Vacation time!

This kind of cruise is WAY better than the Navy kind. That part of my life needed to end. But the Navy version of I'm On A Boat might be the funniest parody ever made, and never, ever gets old: (NSFW)

Best Cruise Ever (although I still think that title belongs to the Rock Boat), here I come! I'll post all about it when I get back :)

Every cloud has a silver lining, right?

So, I'm a little bit bummed.

When I booked the VH1 Best Cruise Ever, I booked my travel knowing that Matt was going to have a show in Atlanta the night before. I spent the extra money to basically buy 3 one-way plane tickets so I could see him play, and I told my friends in Atlanta to keep the night clear.  Unfortunately, the booking of that show was handled unprofessionally by the people that said they'd take care of it, and those "confirmed" dates for Atlanta shows turned out to be not.

Of course, I'm not at all mad at Matt or his partner in this project. If they had not been 100% sure, they would not have let me buy plane tickets and make the plans. And not only did I spend probably an extra $200 and take an extra day off of work to make this happen, but they were relying on the paycheck they were supposed to get for these shows. So all around, just poorly handled.

But while I'm absolutely not happy about the fact that I won't get to see Matt for the first time in 7 weeks, especially since its going to be at least another 4 before the next chance I get (screw moving schedules, they suck), and I'm bummed that I STILL won't get to see this new band play, I refuse to call this a total loss. One of my best friends in the world lives in Atlanta, along with a couple of girlfriends that I got to know better while I lived there, and it looks like I'm going to be able to hang out with them tomorrow night instead. So its not all the way bad. Not as good as I'd hoped for, but who can complain about a fun night with the ladies?? Not me!

And isn't that what its all about, making what could have been a very disappointing situation into a better one? Life is too short to dwell on things. It took a lot of restraint yesterday for me to not publicly call some people out, but I'm glad I didn't name names. Its just not worth it. And that's been a goal of mine lately, to try to be more positive about things, especially when they're not going my way. Its not an easy thing sometimes, but I am so much better off than I could be, and so much better off than I was. As long as I remember that...

Winner winner chicken dinner!!

OK, I never win ANYTHING, so when I do, even when its something small, I get REALLY excited about it.

So the email I got from The Drop earlier made my day - they ran a giveaway on Facebook where if you posted a status message about their recent interview with the band Civil Twilight (to whose music I was recently introduced by none other than Ms. Krissie) you would be entered to win an autographed copy of their latest CD. I decided what the heck, you never know.

And I won! I'm super stoked to get their CD. Big thanks to Dan and Tiffany at The Drop. And if you're a music fan, check out their podcast - you can listen on the website (click the interview link above for an episode listing) or subscribe on iTunes. Do it!!

Wait, WHO is this??

Last night, as I was reading the last few pages of the book I was trying to finish, my phone rang. Normally the only person calling me at 930 at night is Matt, but he has his own ring tone, and this was my normal one. I looked at the number, saw a Corpus Christi area code, and answered because I have a ton of family in Corpus and after the epic fail of an attempt to sync my BlackBerry with my gmail, I don't have everyone's number saved in my phone.

Well, that was a bad idea. Turns out it was my ex from before Matt. Who, for some unknown reason, still has my phone number more than 3 years after he broke up with me. He tried to contact me once before, a couple months after we broke up and right after I moved to Atlanta, but nothing since. And honestly, I had no real desire to keep up with the guy. We had a long distance relationship for about 4 months that was a poor idea from the start, and I wasn't all that sad when it ended.

He asked how I was doing and if I still lived in Atlanta, and I responded politely to both, not asking for any information from him, until I finally said that it was a bad time, but thanks for calling, and ended the call. It was probably among the most awkward 53 seconds of my life. In hindsight, I probably should have just said dude, why are you calling me? I don't want to talk to you, so please don't.  I implied as much, but I hope he got the hint.

I need opinions - should I have been the a-hole and just said it straight? What do I do if he tries again?

The Movies!

I'm pretty sure the last movie I saw in the theaters before this weekend was Alice in Wonderland sometime last spring. But this weekend my Dad and I went to see The Conspirator, the new Civil War era movie directed by Robert Redford.

It was outstanding. It took a very well known situation (the conspiracy and resulting assassination of Abraham Lincoln) and picked some of the more obscure parts to further research and present, and that is my favorite kind of historical fiction. Everyone knows John Wilkes Booth killed President Lincoln at the Ford's Theater. Many people know that it was a group effort against not only Lincoln but also Vice President Johnson and Secretary of State Seward. Some people know that Mary Surratt, the owner of the boardinghouse where the conspirators met to plan their actions and whose son was allegedly part of the group, was arrested as part of the conspiracy. And even fewer people realize the conditions behind her trial, or that she was the first woman ever executed by the Federal Government.

