems. We lucked out. Maybe the gods took pity on us since we has just gotten married days before.

 My wonderful husband drove (pretty much the whole time, since he's stupid and has a stick-shift and I get really nervous and tense and upset driving it) for two and a half days up to Minnesota, about 8-10 hours each day, stopped at his parents' house for a few days of respite, then booked it for two and a quarter more days from there to Watertown, NY, where we've been ever since.

A couple things I want to impart on you, from our experience driving across the country with a cat:

1. Don't feed your cat(/dog?) the night before leaving. Russell learned the hard way coming out to AZ from Oklahoma, and I'll tell you, it wasn't pretty. So, that first day of driving, the cat didn't get anything to eat beforehand, and it works like a charm! We also only fed her once, at night after we stopped each night, with a can of wet food, since it travels very easily. She lost some weight, but she's perfectly fine now that she gets her regular schedule!

2. Get lucky with your animal. Seriously. We were extremely lucky to learn that Tiger handles car rides, all day, with a packed car, really well. Sure, she freaked out every now and then and would drive us crazy for like half an hour, but that was mostly when she was telling us she needed to pee/poop. (Oh yeah, put a small version of a litter box at the passenger's feet. Best idea we had. Learned that the hard way, too. We used a small basket from Russell's parents' house, a plastic bag, and some litter. Then you just have to tie up the bag, dump it in a gas station trash can, and put a new bag in! Easy!) Tiger, though, mostly climbed around the stuff in the car, and slept. Awesome.

One of Tiger's favorite places to sleep.

And this.

And this.

And look how cute the Newlyweds are.

When we got into Watertown, the first thing we did (on my birthday) was to check into the cheapest hotel we were willing to stay in: the Econo Lodge. Then, we got me all situated in the Army database as an Army wife, with a military ID and everything. Yay! I'm official now! And then, finally, we went to the Housing office to work on getting a house.

Blah, blah, stuff happened, and here's the scoop on that: We're on the list to get the officer housing, which looks awesome! We'll (hopefully soon) be getting a 3-bedroom (as if we need that!), and pretty much all the houses look brand spanking new! Needless to say, we're pretty excited to move in! And to move out of the Econo Lodge, but that's another detail, clearly. We've got a pretty good chance, it seems, of being able to move in fairly soon, too, which would just be so awesome.

Next, I stumbled upon an open position on Drum as a pre-k "associate," which I assume is Army talk for "teacher." I applied, and now just have to wait for the call for an interview! Hopefully.

Until then, and we get all moved in somewhere, and we can find me a cheapo car (eventually), we're just hanging out in our hotel room. Being boring and trying to eat fairly healthy and cheap.

Oh, also, my husband had infected bed bugs bites that drove us to the hospital on the night of my birthday to make sure it wasn't shingles. Don't worry--the antibiotics are clearing him up, and he isn't all welt-y and gross anymore. :]

Umm, said husband is bothering me for attention now and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten whatever else I was gonna tell you guys, you lucky dogs, you.

So anyway, you few readers out there that made it through all that rambling, stay surprised, people. :] 'Til next time!

Also, from experience, don't let the bedbugs bite! ;]

Ch-Ch-Changes!

I was so surprised...I'm changing my plans to go along with someone else's.

Now, by this I don't mean, "Man, I really wanted mac & cheese for dinner, but I guess I'll go ahead and have chicken, since Russell was planning on that." No. You don't give up on your mac & cheese.

Also, I'm talking about bigger, more life-involved, plans. Like the ones I had for jetting off to Spain, Ireland, Germany, etc. to teach on American military bases. To see the world all by myself, like an independent, grown-up girl who does what she wants and travels to exotic places, even though she's a teacher. Man, those plans sound awesome, Right?

But I'm trading those plans...for now. Don't be disappointed in me, people, or think I'm giving up on a dream. Trust me, there is absolutely NO WAY I will be giving up on that dream, I can tell you that. I'm just...pushing them back...

**Point emphasized below with bold, underline, and italics for those who don't want to read all the nonsense. :] For those that do, I thank you for your patience, and caring. :]

For those of you who haven't been following my life like the stalkers the internet turns us into, I've recently made a bold move and moved to Lawton, Oklahoma to be with my boyfriend (of one month, at the time), who happens to be in the army and to have been sent here. Woah, Brandi? Move to be with a boy? Gasp!

I know, I know, skeptical reader, I thought it would never happen. AND NOW, I tell you, I'm planning on moving, again, with him after we leave this...beautiful?...place.

Now, if you're clucking your silly little tongue at me for becoming a pushover woman who conforms to a man's life, I have some choice words for you. And I also thought of that myself before even deciding to follow him. So there. :P

And just look how cute we are!

If you're cheering for me, I am quite fond of you, and you must know the amount of thought that went into this--let's be honest, I'm a stop-and-think-about-all-possible-outcomes-before-doing-anything-especially-when-independence-is-questioned-and/or-a-guy-is-involved kinda girl. If you're in this second category of people who are hoping I actually met a guy I (gasp!) fell in love with, finally, and that I don't somehow awkwardly mess this up, I would like to inform you that my bf will be in the 10th Mountain Division (if that means anything to you) at Fort Drum, in New York. Northern New York, where my dear friend Leah and her hubby just were.

Basically, what it all boils down to, my friends, who have persevered through the ramblings to this conclusion, is that I will be moving to New York with my boyfriend** starting sometime in December or January, and that we will be stopping by Minnesota (to visit his family) and Arizona (to visit my family and our friends from NAU) in the meantime...after Lawton...in about November. It's hard to pin this guy down to details sometimes.

And I'm changing my life for a dude. But weirder things have happened, right?

Besides, maybe some day I'll get to make him move with me to random places! (Also, I promise I'm not being stupid about this. A lot of thought has gone into my decision, I assure you!)

Stay surprised, my friends. I know I am.

Oooooooooklahoma!

I was so surprised...I'm moving to Oklahoma.

Well, it's for a relatively short period of time--5 months--but I will be moving. To Oklahoma. Land of...Something...And, for those of you who are less-informed, I'm moving there with my boyfriend.

Yes, folks. Brandi the Unswayable has been swayed. A boy has caught my attention and held it long enough to convince me I like him enough to move in with him. I know. Who could've called that one? Certainly not me.

But, alas, it did, and I'll be leaving in just three weeks-ish. With that in mind, my Phoenix-based friends, get your Brandi Time while you can!

Basically, this was my quick, easy way of informing everyone of my immediate life plans. So, just know that I've thought a lot about what I'm doing and that I'm happy with him and with my decision, and that you'll still be hearing from me anyway. Unless he kills me. So watch for signs of murder, as well. ;]

Stay surprised, people. :]