How did I get so lucky?

Lucky enough to get TWO 6 day work weeks in a row!  Isn't that the American Dream???  Pst, I'm extremely grateful to be "with job" and this is me complaining but still being grateful.  It is possible to do both things at the same time, ya'll.

Last week I had watch on Sunday (where I started typing up a "watch blog", but it was way too boring to actually share since absolutely nothing happened that I could make fun of) and this week I went in on Sunday to open the office so one of the pilots could work on his test plan while I took the opportunity to study for my rate exam on the 7th.

So while it was a short weekend for me, I took advantage of the time I did have.

After not being able to get off (that's what she said, ha!) early on Friday (the one thing I try to look forward to each week, usually to my own disappointment), I came home to change into pajama pants and a hoodie to be absolutely lazy and snuggle with the hounds for the rest of the evening.

Friday evening was date night with Teh Bear.  It's been a while since we've gotten to hang out together (in our own virtual way) due to schedules conflicting.  We watched episodes of Downton Abbey and Community.  I fell more in love with Downton Abbey again (as I do with every episode) and I'm slowly falling out of love with Community.  Of course, Troy and Abed make me giggle, but I feel like everyone else's character is lacking depth or getting too much at once.  That's my opinion of course.  After staying up way past my bedtime, I crashed.

Saturday was going to be a lazy day, which included skyping with Teh Bear and watching the next episode of Downton in the morning.  Later, I was propositioned by some Greyhound Friends to go take photos of one of the local lighthouses.  It was pretty dreary outside, so I suggested the dog park instead since Donner and Teh Phil were driving me nuts and I was going to bring them to the lighthouse if we went there anyways.  There's only so much of one velcro dog I can handle, two is just too much for me.  I diverted our plan successfully and after deciding that our fingers and faces were too numb to hold out any longer (they wimped out before I did as they just arrived to MD from FL) and getting tired of listening to Donner have a conversation with another dog (and starting to fear that the other dog was going to get aggressive with Donner), we decided to take a walk then head home.

After the beasts had been given dinner, I texted my Greyhound Friends again to see what they were up to for dinner and I ended up meeting them for Japanese/sushi and we hung out for a few hours just chatting.  Also, baby octopus are creepy when served for eating (apparently, my phone decided I didn't really need to keep that photo).  We traded off a carpet cleaner for some (dog) ear cleaning solution since Donner decided that the guest room was an appropriate place to pee and one of their dogs had really dirty ears.  I also confirmed that despite the issues they were having with their new place, for what they are getting, its really not a bad deal for this area (since everything here is overpriced).

Sunday morning came way too early (via Donner's whining to be let out at 7am).  Knowing I had to go into work today made me super unmotivated, but I sucked it up and went on with the day.  My hair is finally long enough to put into pigtails (because I'm an adult and I do what I want), which made me a wee bit excited since I've decided I'm growing my hair out again.  No one (that knows me) is surprised by this announcement as I usually cut off my hair and then quickly decide to grow it back out again.  Teh Bear didn't even pause between my announcement and his next subject.

After a good time at church, I scurried out to head across the street to base to open up the office.  I haven't had a chance to chat with Teh Singing Cat Lady and Teh Guitar Playing Podcaster in a few weeks due to after church commitments which makes me feel pretty bad for ignoring my homies.

In the 5 minute drive from church to VX-1, I realized there were snow flurries falling and I stopped dreading going to work.  Sometimes, I get just the right signs, right when I need them.  I wasn't really super bitter or upset about going into work, but I was dreading the hours of studying I was about to force upon myself and the snow flurries made me smile and realize that its ok.  Everything is ok.  It's cold and I get to wear layers and I have heated seats in Yurtle and smelly-breath Phil at home and I'd get to talk to Teh Bear before he went to work today (after a very disappointing evening where I missed ALL his breaks the night before).  I'm even better than ok, because there was snow.  Not a lot of it, but enough to say it was snowing, which Gentle Readers know is my most favoritest weather type ever.

I arrived at work before anyone else, which gave me a few minutes of quiet to check my work websites and then check the GEGR forums to see if anything new was going on (and to share that Donner is being a jerk who has decided that his "business" is most appreciated in my spare bedroom (it isn't)).  A few minutes later, the LT arrived and quickly got to work.  After settling in and updating my Senkaku Islands brief for the 10 millionth time (the 10 millionth and 1st time will be tomorrow morning and I'll be giving the brief at 2 since I'm awesome), I decided it was lunch time.  I came home to release the hounds and skype with Teh Bear while eating leftovers.  After lunch, I went to pick up the LT's lunch, since it was on the way to Starbucks, and because sometimes I'm ridiculously nice, even to the people who are the reason I have to come into work on the weekend.

My birthday was a month ago (to the day!), but if you use a Starbucks gift card to purchase your beverages you can get rewards.. like a free ANY TYPE ANY SIZE beverage for your birthday.  WIN!
Also, thanks to Teh Stepsister for getting me a Starbucks gift card for Cmas.

When I got back to work, it was buckle down time.  I realized that I might be a little too thorough with the pubs that I'm supposed to be studying for my test, because I was only able to make it through 3 pubs.  At 3pm, I gave the 2 LT's that were in the office the 1 hour warning... mostly because the 2nd LT had arrived at 2:30 and it would be a cold day in hell when I let him keep me late on a day that I was doing them the favor of having the office open, especially since it had been open since 10:45am and he showed up to the game late AND he'd been the one that killed my chances of leaving even 5 minutes early on Friday.  The LT that I'd opened the office for wanted to argue for more time, but I politely shut him down with a simple, "It's Sunday.  We'll be open at 0730 in the morning for all your test writing needs."  He didn't argue, which I think took us both by surprise.

We left at 3:55.  I was so proud of both LT's for being on my program.  I'm sure that this will be the only time, ever, that I get what I want, but damn it felt good this once.

I came home to 2 dogs that have apparently never seen a human ever and while their excitedness is cute for about 30 seconds, not being able to really walk more than 3 steps into the house gets irritating within 1 minute.  After setting my stuff down, I gave them both some extra lubbin and snuggles and then settled in for an evening of The West Wing which Teh Ginger used to talk about in GTMO (and he's right, it's awesome, even if I don't really care much about politics.. and it's got Rob Lowe, who is just.. deeelightful to look at and makes me miss him even more in the last season of Brothers and Sisters).

I fed the boys dinner and myself and chatted with Teh Bear on skype on his breaks.  Finally, it was time to crash early so I could get in some light reading (I'm reading Harry Potter for the first time ever) before sleepy time.

This week is looking work-tastic with a schedule of extra long hours of studying all day/as much as possible for my test on Thursday morning, which I'm sure will leave me feeling incredibly stupid and like I shouldn't have the job that I have in the Navy.  Word on the street is that Friday could be a Pioneer Day (no work), but I'll believe that when I see it and for now I'm counting on a delightful 2nd 6 day work week.

Also, if you didn't see it yet, check out Donner's blog (which might be taking up some of mine and Phil's blogging time here recently).  He's looking for a forever home in the VA/DC/MD/NJ/DE area.  Spread the word.  He needs a forever home.  He needs someone to love him more than me.