Well, here it is, Saturday morning and we still haven't left yet. At this point, we aren't trying to get all the way to the states. Our current game plan is to catch a flight to Hawaii, then try and hop from there, or get on a commercial flight. There was a flight yesterday morning. Twenty seats available. Only twenty. Sometimes they open up more than they say they have. Not this time. One flight to Hickam over the weekend that has been posted. Guess how many seats. Ten. Yes, ten. Now, like I said sometimes more become available, but it's pretty safe to say we will not get on that flight later today. I know I should be positive about catching one soon, but it's getting really hard to be. I could say "I'm positive we won't get out anytime soon", but I don't think that counts. I'm not sure if I wrote it before, but when you sign up to get on a flight, you're put into a category. I don't know what all of them mean, but I'll try to sort them out:
1-Emergency/medical
2-Military person. (alone)
3-Military person and family.
4-Family without military person. (This is what category we're in)
5-Students, maybe? I'm not sure about this one.
6-Retired I think.
When roll call begins, it goes in order of categories from the top. Cat. one is open the whole time, and everyone's name is called down the list until the seats are filled. Lately there have been a bunch of two's and three's. Which sucks for the rest of the people because our names never get called. I don't know how well this makes sense, because it's still confusing to me, and I'm in the middle of all of it. I'm just trying to clear it up a little. Some families in cat. four are trying to get their military person, (for me, it would be my dad) to bump them up a category by going with them to Hawaii and turning around and coming back. If we can't get out soon, I think that's what we're going to do too...
So between going to the terminal, waiting for three to five hours, going back home, and waiting for a new flight, you might think I'd have a lot of time on my hands. And you would be correct. Too bad I'm not using any of it. Getting up super early, or staying up til the wee hours in the morning wear me out, so what do I do when I get home from another failed attempt of getting a hop? Sleep of course! That in turn messes my whole schedule up, so I'm sleeping during the day, and well, not sleeping at night. The good thing about that is when I do finally get back in the states, I won't be turned around. Sleep-wise that is. I'm not sure how long it'll take me to figure out what day it is there...
Other than sleeping my time away, I'm still as-patiently-as-I-possibly-can-be waiting for my SoGoPro shirt. According to my purchase date, it was six weeks Sunday the 25th. But according to the SoGoPro blog picture dates of the packages, my guess would be around Thursday 28th or Friday 29th that they sent them out. I really hope it wasn't lost, or stolen, or delivered to the wrong house. One, because I paid $45 for it, and two, I want to show off my SGP pride...
Maybe I'll get it tomorrow...
I should be getting to bed. I'm actually tired despite sleeping all afternoon.
God bless and good night.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
New Song List
1. Everybody’s Fool- Evanescence
2. My Immortal- Evanescence
3. Good Enough- Evanescenc
4. You Can’t Break A Broken Heart- Kate Voegele
5. Manhattan From the Sky- Kate Voegele
6. Angel- Kate Voegele
7. I Don’t Care- Fall Out Boy
8. America’s Suitehearts- Fall Out Boy
9. More Than Anyone- Gavin DeGraw
10. Walk On- Billy Currington
11. Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)- Lostprophets
12. The Climb- Miley Cyrus
I realize some these are repeats from past playlists, but I really like them. Sorry they aren't very original. But you can't choose what speaks to you, right?
Enjoy and God bless.
(By the way, we still haven't gotten (got ?) out. There's a flight on Friday. Praying to get on it...)
2. My Immortal- Evanescence
3. Good Enough- Evanescenc
4. You Can’t Break A Broken Heart- Kate Voegele
5. Manhattan From the Sky- Kate Voegele
6. Angel- Kate Voegele
7. I Don’t Care- Fall Out Boy
8. America’s Suitehearts- Fall Out Boy
9. More Than Anyone- Gavin DeGraw
10. Walk On- Billy Currington
11. Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)- Lostprophets
12. The Climb- Miley Cyrus
I realize some these are repeats from past playlists, but I really like them. Sorry they aren't very original. But you can't choose what speaks to you, right?
Enjoy and God bless.
(By the way, we still haven't gotten (got ?) out. There's a flight on Friday. Praying to get on it...)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Hiding Place
I cry beneath the blanket of security.
Scared and alone,
from lifetimes of drama
and crisis.
The way I think,
Feel,
Live;
That's all changed into something else.
Something so alien,
I find myself questioning the guest inside me:
"Who are you?"
"Where did you come from?"
She gives me no answers.
Locked away in her room;
my frail body and confused mind.
I've ventured into the unknown.
A place so remote,
no one dares to even make an attempt at finding,
Exploring,
Putting it on a map,
so that those of us who fall victim to it's gravitational pull
can find a path back to familiar territory.
It has a bizarre sort of atmosphere.
So humid and dry.
I feel like a walking skeleton,
scorched from multiple burns.
Heavy breathing to fill my dust filled lungs with cool, clean life.
But like a tree
snapped in a tornado with an F5 rating,
the strange world shifts to a new scene
from a movie I've watched on so many occasions before this,
but is different each time it comes on.
I am cold and wet.
Soaking from the tears, sweat, and rain
washing over my slow moving body.
The precipitation blurs my vision.
Unable to see,
I fall into a black hole.
My pupils are shot out by blinding darkness.
I can't breath or speak.
My screams stay lodged in my throat,
clawing at my vocal cords to escape.
But my ears won't listen in their ignorance.
I find myself twisted underneath my now torn and frayed quilt.
I wait anxiously for my seamstress to repair the damage that's been inflicted,
but she is nowhere to be found.