The movie picks not only the more obscure story of Mary Surratt, but the even more obscure story of one of her attorneys, Frederick Aiken.  It tells the story of Aiken's transformation from a doubter who doesn't want to defend Mary to her staunchest supporter. It tells of his attempts to have her military trial delegitmized, and his fight for her right to a trial by a jury of her peers.

Obviously, he didn't succeed in that attempt, and she was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by a miltiary court. He managed to get a writ of habeus corpus signed by a judge at the last minute, which would have prevented her execution and allowed her to be tried in a civilian court, but President Johnson cancelled the writ less than an hour before her scheduled execution time.

Anyways, if you're at all a history person or like the kind of historical fiction that leaves you wondering, go see The Conspirator. Its well worth your time.

30 day challenge, Day 10

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

I am scared to death of spiders. Unhealthily so, in fact. Its really bad.

Is it just me, or is this challenge actually kind of boring? I'm not so sure about it anymore...

30 day challenge, Day 9

Day 9-A picture of your friends

Once again, just one?? Yeah right! Here are a few. 

The Atlanta crew at the Pumpkin Patch

Fellow USNA grads, including some of the best friends I had in school

Some of the people I can always count on for a good time out in DC

Melanie, my USNA roommate

Cherie!

Molly. That's all I need to say.

Now if only I could get them all in the same place, or at least a place closer to me...

30 day challenge, Day 8

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

And yes, the grammatical incorrectness of this topic is driving me absolutely bonkers.

One place? I've been all over. One of the things about being in the Navy, you get to see the world. Of course, 75% of the world IS water.... but still. So I've been to plenty of places. As a kid we lived in London, so I got to go all over Europe. In college, we went to London and Rome senior year spring break. In the Navy, I went to Croatia, Bahrain, Dubai, and Spain. And I've been all over the US, I think 40 or 41 states? Lots, anyways. And I definitely want to see them all before I die.

30 day challenge, Day 7

Day 7-Favorite movies

This one's not terribly hard.

Love Actually - I just love it. Its heartwarming, and the cast is fantastic, and I love pretty much everyone in it. And the soundtrack is also fantastic.
Aladdin (yes, the Disney one. In fact, let's just say any Disney animated movie. Pretty much ever. They're all on the list) - I don't think I need to say more here.
Catch Me If You Can - I love the twisty plotline and the fact that its a true story
Mean Girls - this one's mostly sentimental, it reminds me of deployment, and how we watched this movie once a week on the ship.
The Thomas Crown Affair (the new one, with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo) - its another twisty plotline, plus another great musical score. And it has Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo.

And I feel like adding Almost Famous is a bit cliche, but I'm gonna add it anyways, because it really is a great movie.

30 day challenge, Day 6

Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy

Just one? Yeah, not happening. Here are a few. And they don't, for the most part, include my family and friends, who are absolutely a huge part of making me happy.

The view from my apartment on a nice day

Towel animals

Sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico

The Rock Boat

Matt!

My kitties, who don't always love each other this much

30 day challenge, Day 5

Day 5-Your siblings

I already mentioned that I'm the oldest of six kids. Out of respect for their privacy, I won't put anything in here that isn't on facebook :)  Seriously though, I'll keep it simple.

Next after me is a sister who is a little under 18 months younger. She's married to an Air Force officer, and they have a beautiful nearly-four-year-old daughter.

Then come the boys, one almost 4 years younger than me, the other 6 1/2 years younger. Both are married, and both are enslisted in the Navy. They're both nuclear-trained Machinst Mates. One is finishing up instructor duty at nuclear power school, and the other is on a submarine in Hawaii.

I've mentioned my two younger sisters before on this blog. One is a little more than 11 years younger, the youngest a little more than 14. There is no better form of birth control on the planet for a teenager than for there to already be a baby in the house. I was NOT trying to have one of my own!!  They're both amazing young women, extremely smart and funny and witty.  Every time I see some bratty teenage girl on TV or out in public, I'm reminded of how proud I am of my sisters and of the fact that it IS in fact possible for teenage girls to be polite, productive members of society.

And there you have it - 5 siblings, 3 siblings-in-law. Holidays are never boring!

