GMAT Math = Reminding me of my biggest weakness

As some of you may know, I am in the middle of an online course to help me study for the GMAT, which I'm taking in July. The course is great, and is very challenging, and has reminded me of just how miserable math can be for me! I've always been good at it, but not a natural - I was the kind of person who had to study a ton for a test in high school that other classmates could just wing and get the same grade. 

The interesting thing about the math problems for the GMAT is that the same questions still trip me up, all these years later! (I haven't taken a math class since fall semester my freshman year in college). Specifically, geometry problems that deal with things like cylinders. I hate those! And problems that deal with sets of numbers - miserable.

 It really is silly, some of these questions. I spent two hours on a practice quiz yesterday, and got 5 questions wrong, which amounted to a score of 86% ! I  was so proud of myself...until I realized that the title of the quiz was "introductory math quiz," followed by an intermediate and an advanced quiz, which I need to take today. Oh well, at least I'm somewhat of a wiz in "intro math"!

Oh well - I suppose this is why I'm practicing now. I'll keep you posted on how my intermediate and advanced quizzes turn out :). 

On another note, Greg, Rocky, and I are headed to Arizona tomorrow for the weekend, where I won't have internet access. I will update after we return on Monday night. If I don't talk to you in person, Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

San Diego Weekend

Last weekend Greg and I met up in San Diego with Ann and Tyler. I hadn't seen them (or any sisters/parents) since Christmas, so it was great to catch up! It was also nice to spend time with Greg, who was away all last week and didn't get off of work on Friday until 11:45, making him arrive in San Diego at 3:30 in the morning! 

Once everyone was there, it was great. On Saturday morning, we all ventured downtown (we were staying in Coronado, which was AMAZING), and explored Little Italy and the Gaslamp District. There was a neat Farmer's Market going on in Little Italy, where vendors were selling everything from olive oil to live sea anemones. After walking through the Gaslamp District, we took the trolley back to our car, just in time for the sun to come out. After an ordeal of trying to find lunch (we sat down in one restaurant and literally waited 25 minutes without anyone coming to even offer us water! In the meantime, all of the waiters were two feet away from us ignoring us and rolling silverware into napkins), we finally got a bite to eat, and headed back to the hotel. At that point all of us were pooped, so we took a nice long afternoon nap, and headed out to the deck for cocktails and the sunset. After that, we had a fabulous dinner and called it a night.

Sunday we pretty much relaxed all day on the deck, talking, reading, and eating! The sun came out earlier on Sunday than it did on Saturday, and Ann and I subsequently got very sunburned. Oh well - wasn't the first time that's happened, and I'm sure it won't be the last. We took Ann and Tyler back to the airport in the afternoon, before heading back to the Desert. 

The weekend was great - lots of fun memories, stories, and very relaxing. Just what I needed!

Here are some pics:

Searching For Golf Balls

One of Rocky's favorite things to do is to go on evening or early morning off-leash walks on the golf course in Arizona, when Greg and I go to my parents' house there. These two pics were taken over Easter, but they are so cute I just had to share them! 

These photos also remind me of how Rocky acts more and more like a human trapped in a dog's body every day. The book I just started yesterday, "The Art of Racing In The Rain," is about a dog who learns everything he knows simply by observing his owner, in hopes of equipping himself for when he's reincarnated as a human (his owner saw a documentary about Mongolia once, leaving the dog to believe that all dogs are reincarnated as humans). I've only read a chapter, but I think it will parallel what I often suspect Rockstar is doing...

Amazing Jack In The Box Commercial

For all of you on the East Coast, I worry that you have been deprived of the best commercial that I've seen in a long, long time. That commercial would be for Jack In The Box's sliders, or as they call them, "Mini Sirloin Burgers." This ad is on all the time here, and makes me laugh out loud everytime I see it. It's wonderfully reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz, and is incredibly catchy!

Highlights? The chorus at the very end (especially the crescendo in the last note), and my personal favorite, the line "herding cows the size of schnauzers but they're cattle". Now just take that line and imagine Frank Furman, Greg's friend from Navy who is stationed out here, singing it even more than the commercial is on TV. 