So here I am.
Left to wallow in confusion and doubt,
as I make this new life a home.
And establish a private oasis.
Scared and alone,
from lifetimes of drama
and crisis.
The way I think,
Feel,
Live;
That's all changed into something else.
Something so alien,
I find myself questioning the guest inside me:
"Who are you?"
"Where did you come from?"
She gives me no answers.
Locked away in her room;
my frail body and confused mind.
I've ventured into the unknown.
A place so remote,
no one dares to even make an attempt at finding,
Exploring,
Putting it on a map,
so that those of us who fall victim to it's gravitational pull
can find a path back to familiar territory.
It has a bizarre sort of atmosphere.
So humid and dry.
I feel like a walking skeleton,
scorched from multiple burns.
Heavy breathing to fill my dust filled lungs with cool, clean life.
But like a tree
snapped in a tornado with an F5 rating,
the strange world shifts to a new scene
from a movie I've watched on so many occasions before this,
but is different each time it comes on.
I am cold and wet.
Soaking from the tears, sweat, and rain
washing over my slow moving body.
The precipitation blurs my vision.
Unable to see,
I fall into a black hole.
My pupils are shot out by blinding darkness.
I can't breath or speak.
My screams stay lodged in my throat,
clawing at my vocal cords to escape.
But my ears won't listen in their ignorance.
I find myself twisted underneath my now torn and frayed quilt.
I wait anxiously for my seamstress to repair the damage that's been inflicted,
but she is nowhere to be found.
So here I am.
Left to wallow in confusion and doubt,
as I make this new life a home.
And establish a private oasis.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Maddie
I was watching the news earlier when I learned that there's a new suspect in the Madeleine McCann case. Apparently he was interviewed and cleared during the Portuguese investigation, but he looks remarkably like a sketch of the abductor. HELLO!!! Does it take a genius to figure that one out?! Oh, and he's a convicted pedophile. Come on people! Connect the dots. I guess in a way, all those prayers I made are starting to come true for little Maddie. There is a break in the case, but it should have come months and months ago. It infuriates me how some people are handling all this. The Portuguese investigators essentially did nothing for the McCanns. (I have nothing against the Portuguese, I'm just surprised at their involvement). Also, there was a reported sighting back in September I believe, at a party store. The clerk called the police, but they never went and checked it out! I am just utterly amazed at the actions officials are taking. There is a now-5-year-old girl missing, for pete's sake! The police should be falling over themselves looking for her, and following up on leads. I could go on and on about what I think is right and wrong, but to save you from boredom, I'll move on...
The Fresno/Phoenix flight was taken off, but the Memphis flight is back on. We're going to try and get on that one. There is a flight going to Pittsburgh on Monday morning, but mom doesn't know about it yet. She's still sleeping. (It's 4:12 am Saturday. And yes, I've been up all night. Watching the flight list.) I really hope we get out soon. This is ridiculous...
Another thing that's ticking me off BIG TIME is my dang internet. It does this thing every now and then where I'll try to open a site, and a box will pop up saying "Internet Explorer cannot access 'so and so site'. Operation Aborted." Right now the Southern Gothic blog is doing that. My computer won't open it, and neither will my dad's. So I don't know what the problem is. It obviously works for the SGP team though. They've put up two posts since my little ordeal has started. Maybe I'll be able to read them before I leave. Hopefully...
Please keep little Maddie and her family in your hearts and minds. She doesn't deserve any of this. She needs to be home with those that love and care about her.
God bless and good night. (Or technically morning.)
The Fresno/Phoenix flight was taken off, but the Memphis flight is back on. We're going to try and get on that one. There is a flight going to Pittsburgh on Monday morning, but mom doesn't know about it yet. She's still sleeping. (It's 4:12 am Saturday. And yes, I've been up all night. Watching the flight list.) I really hope we get out soon. This is ridiculous...
Another thing that's ticking me off BIG TIME is my dang internet. It does this thing every now and then where I'll try to open a site, and a box will pop up saying "Internet Explorer cannot access 'so and so site'. Operation Aborted." Right now the Southern Gothic blog is doing that. My computer won't open it, and neither will my dad's. So I don't know what the problem is. It obviously works for the SGP team though. They've put up two posts since my little ordeal has started. Maybe I'll be able to read them before I leave. Hopefully...
Please keep little Maddie and her family in your hearts and minds. She doesn't deserve any of this. She needs to be home with those that love and care about her.
God bless and good night. (Or technically morning.)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
On Again, Off Again.
I have a secret. Bet you can’t guess what it is. Go ahead and try. It’s a really easy one. Have you figured it out yet? I’ll tell you. I still haven’t left for the states. Were you right? If so, pat yourself on the back. If not, maybe next time.
That dang Memphis flight keeps disappearing and reappearing. One hour it’s there, and the next, it’s gone. Last I saw, it was on for Saturday morning at 5 am along with two others. Those being:
Guam to Fresno, California
Fresno to Phoenix, Arizona
And
Guam to Hickam AFB, Hawaii
My mom said we’re going to try and get on the Arizona flight, that way we don’t have to pass through Hickam, (it can sometimes take a long time to get out of there) and it’s pretty cheap to catch a commercial flight out of Phoenix to Ohio.
Oh Lord, I do hope we get on that hop. Here it is Thursday night, and I was expecting to be in the country by now. (The U.S country and actual country. My grandparents live out in the middle of nowhere.) But instead, I am still stuck on this miniscule piece of land. At this point, it doesn’t even feel like I’m going on vacation. Ugh. I should be riding 4-wheelers right now…
I suppose a good thing about all this waiting would be I might be here when my SoGoPro shirt arrives. It should be here real soon. It’s been nearly 6 weeks. Also, if we’re still here next Tuesday night (we better not be!) I won’t miss the season premiere of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Which is pretty awesome. It’ll be awesome anywhere though.
