Alrighty...

My updated checklist:

• Take the GRE...again...DONE (albeit not the strong scores I wanted, good, but not strong)
• Finish Grad Apps...DONE!!!!!!!!!!
• Homeschool...been squeezing in time and feeling better about myself! ;o)
• Start, finish, & mail Xmas gifts...starting, finished on some, and then will be ready to mail
• Hire property manager/realtor...I'm in the process
• Get the house rented....errrrrr
• Exercise...does one bike ride count?
• Move...instead of this week, it's in a few weeks
• Travel...need to find time to fit in

So, it's kinda hard to plan things when your spouse isn't here. Ahhhh, the life of the Naval submariner & his fam. It's great to have an absence of plans or just lots of fluidity in your planning. Whatever...this is move #6 in 6 years. It's allllll good. Even though it's smack dab in the middle of holidays...it's all gooooood. We still probably have one more move next year making it 7 in 6.5 years! YIPPEEEE!

Also, CLEAN HOUSE should be on the checklist...but I don't want to give myself a hernia while laughing. ;o)

With that, Imma gonna do some laundy (one of the few cleaning things I like to do) and bake. Yup. See how my priorities go?

I Remember

So, it's my Dad's birthday today. Actually, his 60th. The only thing is that he died almost 10 years ago this coming January from alcoholism-related poor health. I had expected him to pass away early, but not that soon.

So, as I think about careers outside this home...as well as my previous professional & academic lives. I think about and remember how positive my father was in fostering and nurturing my identity as a woman and as a person of color. I also love how he was compassionate, considerate, and empathetic of others. He was crazy funny and unabashedly silly...something I think I inherited from him. I also inherited his love of history, esp. US history.

Anyway...today, I remember. I remember the first man in my life...the one who helped to shape the woman I am and becoming everyday. I think about how he's helped to raise the grandkids he's never met by how he raised me. I remember the silly man who would give me, my cousins, and the neighborhood kids rides on the riding lawnmower that, after time, would only drive straight. I remember the Chinese American man born in Washington, DC that spoke with a slight Southern twang. I remember the embarassing outfits and him wearing these ridiculously ugly red plaid house slippers to McDs...but not even giving a shitake. Because, that's who he was...and sometimes, that's who I need to be.

I remember.

3 Weeks

Here is my checklist for my next three weeks...

• Take the GRE...again (still a bit bitter about my expired GRE)
• Finish Grad Apps
• Homeschool
• Start, finish, & mail Xmas gifts
• Hire a property manager/realtor
• Exercise....ok, this most likely will not happen...hahaha...*sigh*
• Get the house rented
• Move
• Be a good mom, wife, sibling. daughter, friend.

Good thing is, our tenants are moving out of our home in VA Beach and we don't have to divide our stuff between what goes into our next place and what goes into storage. Now EVERYTHING goes with us. *phew* Definitely a few less stresses there!

Exactly 3 more weeks and we'll be moving from the Deep South to the start of the South-ish (although MD is considered the South, but Southerners always have a good chuckle about that...Mason-Dixon line...look it up people). ;o)

Anyhoo...moving company rep comes tomorrow to start estimating our pack-out. I say to him/her...GOOD LUCK WITH THAT...HAHAHAHAHAHA. Our place is a vortex.

Brrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeathe.

History

Either way you slice it, this election was going to be historical no matter what. I was so glad that we had the chance to vote in this lovely swing state AND by mail no less!!!! What an awesome time.

Change.

It's feels good.