30 day challenge, Day 4

Day 4-Your parents

My parents pretty much rock.  I'm not even sure where to start on this. Any couple that can successfully raise 6 pretty damn awesome kids.... I mean, you have to admire that.

My dad spent his career in the Navy. He was gone a lot when I was a kid, but I never felt like he wasn't around.  Of course, I'm definitely a little jealous of my youngest sisters, since he left sea duty for the last time when they were pretty little. But he was what I strived to be as a Naval officer, and to be honest, what I strive to be even today. He taught me that as long as you can wake up every morning, look yourself in the mirror, and feel good about yourself and who you are, nothing else matters.

My mom stayed home most of my childhood. She'd watch a neighbor kid after school here and there, and when my youngest brother was in pre-school, she started teaching there. When my parents moved back to the DC area after I graduated from high school, she went back and has been there ever since. Even after 6 kids at home, she still loves being around children, and is amazing with them.

Both of my parents volunteer any spare time they have with the Arthritis Foundation.  They're amazing people, and as bratty as I was as a teenager, I admire them and appreciate them now more than they'll ever know.

30 day challenge, Day 3

Day 3-Your first love

Ha.  This is kind of a funny one, I'm not gonna lie. My first love was probably Lionel from the Thundercats.

But no, really. I said "I love you" as a high schooler, just like everyone does. But I think my first actual love, or at least something that actually represented love, was a guy that I'd known in high school and reconnected with in college. I thought it was love at the time, but hindsight is always 20/20, and it turns out that it really wasn't.

Of course, nothing is actually real love until you find the one. Luckily for me, I've found him :)

30 day challenge, Day 2

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

Its actually pretty simple.  When I was in school, I was dating this guy who, instead of saying things were cool, he said they were "the business."  I, like plenty of other people, will pick up sayings or phrases or speaking styles from the people I spend the most time around, and I used it a few times. In front of my USNA sponsor brothers. With whom I had just recently been discussing my lack of nickname where they all had them. So I became Franchise. When I started this blog, I of course assumed that it would be INCREDIBLY amazing, so it became The Business.

The subheading, "These words are my diary screaming out loud," comes from the Anna Nalick song "Breathe" - you've probably all heard it before, especially if you watch Grey's Anatomy or listened to the radio ever in 2005. It just fits, I think.

So there you have it!

Just something to ponder

I found this post linked on a blog that I follow. Take a read, I think it pretty much sums up how Congress sucks.

A Letter to Congress from a Military Wife

Please excuse my ranting

I know what you're all thinking: "3 posts in one day? Holy crap, Rebecca must be bored at work. No wonder she's not considered essential and is going to be furloughed when the government shuts down!"

And that, my friends, is what I'm going to take a few minutes to rant about right now. Sorry in advance for the tons of caps. I'm angry.

1. Just because a position is considered non-essential for this shutdown DOES NOT MEAN THE JOB IS NOT NECESSARY.  The documents that I own are all for federally-mandated programs. My Agency wouldn't know what to do in this shutdown if it wasn't for a couple of the things I'm responsible for writing. All non-essential means is that if I'm not here for a little while, the world will not end and the sky will not fall. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT MY JOB SHOULD BE CUT.

2. If the government shuts down solely over the conflict about funding for Planned Parenthood, I WILL BE PISSED. Do I like abortion? Not really, but I can only decide that for myself. Do I like all the other services PP provides, like birth control and cancer screenings? Hells yeah I do. And oh, by the way, funding said organization IS NOT A BATTLE WORTH SHUTTING DOWN THE GOVT AND F-ING TONS OF PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR PAYCHECKS.

3. I love how the Tea Partiers want to talk about how the Military is untouchable budget wise, but say go ahead and shut the government down. I wonder if these people realize that their kid in Iraq / Afghanistan / underway / whatever WILL NOT GET A PAYCHECK ON TIME. For all those junior enlisted guys who are barely above the poverty line as it is, that's gonna be a HUGE problem. So Tea Partiers, wanna rethink that?

4. All those sightseers who want to come to DC and see museums and monuments are going to be roaming around our fair city BORED TO DEATH, because all of that stuff is going to be closed. Sucks to be you, especially if you thought the shutdown wouldn't affect you.

5. I apologize to any and all people that I have been straight bitchy to this week. This shutdown thing is affecting my mood because who doesn't prefer their vacation paid? I mean, as much as I miss spring break, at least when I was in school my (itty bitty) paycheck was still the same in the months when I had breaks. This one? Not so much. And since all of the free things to do (see the museums and monuments referenced in #4) will be closed, its not gonna be much of a vacation. Maybe I shouldn't have taken April off from classes after all...