Hmm. I guess there’s nothing else to do but keep on waiting…
God bless and good night.
That dang Memphis flight keeps disappearing and reappearing. One hour it’s there, and the next, it’s gone. Last I saw, it was on for Saturday morning at 5 am along with two others. Those being:
Guam to Fresno, California
Fresno to Phoenix, Arizona
And
Guam to Hickam AFB, Hawaii
My mom said we’re going to try and get on the Arizona flight, that way we don’t have to pass through Hickam, (it can sometimes take a long time to get out of there) and it’s pretty cheap to catch a commercial flight out of Phoenix to Ohio.
Oh Lord, I do hope we get on that hop. Here it is Thursday night, and I was expecting to be in the country by now. (The U.S country and actual country. My grandparents live out in the middle of nowhere.) But instead, I am still stuck on this miniscule piece of land. At this point, it doesn’t even feel like I’m going on vacation. Ugh. I should be riding 4-wheelers right now…
I suppose a good thing about all this waiting would be I might be here when my SoGoPro shirt arrives. It should be here real soon. It’s been nearly 6 weeks. Also, if we’re still here next Tuesday night (we better not be!) I won’t miss the season premiere of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Which is pretty awesome. It’ll be awesome anywhere though.
Hmm. I guess there’s nothing else to do but keep on waiting…
God bless and good night.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
It's Only Life
Finding that one person you love with all your heart and that you want to spend the rest of your life with is wonderful. And romantic. And for some, hard to find. Others, it’s really easy. But, sometimes, I can’t help but wonder, “Is it worth it?” Whether you live your life getting everything you ever wanted or you feel like you can’t catch a break, it’s the same; it’s the same end…
We all aren’t going to the same place. I know that. For some, it’ll be heaven. For some, it’ll be hell. A few will probably stick around here for a while. Maybe they’ll get confused and can’t quite figure out where to go. The rest of us might even come back to earth for another lifetime. How a person lives their life can affect that. I believe that. But, what determines your afterlife? Do you always have to be pure and responsible? Loving, polite, a good person at every waking moment? What if you make some mistakes? Or purposeful sins? Is it your actions? Your thoughts? Your friends, hobbies, dreams, lifestyle?
What I want is to have a family. I’ve wanted it for a long time. My reasons are, to me, legit. I want to love something unconditionally. To watch it grow and blossom. Be a great teacher to my (far-in-the-future) children. Not perfect, because no one is. Be the best I possibly can be. And maybe, hopefully, fill this void in my heart. Someday I’ll have that. But again, I wonder, “Why do people put so much effort into living their lives?” It’s not going to matter in the end. Yes I know, the ripples of a person’s actions can go a long way; even the smallest, seemingly unimportant ones. People inspire other people, then they inspire someone, and so forth and so on. But, if you believe in God, or a religious being, or that the world will cease to exist someday, have you ever just once thought about any of this?
I don't mean to sound so morose, because I love life. Maybe I don't love it as much as I should. Actually, I know I don't. The things that I've dealt with in the past, and the things I will deal with in the future make it difficult to accept what life is all about. What it brings. How it ends. It's even harder watching other people, or movies, or shows, and seeing them living their dreams. Getting everything they ever wanted. Thinking about it now, the season 6 finale of One Tree Hill is a perfect example. Lucas and Peyton got each other and a baby, Brooke finally got the mother she always deserved and also Julian, Nathan got the NBA, Haley still has Nathan and Jamie, and Mouth and Millie have each other. Everything turned out ok. But life's not a t.v show, right? Oh, I pray someday I'll find that someone or thing that will change everything for me. Where I don't second guess life and love. Um, there was a voice-over from the last OTH episode, and one of the parts that Peyton says pretty much sums up how I should be feeling. I thought I'd share it with you:
"So take a look in that mirror and remind yourself to be happy; because you deserve to be. Believe that."
If you're feeling like I do, listen to Peyton. Her words have helped me out a lot.
Live life to the fullest.
For all we know, this might be our only chance.
God bless.
We all aren’t going to the same place. I know that. For some, it’ll be heaven. For some, it’ll be hell. A few will probably stick around here for a while. Maybe they’ll get confused and can’t quite figure out where to go. The rest of us might even come back to earth for another lifetime. How a person lives their life can affect that. I believe that. But, what determines your afterlife? Do you always have to be pure and responsible? Loving, polite, a good person at every waking moment? What if you make some mistakes? Or purposeful sins? Is it your actions? Your thoughts? Your friends, hobbies, dreams, lifestyle?
What I want is to have a family. I’ve wanted it for a long time. My reasons are, to me, legit. I want to love something unconditionally. To watch it grow and blossom. Be a great teacher to my (far-in-the-future) children. Not perfect, because no one is. Be the best I possibly can be. And maybe, hopefully, fill this void in my heart. Someday I’ll have that. But again, I wonder, “Why do people put so much effort into living their lives?” It’s not going to matter in the end. Yes I know, the ripples of a person’s actions can go a long way; even the smallest, seemingly unimportant ones. People inspire other people, then they inspire someone, and so forth and so on. But, if you believe in God, or a religious being, or that the world will cease to exist someday, have you ever just once thought about any of this?