I don't want to deprive you all any longer of this fabulous commercial. I hope you enjoy!

Greg's Gone = Treat Myself!

I've realized recently that I subconsciously "treat myself" to several things when Greg's gone, using this as a rather pathetic excuse to splurge a bit. Some might feel the urge to go clothes shopping when this happens. Never a huge shopper myself, here are some things I've realized I repeatedly do, that I do not do when Greg is home.

1) Buy prosciutto. I LOVE prosciutto! How this obsession started, I'm not quite sure, because my Mom thinks salt comes directly from the Devil and virtually barred us from most salty foods (unbeknownst to me, who discovered my salty tooth two years ago) growing up. It's a splurge at the store - about $5 for a pack of 8 slices, but it's so delicious on a fresh french baguette with melted cheese, or wrapped around cantaloupe. It's one of my favorite Greg's gone treats. 

2) Pesto (Greg's not a huge fan). Having chicken pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes in it for dinner reminds me of my freshman roommate in college, Ila, who would make this and it was exquisite. Pesto is another love of mine that I never had growing up. 

3) Breakfast for dinner! Hashbrowns with Old Bay, and an omelette (usually made with "Best of the Egg", Safeway's cheaper answer to Egg Beaters). 

4) People Magazine. I used to buy this all the time at the store, but it's such an obvious discretionary expense that I don't anymore. But when Greg's gone....bring it on! Love People!

5) Watching TMZ. TMZ, for all you non-West Coasters, stands for "Thirty Mile Zone," or the zone in LA in which the paparazzi find the juiciest celebs to gossip about. This show is on in the evenings, and is devoted entirely to paparazzi clips of celebs. Greg prefers Jeopardy (don't get me wrong; I love Alex Trebek too), but it's so fun to splurge when he's not around. 

6) I apologize in advance for this one, but I'm willing to bet that most of the girls reading this would do this, too...I don't shower as much. There! I said it! And it is a splurge....Greg is a total clean freak when it comes to hygiene - I tease him that if he could he'd shower three times a day (usually it's twice). I like being clean, but when I haven't done anything to break a sweat that day, and I haven't interacted with anyone that day, I find it a guilty pleasure just to save the primping and showering for the next morning. Call me gross, but I know every one of you has done this before!

Hope you enjoy this list. On another note, I finished "American Wife" today, and love it! Definitely recommend it - thanks for getting it for me for Christmas, Mom! Hopefully my next book will be as good of a read. 

A Few of My Favorite Things

Given the new "twist" I'm giving my blog, here are a few of my favorite things that I've been doing recently...

1) Reading "An American Wife", by Curtis Sittenfeld. I loved "Prep", because it was based on Groton, but was not a fan of her second book, "Man of My Dreams." I was skeptical about this one, because it is based loosely on Laura Bush, and was afraid it was going to be too political for me. But it's not - it's fascinating, and well written! I'm not quite done, but so far, 350 pages through, I highly recommend it. 

2) Listening to Darius Rucker's new album, "Learn to Live". Great country to sing a long to, or just listen to as you're working around the house or driving. 

3) Read "The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy". Seriously, even if you're not pregnant - it cuts through the fluffiness of all other books, and addresses how I feel to the T! I'm pretty sure I could be best friends with the author - alas, she's married to a rich producer in LA, and I'm sure hangs with a more affluent set :).  

4) And finally, my nighttime entertainment:

    Monday: Gossip Girl, 24, and The Hills (the latter is usually relegated to DVR, but still...)

    Tuesday: American Idol! And Dancing with the Stars Results in commercials. And 90210.

    Wednesday: AI Results...kind of a slow night

    Thursday: Ugly Betty, followed by The Office

    Sunday: What else? The Simpsons! 

Now That You're Caught Up, What I'm Doing Now...

So now that you all know pretty much everything that's been going on here on Dumosa Ave, I'll give a quick overview of my life right now. At the end of April, I ended my stint at the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism. While it was a short run, it was the right decision. With the constant change of plans that Greg has, as well as the swiftly approaching baby, I need time to adjust. 

