Farewell TwoZeroOneOne

As this year comes to a close, like many bloggers I am reflecting back on what a roller coaster ride it's been!!!!! Instead of ringing in the new year with a glass of champagne and a long kiss from my fiance, I'll be ringing it in with my shipmates. Yes, that's right- I'm working on New Year's Eve. (pause for obligatory UGH!!!)

My sassy NYE 2010 dress!

2011 has been a pretty good year, to be quite honest. I kicked it off in true FSG fashion with a blur of a NYE 2010 bar crawl around Town Center in VA Beach, VA with my CRAZY roomates. The night ended with me tipping the the coat check girl [on the way out of Keagan's] in Euro's while patting her arm and insisting that she could exchange them at the bank the next day. While that was true, it was still pretty ridiculous that in my inebriated state I'd rationalized that action all together. However, the next day I felt great despite the copious amount of cocktails I consumed. My roomate, his wife, and her friend were a whole different story. They didn't move from the couch until about 8pm that night. Mrs. Roomate barely made it down the stairs as we headed out for the night and was passed out, standing up, leaning against her husband in the middle of the bar before midnight rolled around. Bless her heart.

Boo on dates. Yay for wine!

Since 2009 and 2010 were a very work-focused years, I did my best to make 2011 a year to focus on having a better personal life. Still growing out my hair from the massacre of a haircut  I received at OCS in September of 2008, it’s finally touching my shoulders. Yay! Also, I stuck with my running regiment [taken up with fervor on deployment] in preparation for races upon returning from deployment. And I looked forward to having my kitties back living with me, even though Mom tried her damndest to keep them. As for my love life, as I creep closer to 30 I am just not up for the dating game. Yeah, free meals are great. But the whole "does he like me?" "Where is this going?" and "Will he call this weekend?" shit didn't interest me. I had faith my time for finding true love would come. With that, 2011 began with me entering a very strange phase in my life. I was completely ok with being single. Sure, I was up for dates and meeting people but seriously. Spending time alone doing my own damn thing was just fine with me.

Big drink. Big jerk. Period.

Tired of the usual bar scene, I joined EHarmony a month before coming home from deployment. I figured I had nothing to lose. HA! After 500+ matches from EHarmony's match making morons, I gave up. Jobless, living in Mom's basement, baby-mama-drama, self centered, un-educated, can't-spell, delusional, not-as-funny-as-they-think, wanna-see-me-naked-on-skype, stand-me-up-for-dinner LOSERS are NOT MY SCENE!!!! Seriously. I want my money back for all the dumb ass message and shit I had to read just to click [for the 500th time] "Close Match". For more details on my EHarmony experience, click here and prepare for a good laugh.

We <3 Happy Hour!!!

Beer pong on a Monday night...classy!

Bro <3

In the spring, my roommates and I parted ways (sniffle sniffle) and I moved into my very own posh little apartment downtown. FINALLY! My own place again! Now, if I did meet a guy I wouldn't have to preface an invite in with: "Oh, yeah. Sorry about those other two dudes here in the apartment. Don’t mind J- he likes to walk around naked.  And don’t touch Steve’s Leggo’s. Or any of the rest of his stuff. He’ll break your hand off. Yes, we all live here. Yes that's a beer pong table in the hallway.  No, we're not shagging. We just live together. Seriously."

1 Slampiece, 2 Bros

"Let's cut in line! We're Ensigns!"

Along with the new apartment came a new group of friends- some old, some new…including a guy named Ben. We met on March 4^th, the night before I moved in to the downtown apartment. He walked in from a long day at work, still in his flight suit, flight jacket, carrying his flight bag, and hair a little messy from removing his cover. A total set up by our mutual friends and it definitely worked! Originally, he was set up to be my blind date to the 2011 Supply Corps Ball. But I wound up deciding against going because I was sick of my coworkers. Plus I was honestly unsure I was ready for a 'set up' in an environment where I was very likely to drink my face off like I did at the Ball in '10 (see pic on left) and ultimately make a fool of myself. I might as well preface the evening with "Hi, thanks for agreeing to be my date for the night.  After lots of drinks because I'm nervous, food to soak it up, more drinks because I am tired of being around my colleagues, dancing because we're wasted, and then even more drinks to cap the night in a classy way...I hope you're ready to take me home for a good time ...to hold back my hair while I vomit 'round the clock. You are? Ok, great. So can I get you a Scotch on the rocks? Perfect..."

Most beautiful ring & place ever!!!!

Anyway, he said “Hi, I’m Ben” and my heart went squish. The following Monday, he came to help hang curtains in the windows and we ordered Chinese takeout for dinner. And yes, I could have done it myself; but as I found out, he looks much better (and more confident) with power tools in his hands than I do.  That Friday, I had duty so he waited around after work for a few hours and came for a tour of the ship I’m stationed aboard. The next night, he accompanied me [as a “wingman”] to a work party. We had our first kiss later that night as I whipped up a late night snack of Kraft Mac&Cheese (secret ploy to extend our evening since the party food kinda sucked). Whoever said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach is a genius because one Easter celebration, one marathon, countless dates, a few golf games, a winging ceremony, two weddings, a DC trip, and one move across the country, and a trip to Wyoming later he proposed on my birthday on his family’s gorgeous ranch in Pinedale, Wyoming. Swoon.

This video was taken right after he proposed...

A wedding book + coffee = perfect!

Now we’re up to October of 2011…we’re engaged, and Ben is now living in Ventura, California where I’ll be joining him in June of 2012. Hmpff! The distance sucks, especially with a 3 hr time difference but I’m learning to channel my energy in a positive way- through exercise. Gearing up for another ½ Marathon in the Spring of 2012. It’s a great way to have fun and trim down for the wedding, right?! Also, my ship has now been in a maintenance period for approximately 7 months. There’s no water under the keel, no rudders, no shafts, and it’s infested by thousands of dirt-bag union laborers who can’t meet a single deadline to save their life. Consequently, the morale of the crew is really declining because of the poor working conditions but at least it’s finally cooling down from the steamy temperatures we experienced this summer. Some spaces inside the ship honestly reached temperatures in excess of 120 degrees. BLECH!!!!!

The second week of November was a sad one at work- the Commanding Officer of my ship died unexpectedly. The crew was devastated- he was a great man and had a lasting impact on the ship despite his short time aboard.  Slowly, we recovered and moved forward carrying his memory with us. The same day of his passing, Ben was able to surprise me with a quick overnight visit. His squadron was turning over a plane to another squadron and Ben volunteered to man the flight. What a wonderful surprise on such a sad day!!! A few weeks later came Thanksgiving of 2012. Ben flew in and my parents drove up to visit me for the first time in two years and also met Ben for the first time. Dinner was perfect and everyone got along great! Success!!!!






   Christmas of 2011 was spent with Ben’s family in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Although it wasn’t the white Christmas we’d hoped for, it was cold, and God blessed us with a wonderful day of love and family. Lucky for us, there was just enough snow on the mountain the day after Christmas so I had my very first skiing lesson. Naturally, I managed to injure myself as I do almost every time I try something new. This time it was a nice little thumb and shoulder sprain.

Love this!

Cinnamon Ornaments!!!

...and survived the day!

Look at me...I'm vertical!! 

...barely.

Now it’s 31 December and here I sit at work reflecting on what a great year it’s been. Not my ideal place to do such pondering, but I work with what God gives me. I have been truly blessed this year with a wonderful family, friends, career, and now a fabulous man to spend the rest of my years with…to make our own family and lasting memories. Cheers to another blessed and happy year.

NYE 2008 @ Seville Quarter in Pensacola, FL.

Happy New Year!