I don't mean to sound so morose, because I love life. Maybe I don't love it as much as I should. Actually, I know I don't. The things that I've dealt with in the past, and the things I will deal with in the future make it difficult to accept what life is all about. What it brings. How it ends. It's even harder watching other people, or movies, or shows, and seeing them living their dreams. Getting everything they ever wanted. Thinking about it now, the season 6 finale of One Tree Hill is a perfect example. Lucas and Peyton got each other and a baby, Brooke finally got the mother she always deserved and also Julian, Nathan got the NBA, Haley still has Nathan and Jamie, and Mouth and Millie have each other. Everything turned out ok. But life's not a t.v show, right? Oh, I pray someday I'll find that someone or thing that will change everything for me. Where I don't second guess life and love. Um, there was a voice-over from the last OTH episode, and one of the parts that Peyton says pretty much sums up how I should be feeling. I thought I'd share it with you:
"So take a look in that mirror and remind yourself to be happy; because you deserve to be. Believe that."
If you're feeling like I do, listen to Peyton. Her words have helped me out a lot.
Live life to the fullest.
For all we know, this might be our only chance.
God bless.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Waiting. And Waiting. And Waiting Some More.
You know those "What's on your mind" things on Myspace and Facebook? Well at this moment mine would read:
'Really irritated about the hop schedule. Still waiting to get out. Sad about Kat and Ms.Beth moving. Ready to leave, but not finished packing yet...'
That's the condensed version though.
Referring to my so-called flight, here's what's happened in the past few days:
-Sunday-Roll call at midnight. Manifested to Memphis.
Monday flight moved to Tuesday.
-Tuesday-Roll call at 5:30 am. (Same flight)
Moved to Tuesday night.
-Tuesday-Roll call at 7:30 pm.
Flight removed from list.
-Tuesday morning, the only flights going out are to Japan.
Ugh! This is so, I don't know. Unpredictable. That's what sucks about trying to take a hop and not flying commercial. I hope we get out really soon. The great thing about the flight not being tonight is that I'm not going to miss, *drumroll please*,
THE SEASON FINALE OF ONE TREE HILL!!!!
Excited about that. If you can't tell. It's going to be a very sad episode though. It's the last one Miss Hilarie and Mr. Chad Michael Murray will be on. Even if nothing sad occurs, it's still going to be hard to watch knowing they won't be returning. Like I said in a post a few weeks ago, I hope they are given the opportunity to return as guest stars. Or maybe another flash forward to show how they are in a number of years. That'd be pretty awesome. Despite the fact that Miss Hilarie won't be returning, I support her. Her role as Peyton has been such an influence on me and I know that won't change. I'm so glad she started Southern Gothic Productions. Her company already has so many fans behind her. Watch out world. I have a pretty good feeling this will be the next best production company. I'm so excited to see everything the team is working on. I'm sure it'll be great.
I better be off. I should finish packing so if a flight comes up, I'll be ready.
God bless.
'Really irritated about the hop schedule. Still waiting to get out. Sad about Kat and Ms.Beth moving. Ready to leave, but not finished packing yet...'
That's the condensed version though.
Referring to my so-called flight, here's what's happened in the past few days:
-Sunday-Roll call at midnight. Manifested to Memphis.
Monday flight moved to Tuesday.
-Tuesday-Roll call at 5:30 am. (Same flight)
Moved to Tuesday night.
-Tuesday-Roll call at 7:30 pm.
Flight removed from list.
-Tuesday morning, the only flights going out are to Japan.
Ugh! This is so, I don't know. Unpredictable. That's what sucks about trying to take a hop and not flying commercial. I hope we get out really soon. The great thing about the flight not being tonight is that I'm not going to miss, *drumroll please*,
THE SEASON FINALE OF ONE TREE HILL!!!!
Excited about that. If you can't tell. It's going to be a very sad episode though. It's the last one Miss Hilarie and Mr. Chad Michael Murray will be on. Even if nothing sad occurs, it's still going to be hard to watch knowing they won't be returning. Like I said in a post a few weeks ago, I hope they are given the opportunity to return as guest stars. Or maybe another flash forward to show how they are in a number of years. That'd be pretty awesome. Despite the fact that Miss Hilarie won't be returning, I support her. Her role as Peyton has been such an influence on me and I know that won't change. I'm so glad she started Southern Gothic Productions. Her company already has so many fans behind her. Watch out world. I have a pretty good feeling this will be the next best production company. I'm so excited to see everything the team is working on. I'm sure it'll be great.
I better be off. I should finish packing so if a flight comes up, I'll be ready.
God bless.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Slight Change of Plans
One more thing about military hops: flight dates can move around. Depending on the person, that could be a good or bad thing. For me, very good. The Memphis flight has been moved to Tuesday morning. Why am I happy about this? Well, I still have some stuff I need to get done, I feel like crap (hopefully I'll be better by then), and I won't be so exhausted. I thought having a morning roll call would mean I'd be flying during the day, but because we're going "back in time", it will be dark. Dang it. If the flight was still tonight, and we took it, we would be flying during the day. Hmm... I think I'd still choose Tuesday if I had the choice.
As you know, I had a girl scout camp-out this weekend. I had guess I had fun. Not the whole time unfortunatley. It was hot, but had a nice breeze. Except in the tent. Made sleeping very uncomfortable. Swimming was a blast, besides all the sea cucumbers (GROSS!!) and sea grass. Plus the water was warm. Not really cold, but not hot. Reminded me of bathwater. I found some awesome shells. And all of them are whole! It's hard to find ones that aren't broken. OH! I had a pet hermit crab for a while. I named him Capernicus. There's a good reason for it. Story time!