6. There has been SO MUCH rumor and misinformation put out about this whole thing that it makes me sad. I know the individual agencies have been limited in what they're allowed to put out, but at the very least they should be allowed to do some rumor control. Its REALLY bad. Slowly, as we get closer to the actual day of, the info is getting clearer and more accurate, but I heard and saw more BS at the beginning of this week...

7. REALLY??? The Republicans propose another week CR that completely funds the DOD for the rest of the year and WANTS TO INCLUDE A BAN ON FUNDING ABORTION IN DC IN IT??? THIS IS NOT THE F-ING TIME FOR THIS PEOPLE!!!! Of course the President rejected it. But now the Republicans (esp the Tea Partiers who seem to think most Americans care about abortion RIGHT THIS SECOND) are going to say see? The President and the Democrats want a shutdown! NO THEY DON'T - THEY WANT YOU TO STOP BEING STUPID. GRRRR.

OK, that's enough. You get my drift, I'm annoyed and angry and to make it clear, I blame everyone for this. Perhaps the Republicans a little bit more in the moment, but if the Democrat-controlled Congress had just passed a damn budget before the start of the Fiscal Year (WHICH WAS OCTOBER FREAKING 1ST) then we wouldn't be in this position.

But hey, on the plus side, the weather's supposed to be getting warmer, I'm behind on several of my TV shows, and my "to read" list in my Kindle has been building. So at least I've got that...

30 day challenge Day 1

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Hello, I'm Rebecca, but you all knew that already.

Here's a recent(ish) picture of me with my youngest sister at my 30th birthday party.

And my 15 facts, although I can't promise you'll find them as interesting as I do:
1. I am borderline narcoleptic and take Ritalin every day to stay awake. Yup, like an ADD kid, except not quite.
2. I'm the oldest of 6 kids. Which means I have maternal instincts. But I still prefer other peoples' kids, for now.
3. I can't (nor would I ever want to) imagine a life without music.
4. I have an extremely low tolerance for stupidity.
5. I have never met a potato that I did not want to eat.
6. I like to argue. Probably a little too much. I think sometimes it annoys people. In fact, I'm sure it does.
7. If you really want to irritate me, use their instead of they're or mix up your/you're or write something plural with 's instead of just s.
8. I speak French. Rusty at the moment, but pretty well when I'm on my game.
9. I find crossword puzzles, spider solitaire, and minesweeper extremely relaxing.
10. I still watch Desperate Housewives. I can't stop. I know its awful.
11. I've been writing songs since I was 12. Some of them are pretty darn good. Some of them really suck.
12. I may look cluttered, but I'm actually quite organized. And efficient.
13. I spent 10 years in the Navy. As awesome as many of the experiences were and as much as I love the people, I'm a happier person now that I'm out. But I still love being around the military and working in a military environment.
14. I had the biggest baseball card collection on my street when I was 9. So what if there were only 2 other houses with kids on my street, and one was a girly girl? Not the point.
15. My car's name is Jethro, and I only have 2 more payments til he's all paid off.

Another blog challenge

I did much better about blogging every day when I had a challenge. I've done two now, and while they were excellent, they were very deep and thought provoking.

I came across this one on my friend Sharla's blog (which is awesome, you should all go read it, especially if you are looking for new recipes - she's some sort of domestic goddess, which if you'd known her in high school would shock you as much as it kinda does me. But I love you Sharla!) and its much simpler - just kind of a "getting to know you" type of thing. But not like those lame surveys on myspace.

So here are the posts, and I'll do day 1 in the next post. We'll just call it the 30 day challenge, OK?

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3-Your first love
Day 4-Your parents
Day 5-Your siblings
Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7-Favorite movies
Day 8-A place you've traveled to
Day 9-A picture of your friends
Day 10-Something you're afraid of
Day 11-Favorite TV shows
Day 12-What you believe
Day 13-Goals
Day 14-A picture you love
Day 15-Bible verse
Day 16-Dream house
Day 17-Something you're looking forward to
Day 18-Something you regret
Day 19-Something you miss
Day 20-Nicknames
Day 21-Picture of yourself
Day 22-Favorite city
Day 23-Favorite vacation
Day 24-Something you've learned
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26-Picture of your family
Day 27-Pets
Day 28-Something that stresses you out
Day 29-3 Wishes
Day 30-a picture