Basically, I'm going to move back to Chestertown for the first 6 months of the baby's life, since Greg will be deployed. What does this mean? First of all, double everything - double crib, double diaper changing table, etc...Also, it means coordinating between the OB/GYN here (it's looking like I'll have the baby here at this point, but for the past few months we didn't know if I'd have to go home to have it) and a Pediatrician in Maryland. It's all very confusing. Nevermind the emotional rollercoaster than has accompanied all of this. It's crazy. So, I needed to get my life in order, set up shop in Maryland, and prep for the baby! I know some day I'll look back on this time in my life and be proud of myself, but right now I just think I'm a psycho sometimes! Sure, it would be easy to still be single and have the same job I had right out of college, and be gearing up for some type of graduate school (not to say that life doesn't have its own challenges, it CERTAINLY does, as all lives do), but I know that this craziness, as strange as it may look on my resume, is the best for me and my family, and that's what's important. 

In the meantime, before the baby arrives, I've decided I'm going to apply for an MBA Online program. I was super skeptical about this about 5 months ago, but after much research, I've realized that there are very legit programs, that are highly ranked and give you the same program with the same MBA as a full-time program. It's perfect for me, because the closest "brick and mortar" business school to me is 2.5 hours away, in LA, and that's just not feasible. And even if I started a weekend program there, we'd move in the middle, and who's to say (God forbid) that we won't be in an even more desolate place than 29 Palms, so I wouldn't be able to transfer anywhere? This would be great if it worked out, because I could be with the baby, while still earning my Masters. Then, when the time comes, I would have an MBA and can hopefully ease my way back into the full-time working world. The programs I've looked into are Arizona State (my number one pick), Indiana, Penn State, and Florida. I'm currently studying for the GMAT, which I'll take in July, when I'm in Maryland. 

Studying for the GMAT has already made me feel great, and has given me a feeling of productivity that I haven't felt since college. I hope this will all pay off -- cross your fingers!

And now, if you've waded through all of my blog posts today, you've been brought to my current location - on the computer at the kitchen table, a plate of what used to hold homemade key lime pie next to me, and Rocky sprawled out on the patio outside, sunning himself. 

Just updating this blog has made me feel better. Greg is gone AGAIN all week this week, surprise!, and sometimes when it's just me and Rocky I feel very sad and lonely. But, sadly enough, typing to an imaginary audience on the internet is very therapeutic. 

Keep in touch everyone, and let me know what you think of the blog! Sometimes I feel like I have no readers :(

In other news...

While Greg and I haven't been doing too much, due in part because of his crazy, crazy training schedule, we have had the chance for a few fun adventures, and for a few fun visitors, the past few months. I don't want to bore you with details, but here are some of the highlights:

1. A weekend at the San Diego Dog Beach/Loews Coronado Bay Resort with Rocky. After being completely tuckered out at the beach, he proceeded to sleep a full 2 hours that night! And refused to go either #1 or #2, because he was afraid of the grass, since he's so used to desert rocks...

2. A visit from Joyce Hopkins, her first trip to California. We took her to Palm Springs, and even to Hollywood, Santa Monica, and the Pacific Ocean! She in turn cooked us a fabulous meal.

3. A whirlwind Valentine's Day trip to Athens, GA, for Mike and Sarlynn Dausen's wedding. It was beautiful, and great to see so many old friends Unfortunately, I was halfway dead by the time I returned, as we took a Friday night redeye and a 7 AM Sunday flight!

4. A visit from Linda Gehring, Greg's mom, and Mrs. O'Donnell, Greg's "second mom." They stayed with us for several nights, while exploring Palm Springs. Unfortunately, their trip ended with them being stranded for 8 hours at 8,000 feet on top of Mt. San Jacinto, when the Aerial Tram was closed during a windstorm! When they finally arrived at the bottom of the hill, the windows of their rental car were blown out!