My cat's name is Kyah. Every so often, my brother and I call her Capernicus. Why? I don't know. She isn't always all there and needs a little reasurrance sometimes. Like, "Come on Ky, you can come in my room." Well Capernicus The Crab was really into crawling up my arm, and when he'd be right on the edge of falling off, I'd offer my opposite hand for him (her-?) to transfer over to. He'd hesitate, and I'd give him a gentle nudge indicating it was alright to cross over; thus the name Capernicus. I did let him go. The old me would have kept him, but I realized I most likely would have killed him, so I let him go back to his home. I'll put pictures up later. Of all I have from camp.
After hours was the best. Danielle and I were hyper from candy and soda. There were drunk guys at the resteraunt up the road that liked to yell and sing. Danielle and I called them their "mating call". She brought a lantern and we made fun of them by dancing around it singing like indians are known to do around fires. All the while, Briana was video taping us. Fun fun. Despite the fact that this weekend will be the last time I see my troop before next school year, I'm glad I'm home now.
More later.
God bless.
As you know, I had a girl scout camp-out this weekend. I had guess I had fun. Not the whole time unfortunatley. It was hot, but had a nice breeze. Except in the tent. Made sleeping very uncomfortable. Swimming was a blast, besides all the sea cucumbers (GROSS!!) and sea grass. Plus the water was warm. Not really cold, but not hot. Reminded me of bathwater. I found some awesome shells. And all of them are whole! It's hard to find ones that aren't broken. OH! I had a pet hermit crab for a while. I named him Capernicus. There's a good reason for it. Story time!
My cat's name is Kyah. Every so often, my brother and I call her Capernicus. Why? I don't know. She isn't always all there and needs a little reasurrance sometimes. Like, "Come on Ky, you can come in my room." Well Capernicus The Crab was really into crawling up my arm, and when he'd be right on the edge of falling off, I'd offer my opposite hand for him (her-?) to transfer over to. He'd hesitate, and I'd give him a gentle nudge indicating it was alright to cross over; thus the name Capernicus. I did let him go. The old me would have kept him, but I realized I most likely would have killed him, so I let him go back to his home. I'll put pictures up later. Of all I have from camp.
After hours was the best. Danielle and I were hyper from candy and soda. There were drunk guys at the resteraunt up the road that liked to yell and sing. Danielle and I called them their "mating call". She brought a lantern and we made fun of them by dancing around it singing like indians are known to do around fires. All the while, Briana was video taping us. Fun fun. Despite the fact that this weekend will be the last time I see my troop before next school year, I'm glad I'm home now.
More later.
God bless.
Friday, May 15, 2009
That Was Fast
Ok, if you're in the military, or know someone who is, you may be familiar with "hops". If you have no idea what I am referring to, let me clue you in:
The oh-so-generous military basically offers free rides to different bases. If the flight has enough room for extra passengers, they open the plane to the public. For example, here's what a hop from Guam might entail:
Guam to Hickam AFB, Hawaii
Hickam to Travis AFB, California
Travis to Memphis, Tennessee
(Which is an actually hop plan for this Sunday. More on that in a minute.)
A majority of the hops out of Guam go to either Hawaii or Japan first, then to California. You're really lucky if you get on a flight that's manifested clear to where-ever you want to get to, or close at least. That way you know you'll be getting there soon.
But there are pros and cons about taking a hop versus flying commercial.
Pros:
One, it's a heck of a lot cheaper. (Usually. If you get somewhere and have to do a lot of waiting, you can either stay in the terminal, or stay in hotel, which can add up.)
Two, if you get on a flight with barely anyone else on it, you can sometimes lay flat on the floor and go to sleep. Better than those cramped little seats on commercial.
Now for a few cons:
One, COLD COLD COLD! Now, I haven't been on one yet, but my mom has been on some, and every time, she complains about freezing her butt off. Go figure, they're cargo planes with non-existent insulation. But if you don't want to get hypothermia, you have to wear layers. That sucks considering it's 85 degrees outside...
Two, no real windows. The planes do have little bitty tiny ones at the top, and you have to stand on the seat to see out. I'm the kind of person that has to be able to see out while I'm flying. I get really freaked out when I can't. Not looking forward to that.
To get on a flight, you have to register a few days beforehand, that way the terminal has your information. When you find the flight you want to get on, you arrive at the terminal for roll call. If you aren't there for roll call, you do not get on. There's a chance you may not get on anyway, depending on the number of people that show up, and other circumstances I won't go into. Roll call is typically 2-5 hours before you even board. (Kind of like at a real airport, how they like you to be there a couple hours before).
Alright, so yesterday, my mom and I went to our base terminal to register. She told the man we'd like to get out hopefully next week, and asked what flights were scheduled for Sunday. One around 9 a.m. Too early for us because of the girl scout camp-out. We said we'd keep checking. Now, mind you, I was thinking it'd be at least Monday before a good flight came up. Perhaps even Tuesday or Wednesday. No. I was checking out the flight station tonight, and what do I see? A plane manifested all the way to Memphis. (We're trying to get to Ohio.) I go tell mom, because she may not have seen it yet. She has. "Yeah, that's the one we're going to try to get on. Roll call is at midnight." Greeaaat. There is nothing more that I hate than not being able to see out of a window on a plane except flying at night. Because then you really can't see anything.
Ugh... I thought moving over here was going to be confusing. (Still is a little). We're a day ahead of the people in the states. Actually, Guam's slogan is "Where America's Day Begins." A little odd because technically Guam is part of America. Oh well. Anyway, it's really going to mess me up going backwards because when we leave, in the states we won't have left yet. It's going to feel like going back in time...
