Home, Conversations...Other Stuff...

So I've been home since last Saturday and for some reason my compute refuses to let me log onto blogger. But don't fear my faithful readers (well, the other two since Alex is on her way here right now), I am dauntless in my efforts and managed to log on. All I have to do now is figure out how to get in a weeks worth of thoughts without doing some of my better ones injustice or forgetting some.

I guess I'll start with the most important. I'm going on a date tomorrow. A real date, dinner, IMAX movie and the Wild Animal Park (it's so rare, me going on dates, that I figured I'd fit in all the date stuff at once). I've turned into a 13 yr old girl really, and just washed all my clothes in case I do the whole "what should I wear thing" tomorrow (you never know). It should be fun...too bad we're split by a continent. I mean, even if it goes well, I'll be back at West Point by Wednesday.

I've been downloading music like mad for Kristie's wedding and spent a couple of days with her and her fiance. He's a nice guy and I'm happy for them. Their relationship revolves around food and they make me laugh (hell, they make each other laugh...so often it's kind of sick...and they kiss a lot too). I give it a year before my mom is "grandma"...wierd.

When I got home, my family was in the middle of painting the house. Painting our house is no small task as it's on three levels (no more than two stories at any one point, but three different levels) and we had two ladders. I had gone out the night before and gotten about six hours of sleep, which was more than I was averaging at West Point so I felt good when I got home. I began painting and got a nasty farmers tan before I realized I could take off my shirt. Man, sometimes I'm really not bright. Anyway, here is the house. The white color on the first one is the original color. The green overhangs, I built over summer with a neighbor. They're pretty shoddy...don't think too highly of my carpentry skills. But it looks good doesn't it? Eh Lucia? (by the way, there's also a new concrete pad where we used to have dirt. Overall, Mom's done a pretty sweet job and even Kristie began to say how nice Fallbrook is.)





Alex and I decided to have a wine and sushi picnic the other day that went amazingly. She and Pat bought a bunch of Sushi and we invited Claire, the Atkinsons and us three. We had wine and set up a pretty sweet table in her backyard where we ate. It looked like the cover of a Southwest magazine and we ate and drank for a few hours before having coffee and listening to records...great time.

At the Sushi party, we all decided it would be a good idea to have a wine and hors d'ouvers night on Friday since 1. we were all here 2. we like to cook and 3. any excuse to drink wine is a good one. Al and I again planned and this time, the parental unit got in on the fun. So now, the guest list, which we had planned on being about six, is as follows:

1. Alex and Pat
2. Claire and James
3. Heath and her new boyfriend
4. Janelle (sans Timmy)
5. The Atkinsons
6. The Battaglias (we hope)
7. Walk and Dominique Chavez (since I can't pluralize Chavez easily)
8. Me
9. Mom and Robert
10. Janice and Gilbert

It should be a good time and I cooked enough food to feed a small nation last night. Most of it has cheese and mushrooms.

Most of this was easy to organize since I now have a cell phone! Yes, that's right kids, I've jumped into the early nineties head first and got my first cell. I am programing it to play "express yourself" (not madonna, the one from the sixties) when it rings, unless it's James Carlson, then it reads, "BATTLE!" and plays "Thunderstruck" which I got from him (but I might change it to the theme song from Golden Girls because that would just be funny.

I also got to go to a Padre's game in the new stadium where I drank beer and rid myself of the farmers tan. The new stadium is great (other than the name...I mean, PETCO? Were they serious?) and we had a great time, then I saw the godchildren.

Now, for what we've talked about. I think the most interesting discussion I had was with Alex about Federalism and how there might be a really interesting debate arising sooner rather than later. Basically, I came to the conclussion that there is a slight chance Don't Ask/Don't Tell could be lifted completely, or at least repealed by congress (and then vetoed by the President) after the November elections. That's not the federalism spot though...what I thought was this; if gays are allowed in the military, and each state has different laws about marriage, how would the military deal with that? For example, say two men are married in massachussets and one is military. The military would have to provide them benefits, housing etc. But, people from other states, say, Michigan, wouldn't be elligable for the same benefits. It seems that there is a slight possability that if the military repeals DA/DT before the country decides the gay marriage issue, the gay marriage issue could be decided (or, at least, pushed forward) by the military. What an interesting development that would be eh? Anyway, I have to run. I'll catch you cats later, and wish me luck at Air Assault School. Something tells me I should have run a bit more before I get there...but, too late now.