PAYLESS 50% Off Entire Purchase Discount!!!!!!!!!

Want to score a 50% discount @ Payless Shoes? Shoot...I do!! I was searching for hints for the Old Navy Weekly Ad and found that you could get a 50% off your entire purchase @ Payless Shoes.

Let's preface this. I used to work at Abercrombie & Fitch during college right in the beginning where it blew up and became uber-popular and college campuses around the US started looking like A&F threw up all over it. I would never, EVER shop @ the Gap (although my sister worked there, employees were treated better, paid better, scored better discounts, etc.), American Eagle (who eventually got sued for imitating A&F's looks), Old Navy, and hell-to-the-nizzo to Aeropostale. Who would've thought my apparel snobbery would trickle over to cosmetics when I started working for the LVMH-owned Sephora. HAHAHAHA. Fast forward to the future (and present)...I now shop almost all with the exception of AE & Aeropostale...it's all about baby steps.

Anyhoo...I'm all about taking my mom's attitude of shoes for my kids...to an extent. I do still buy them nice shoes, if it's worth it and esp. if it's a bargain. BUT, they are kids and kids feet grow ridiculously fast...so Payless it is (although not as cheap anymore).

So, I tried this and it worked...text "oprahshow" to 242424 and receive a 50% off your total purchase from Payless Shoes. It's good only until close of business 10/30/09.

Happy shopping!

I. Love. Military. Medicine.

Okay...not really. I don't love that Kaia had some freak accident and broke her ankle while hopping to the bus afterschool last Friday...HOPPING. I wrapped her ankle after seeing it was bruised and a bit swollen and we headed up to DC for her belated birthday party. So, the morning of her belated party, Sean takes her to the ER at Nat'l Naval Medical Center (yes, the same one the US Presidents often go to...formerly known as Bethesda Naval Medical Center). After an admitted mix-up at the front desk and a myriad of other people go in front of her that came way after her, she gets seen and is eventually released with a sprained ankle....a mildly sprained ankle.

We get home a little after midnight Monday morning only to find that the docs @ NNMC left us a message to call them back in reference to Kaia's x-rays. So, 36 hours after she is released, I call to find out that our daughter, who had been hopping on one-leg when she wasn't being carried around...more hopping than anything and in an uber-protective Ace bandage, had FRACTURED her ankle.

What's more...the doc was calling to set up an appointment for a cast...which was surprising considering Kaia was released with a sprain. He wondered if she was still getting around on crutches that were given to her, but I reminded him that none were given to her since they said she was too small for them.

Anyhoo...long story short, our 6-year old is a super trooper and you wouldn't even know that she was injured except for the chronic one-leg hop she utilized all weekend-long to get around. I'm just pretty ticked that a hospital would release a child with a sprain only to find out that she has a fracture along her growth plate that could potentially stunt her growth or lead to other problems if not treated aggressively. Nice. I'm also ticked that despite the efforts made to call our home in VA Beach twice (2100 & 2200), no one bothered to call my husband's cell since we were out of town in DC. Double Nice.

When I look at her, how I can not get super-protective? Especially since she doesn't complain or victimize herself!!!!

Female Dolphins?

The Hubs' sub leaving last winter.

Women on Subs...one of the newest oldest debates may soon become a reality. I'm not sure what my thoughts are on this. We've always fielded the questions of "why can't women be on subs" from our daughter and I've always told her that maybe one day she'll be able to be on a sub...or that women could be on subs (not exactly sure that she'd want to do what daddy does).

I'm definitely pro-woman on lots of subjects...but also am wondering about the implications of mixed-sex crews on subs. Shoot...if racism can be pretty rampant in the not-so-very diverse submarine community...what about sexism? Also, knowing how deployments/underways/patrols can be pretty taxing on some sub spouses...what if you do add to the mix the additional worry of having your spouse be tempted by female crew members. Additionally, what about the safety of these female crew members as well as support by the rest of the crew. My biggest concern would be the type of support these women would need and would they get it fairly?

I think my spouse would be able to fairly nurture female crew members...being an officer of color (who is prior-enlisted) married to a former civil rights activist, he's got some training and is more sensitive to underrepresented communities. BUT...what about the others? What more if the women are women of color? Like I said, it's very rare to have an person of color in the wardroom (the officers)...let alone 2. We've been lucky to have shared both tours with another officer of color and have always shared similar sentiments with regards to the lack of diversity and sensitivity (ie. EDUCATION) to underserved communities...this is shared by both officer and spouse.