This will probably be my last post before I leave. I will try to keep up with writing while on vacation.
Wish me luck!
God bless.
The oh-so-generous military basically offers free rides to different bases. If the flight has enough room for extra passengers, they open the plane to the public. For example, here's what a hop from Guam might entail:
Guam to Hickam AFB, Hawaii
Hickam to Travis AFB, California
Travis to Memphis, Tennessee
(Which is an actually hop plan for this Sunday. More on that in a minute.)
A majority of the hops out of Guam go to either Hawaii or Japan first, then to California. You're really lucky if you get on a flight that's manifested clear to where-ever you want to get to, or close at least. That way you know you'll be getting there soon.
But there are pros and cons about taking a hop versus flying commercial.
Pros:
One, it's a heck of a lot cheaper. (Usually. If you get somewhere and have to do a lot of waiting, you can either stay in the terminal, or stay in hotel, which can add up.)
Two, if you get on a flight with barely anyone else on it, you can sometimes lay flat on the floor and go to sleep. Better than those cramped little seats on commercial.
Now for a few cons:
One, COLD COLD COLD! Now, I haven't been on one yet, but my mom has been on some, and every time, she complains about freezing her butt off. Go figure, they're cargo planes with non-existent insulation. But if you don't want to get hypothermia, you have to wear layers. That sucks considering it's 85 degrees outside...
Two, no real windows. The planes do have little bitty tiny ones at the top, and you have to stand on the seat to see out. I'm the kind of person that has to be able to see out while I'm flying. I get really freaked out when I can't. Not looking forward to that.
To get on a flight, you have to register a few days beforehand, that way the terminal has your information. When you find the flight you want to get on, you arrive at the terminal for roll call. If you aren't there for roll call, you do not get on. There's a chance you may not get on anyway, depending on the number of people that show up, and other circumstances I won't go into. Roll call is typically 2-5 hours before you even board. (Kind of like at a real airport, how they like you to be there a couple hours before).
Alright, so yesterday, my mom and I went to our base terminal to register. She told the man we'd like to get out hopefully next week, and asked what flights were scheduled for Sunday. One around 9 a.m. Too early for us because of the girl scout camp-out. We said we'd keep checking. Now, mind you, I was thinking it'd be at least Monday before a good flight came up. Perhaps even Tuesday or Wednesday. No. I was checking out the flight station tonight, and what do I see? A plane manifested all the way to Memphis. (We're trying to get to Ohio.) I go tell mom, because she may not have seen it yet. She has. "Yeah, that's the one we're going to try to get on. Roll call is at midnight." Greeaaat. There is nothing more that I hate than not being able to see out of a window on a plane except flying at night. Because then you really can't see anything.
Ugh... I thought moving over here was going to be confusing. (Still is a little). We're a day ahead of the people in the states. Actually, Guam's slogan is "Where America's Day Begins." A little odd because technically Guam is part of America. Oh well. Anyway, it's really going to mess me up going backwards because when we leave, in the states we won't have left yet. It's going to feel like going back in time...
This will probably be my last post before I leave. I will try to keep up with writing while on vacation.
Wish me luck!
God bless.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
What To Do?
I have awesome news! Guam has finally added The CW to our channel list! Sure the picture is crappy and really grainy, but I can at least watch One Tree Hill on a real t.v instead of on the computer.
Last night's episode was amazing. It had a ton of really great comedy. The only sad part was the end, but I knew it was coming because of all the promos. If you've been reading my posts in any sort of order, you know that I am absolutely in love with Peyton and Miss Hilarie (who plays her). Like a loyal fan should be, I'm really worried about Peyton Scott and baby, but I'm a bit ashamed to say, I cheated. I frequently visit One Tree Hill blog, and I saw some stuff that pretty much gave me the result to Peyton's medical emergency. If you don't know what will happen, I won't say anything.
I'm not going to go into all the other characters, mostly because I need to go to bed soon, but one thing I'm wondering is: Where is Dan? He wasn't on last night's episode at all and I don't think he's ever missed one. Hmm... Maybe he went off and died. At least he won't be burdening everyone next season if that's the case. One more thing, have you noticed that Victoria has pretty much taken Dan's place as town *jerk*? Interesting. So much could happen in the finale. I hope they didn't smush a bunch in it to tie up loose ends....
Ok, done with that. I promise.
I went to youth group with Megan tonight. We played games outside, and I think I jacked my ankle up. That is freaking great considering I'm going camping this Saturday/Sunday... Crap...
Sunday is also the last time I'll see some of the people from my girl scout troop. My co-leader and her daughter are moving to Germany, and Megan and her family are moving back to Nebraska this summer. Sad. Sydney, (another girl from my troop) is moving back to the states too. Um, I think that's everyone. But what really sucks is that I'm leaving for vacation hopefully sometime between Monday and Friday of next week, and all the people I listed above are leaving after me. So I'll have to say my goodbyes before then... Summer is NOT supposed to be stressful dang it!