5. A visit from 3 of my best friends from high school - Caroline Hamilton, Cabell Belk, and Sarah Thorndike. This was just what the doctor ordered, as I was at the peak of my hormonal emotional stage in the thick of the first trimester. My friends from Groton always make me laugh until my side splits, and this time was no exception. 

6. A quiet, but relaxing Easter with Greg and Rocky in Arizona. 

7. Learning to appreciate the small things - Greg being home during the week (or even better - home before 8 some nights!), Gossip Girl/24 Mondays, care packages from friends and family, hikes with Greg through Joshua Tree, and Golden Spoon frozen yogurt. 

So that's the abbreviated version of what we've been up to! Hopefully never again will I have to smoosh so many important highlights in one post. It really is wonderful to write out all of these wonderful things - there are so many times when I feel lonely and isolated here in the Wild West, but to write this out, I truly am counting my blessings. Thanks to everyone who's been keeping in touch!

Baby Gehring...and I don't mean Rocky

And now for a quick life update... for those of you who don't know, Greg and I are expecting a baby, and we are absolutely THRILLED! I found out in the beginning of February - actually, probably a few days after my last February blog post. Which means that yes, I've run a half-marathon while pregnant (who cares if I was 3 weeks - it still counts, and I will forever use it as a truth in the game "2 Truths and a Lie"). Greg was gone when I found out, and in the first six weeks after finding out, Greg was gone training for 4 of them. So, rather than telling everyone we knew as soon as we found out, we kept it a relative secret until I hit the 3 month mark, just so we could let the news, excitement, and yes, fear, sink in (whoever said that the realization that you will be taking care of a brand new person does not come with fear was lying!).So far, so good - I've been to the doctor every 6 weeks, have had one ultrasound at 11 weeks, and heard the heartbeat most recently in April. My next ultrasound/appointment is the week of June 8, so hopefully then we will find out if it's a boy or a girl! And confirm that all is well as far as the baby's health goes. Until then, everyone please say a little prayer that he/she is a healthy one!

Because of this news, there have been lots of emails to write and phone calls to make. It's been nearly impossible to keep in touch with my East Coast friends (ie, 99% of my friends) with the 3 hour time difference, but I think I've been getting a bit better. I also was extremely busy at work, which has now ended (see next post), so it was just hard. But, like my last post said, I'm back in the saddle, so you'll be sick of me soon!

The great news is, I'm finally starting show! It's very exciting - I'm due October 8 and am currently 18 weeks and change (turned 18 weeks on Thursday). I've gained about 15 pounds, which is on the high end of what's "normal" (silly, because there is no standard pregnancy, I feel like), but is still normal, so I'm feeling good about that. At least I'm not on track to gain 80 like Jessica Alba did. To prove that I'm showing, here are two pics - one from last Friday, and then one from several weeks ago (I think I was 15-16 weeks). I know it's not a huge change, but it's still cool to see that there IS something inside of me!

Ok, enough about baby. Another non-baby update will be following shortly, since I have had 3 months of fun since you last heard from me :)

Back in Action

For those of you who actually read my blog, I apologize that I've gone three months without a peep! Things have been incredibly busy, and to say the least, I now know why the unofficial motto of the USMC is "semper gumby" - while I can't go into specifics in a public forum such as this, let's just say his schedule literally changes day to day, which has put us on quite the rollercoaster ride!

Before I give a quick update of what I've been up to, I'm going to shift the focus of the blog quite a bit. I will still post updates on what I've been up to, but I will post more frequently and will also post any thoughts, new favorites things, and any other information that I think might be useful to share. I've noticed that many blogs have increasingly taken this turn, and I like it. It feeds the legacy of procrastination on the internet, and lets people know what I'm doing, in addition to journal entries. So be on the lookout for that. 

In other news, if you haven't heard, Greg and I are expecting a baby! So this is why I haven't been blogging for three months, you say. Well, you're pretty much right, besides the fact that I'm miserably behind on emails, phone calls, and other communications, and so the time for blogging has become less and less. Want to know more about our new addition? Read on...