Obviously the training from the Hubs' alma mater will be stellar and I'm glad to see that they would be grooming women @ the USNA to become trailblazers in this community. But, I can't reiterate enough how much support these women will need from their chain of command and the Navy to be as successful as their potential allows. I hope the right measures will be put in place to allow for the success and safety of these women.

Anyhoo...thoughts?

*Ironically, as the Navy mulls this issue over, it so happens it's occuring during Military Rape Awareness Week. Here is one woman's experience, a staff sgt. in the Army. Just one of the issues that women could be facing living life as a bubblehead.

OTT

Ahhhhh...thank you to one of my most fave sub wives, the uber-talented and ridiculously gorgeous Liza, just gave me this award...in addition to the other two awards that she gave me a while back that I'm so behind on still posting!!! Sorry, Liza!!

So the rules are:
Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. You must use only one word answers!

Once you have filled it out you then pass it on to 6 of your favorite bloggers and alert them that they have been awarded.

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen
2. Your hair? Brunette
3. Your mother? Wonderful
4. Your father? Inspiring
5. Your favorite food? All
6. Your dream last night? Scary
7. Your favorite drink? Tea
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. What room are you in? FROG
10. Your hobby? Cooking
11. Your fear? Claustrophobia
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Secure
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren't? Satiated
15. Muffins? Apple
16. Wish list item? D90
17. Where did you grow up? DC
18. Last thing you did? Parent
19. What are you wearing? PJs
20. Your TV? BROKEN
21. Your pets? Canine
22. Friends? Friendmily
23. Your life? Nonstop
24. Your mood? Drained
25. Missing someone? Always
26. Vehicle? Sequoia
27. Something you’re not wearing? Contacts
28. Your favorite store? TJ's (Trader Joe's)
29. Your favorite color? Charcoal
30. When was the last time you laughed? Lunch
31. Last time you cried? Saturday
32. Your best friend? Awesome
33. One place that I go to over and over? Home
34. One person who emails me regularly? Sister
35. Favorite place to eat? In-N-Out

Now I'm passing the love to:

Melissa

Sopheak

Ben

Kelly

Ronee

Linda

Time to Remember

Today is a day in which many will remember exactly what they were doing at the time of one of the most horrific times in American history. We will remember all the lives that were lost and all of the pain and anger that was left behind following the attacks. We will remember unity of the country and some will remember the hate crimes and racism that followed the attacks...on fellow Americans.

I will remember my fiance leaving that very morning, before the attacks happened, on the USS Boise, a US Navy fast attack submarine as a junior officer. I thought of him as I climbed into the car of the APAICS executive director's car with her and her deputy director and headed off to NYC for exit polling...and how a missed turn on the highway resulted in our delay in arrival time to NYC. I remember our cell phones ringing...Daphne's parents calling her to tell her of events occurring in NYC and my sister calling to see where we were. After deciding to turn around and returning back to DC, we get more phone calls about events occurring in DC. I remember thinking what is happening and that we were stuck in between two war zones. I worried that my fiance, who had surely heard the news in his little tube under the sea, was worried sick knowing that I had intended on going to NYC that day and not knowing if I was ok (especially since it's not like I could just call him and that my emails took several days to reach him to tell him that I was safe & sound). Returning back to the office, a block and a half away from the White House, seeing tanks and military police on the street below was so surreal...as was the fear of riding the Metro into and working in DC and living in the DC metro area with fears of dirty bombs and repeat attacks.

I remember calling our neighbor who daughter and our dear childhood friend worked in the World Trade Center. I remember her telling us that Alex left her office at the top of the building to go downstairs to buy some breakfast...something she never used to do but an action out-of-the-ordinary that saved her life. I remember feeling thankful that my co-worker Giles who was supposed to fly to AZ that day was back and safe. I remember watching the horrible scenes from that day and thinking about all the lives lost and the pain that so many were feeling. I remember feeling especially empathetic about those who lost loved ones in this tragedy having just lost my father almost two years prior. I remember feeling fear and empathy for those Americans who suffered/died post-9/11 because of misplaced hatred/anger towards those who were different and viewed as "the enemy" and yet were probably more American than their attackers. I remembered thinking that those feelings were history repeating itself, more specifically remembering the Japanese American Internment during WWII. I remember feeling fear for so many of my friends who are South Asian American and also wondering if that hatred towards "others" would extend to more Asian Americans and other people of color & underrepresented communities (which it did). I remember feeling helpless & hopeless with this nation both united and divided.

But mainly, I remember the lives lost, the loved ones left behind, and those who selflessly volunteered/fave their lives to help others. I remember those who took complete disregard for their lives to help others in danger and need. I remember that despite living in a world so filled with hatred that there still was a lot of good in the world...and that we must always continue to nurture.