I don't know if I said in any of my previous posts, but I'm going to Wilmington when I'm back in the states. If you don't know, the Southern Gothic Production crew is there, as is One Tree Hill, and also the college I want to go to. My mom has already said we're going to visit the city, but my idea of "visit" is very different from hers apparently. I was hoping we'd stay one or two days, that way I could go to some of the places the SGP team has been, so I could meet them. (THAT WOULD BE FREAKING AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!!! By the way...) For example: The Riverwalk, Caffe Phoenix, Level 5, I probably wouldn't be able to go into the Market Street Saloon since it's a bar, but I was praying I'd get lucky and run into them. I can pretty much scratch my whole plan out because my mother has informed me that we'll probably just drive around a couple hours (if that), and head on down to Georgia. If you've ever been in absolute love of something, and went to the lengths I've gone to, you can imagine my disappointment when I heard her say that. But what really kind of ticks me off, is that she told me a few weeks ago that we could probably stay over-night, possibly go to the beach, and so forth. Really check stuff out, you know? Sigh. I guess there are certain battles you are just destined to lose.
The good news is though, I'm 95% positive that I'm going to move there after here. Or a year after I finish high school. Like I said, I want to go to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. What sucks is that my brother will be in college in Nebraska, and as for my parents, only God knows at this point. It'll be a while before my dad gets his next orders. So for now I'm praying that my mom will let me live so far away from everyone.
Well, so much for "I should go to bed".
Sorry for the rambling.
I really am getting off now.
God bless and good night.
Last night's episode was amazing. It had a ton of really great comedy. The only sad part was the end, but I knew it was coming because of all the promos. If you've been reading my posts in any sort of order, you know that I am absolutely in love with Peyton and Miss Hilarie (who plays her). Like a loyal fan should be, I'm really worried about Peyton Scott and baby, but I'm a bit ashamed to say, I cheated. I frequently visit One Tree Hill blog, and I saw some stuff that pretty much gave me the result to Peyton's medical emergency. If you don't know what will happen, I won't say anything.
I'm not going to go into all the other characters, mostly because I need to go to bed soon, but one thing I'm wondering is: Where is Dan? He wasn't on last night's episode at all and I don't think he's ever missed one. Hmm... Maybe he went off and died. At least he won't be burdening everyone next season if that's the case. One more thing, have you noticed that Victoria has pretty much taken Dan's place as town *jerk*? Interesting. So much could happen in the finale. I hope they didn't smush a bunch in it to tie up loose ends....
Ok, done with that. I promise.
I went to youth group with Megan tonight. We played games outside, and I think I jacked my ankle up. That is freaking great considering I'm going camping this Saturday/Sunday... Crap...
Sunday is also the last time I'll see some of the people from my girl scout troop. My co-leader and her daughter are moving to Germany, and Megan and her family are moving back to Nebraska this summer. Sad. Sydney, (another girl from my troop) is moving back to the states too. Um, I think that's everyone. But what really sucks is that I'm leaving for vacation hopefully sometime between Monday and Friday of next week, and all the people I listed above are leaving after me. So I'll have to say my goodbyes before then... Summer is NOT supposed to be stressful dang it!
I don't know if I said in any of my previous posts, but I'm going to Wilmington when I'm back in the states. If you don't know, the Southern Gothic Production crew is there, as is One Tree Hill, and also the college I want to go to. My mom has already said we're going to visit the city, but my idea of "visit" is very different from hers apparently. I was hoping we'd stay one or two days, that way I could go to some of the places the SGP team has been, so I could meet them. (THAT WOULD BE FREAKING AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!!! By the way...) For example: The Riverwalk, Caffe Phoenix, Level 5, I probably wouldn't be able to go into the Market Street Saloon since it's a bar, but I was praying I'd get lucky and run into them. I can pretty much scratch my whole plan out because my mother has informed me that we'll probably just drive around a couple hours (if that), and head on down to Georgia. If you've ever been in absolute love of something, and went to the lengths I've gone to, you can imagine my disappointment when I heard her say that. But what really kind of ticks me off, is that she told me a few weeks ago that we could probably stay over-night, possibly go to the beach, and so forth. Really check stuff out, you know? Sigh. I guess there are certain battles you are just destined to lose.
The good news is though, I'm 95% positive that I'm going to move there after here. Or a year after I finish high school. Like I said, I want to go to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. What sucks is that my brother will be in college in Nebraska, and as for my parents, only God knows at this point. It'll be a while before my dad gets his next orders. So for now I'm praying that my mom will let me live so far away from everyone.
Well, so much for "I should go to bed".
Sorry for the rambling.
I really am getting off now.
God bless and good night.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Went A Little Old School...
1. Nine in the Afternoon- Panic At The Disco
2. Man in the Box- Alice in Chains
3. Spirit in the Sky- Norman Greenbaum
4. Afterlife- Avenged Sevenfold
5. Detroit Rock City- Kiss
6. Creep- Radiohead
7. Pump it Up- Elvis Costello
8. Something About You- Boston
9. More Than a Feeling- Boston
10. My Own Worst Enemy- Lit
11. Float On- Modest Mouse
12. Orange Crush- R.E.M
13. Black Hole Sun- Soundgarden
14. Welcome Home- Coheed & Cambria
15. Foreplay/Long Time- Boston
If you're a Rockband 1 or 2 player, you're probably familiar with these songs.
If not, enjoy.
2. Man in the Box- Alice in Chains
3. Spirit in the Sky- Norman Greenbaum
4. Afterlife- Avenged Sevenfold
5. Detroit Rock City- Kiss
6. Creep- Radiohead
7. Pump it Up- Elvis Costello
8. Something About You- Boston
9. More Than a Feeling- Boston
10. My Own Worst Enemy- Lit
11. Float On- Modest Mouse
12. Orange Crush- R.E.M
13. Black Hole Sun- Soundgarden
14. Welcome Home- Coheed & Cambria
15. Foreplay/Long Time- Boston
If you're a Rockband 1 or 2 player, you're probably familiar with these songs.
If not, enjoy.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Can You Blame Me?
When I was nine years old, some terrorists hijacked four U.S planes. Two hit the World Trade Center, one hit the Pentagon, and the fourth, a few brave passengers took control and went down in Pennsylvania.
Not long before that happened, I watched Cast Away. If you don't know what it is, it's about a Fed Ex guy that goes down in a plane over the ocean during a storm. He ends up on a deserted island for a number of years and eventually gets rescued. I guess that's when I became terrified of flying over water.
Over the years my anxiety worsened. I could only hope that I would never have to leave the country.
Much to my dismay, in 2007 my dad was given orders to report to Andersen AFB. On Guam. Which meant I was in for a very very long flight, most that is over open water.
Thankfully the trip went pretty well.
But considering that I'm leaving in just a couple of weeks to return to the states for the summer, I can't say that I'm excited about the ride. I'm praying that everything will go perfectly on the way there and back. I'm sure it will, but is it wrong of me to be scared out of my mind?
If you have any idea how I feel, could you maybe keep me in your thoughts?
Thanks. I'd really appreciate that.
I'm off to bed.
God bless and good night.
Not long before that happened, I watched Cast Away. If you don't know what it is, it's about a Fed Ex guy that goes down in a plane over the ocean during a storm. He ends up on a deserted island for a number of years and eventually gets rescued. I guess that's when I became terrified of flying over water.
Over the years my anxiety worsened. I could only hope that I would never have to leave the country.
Much to my dismay, in 2007 my dad was given orders to report to Andersen AFB. On Guam. Which meant I was in for a very very long flight, most that is over open water.
Thankfully the trip went pretty well.
But considering that I'm leaving in just a couple of weeks to return to the states for the summer, I can't say that I'm excited about the ride. I'm praying that everything will go perfectly on the way there and back. I'm sure it will, but is it wrong of me to be scared out of my mind?
If you have any idea how I feel, could you maybe keep me in your thoughts?
Thanks. I'd really appreciate that.
I'm off to bed.
God bless and good night.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
R.I.P Maggie
Monday marked two years since my beloved dog Maggie was put to sleep. I got her when I was about two and a half and she has been a really great addition to our family for 13 years.
Death is always hard to deal with, but I'm happy to say that she is the only *real* one I've had in my life. I don't count my fish.
I love you Maggie and I know in my heart that you are alive and doing well in heaven. Your suffering is over and I'm sorry for everything bad I put you through. You were a wonderful dog. If I could line up all the doggies in the world, I'd choose you every time.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A Much Needed Update- Part 2
Despite the fact that it's been less than two weeks since part 1 of this blog was posted, I have been very busy.
~Thursday, April 23rd- Met the general without looking stupid. (Yay!)
~Friday/Saturday 24th & 25th- Girl scout sleepover. Of which I stayed up until 4 a.m...
~Tuesday 28th- Girl scout meeting and babysitting.
~Thursday 30th- Babysitting.
~Friday, March 1st- Set up for girl scout event.
~Saturday 2nd- Girl scout event. 6:45 a.m-12:15 p.m... 2 hours of sleep the night before. (Actually morning before. Went to sleep at 4 a.m. Seems to be a pattern, huh?) And a sleepover at a friend's house.
~Sunday 3rd- Girl scout award ceremony. 1:30-4:45 p.m. (I'll go more into that later.)
So, as I'm sure you can imagine, I AM BEAT.
Unfortunately, my schedule won't really slow down before I leave for the summer to go to the states.
~Girl scout stuff every weekend. Course it's only two.. Plus four, maybe five or six regular meetings.
~Three more babysitting nights.
~School... Which reminds me, I'm going with the home school route for next year. Let's hope I don't get behind like I did this year...
~Preparing for my trip to the states.
And, I think that's all for now.
I know it doesn't seem like that much, but it is. It's a little overwhelming. No, it's a lot overwhelming.
*Sigh*
Can't wait to get started....
God bless, and good night.
BTW, I plan on putting pictures up from most of the stuff I mentioned above. I just need to upload them to my computer. At a time when I'm not about to fall over asleep. Because it's 1:55 a.m....
~Thursday, April 23rd- Met the general without looking stupid. (Yay!)
~Friday/Saturday 24th & 25th- Girl scout sleepover. Of which I stayed up until 4 a.m...
~Tuesday 28th- Girl scout meeting and babysitting.
~Thursday 30th- Babysitting.
~Friday, March 1st- Set up for girl scout event.
~Saturday 2nd- Girl scout event. 6:45 a.m-12:15 p.m... 2 hours of sleep the night before. (Actually morning before. Went to sleep at 4 a.m. Seems to be a pattern, huh?) And a sleepover at a friend's house.
~Sunday 3rd- Girl scout award ceremony. 1:30-4:45 p.m. (I'll go more into that later.)
So, as I'm sure you can imagine, I AM BEAT.
Unfortunately, my schedule won't really slow down before I leave for the summer to go to the states.
~Girl scout stuff every weekend. Course it's only two.. Plus four, maybe five or six regular meetings.
~Three more babysitting nights.
~School... Which reminds me, I'm going with the home school route for next year. Let's hope I don't get behind like I did this year...
~Preparing for my trip to the states.
And, I think that's all for now.
I know it doesn't seem like that much, but it is. It's a little overwhelming. No, it's a lot overwhelming.
*Sigh*
Can't wait to get started....
God bless, and good night.
BTW, I plan on putting pictures up from most of the stuff I mentioned above. I just need to upload them to my computer. At a time when I'm not about to fall over asleep. Because it's 1:55 a.m....
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