A Year Together...Apart

Final post

2009-04-01T22:26:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that one year has passed. When it first began, it felt as though the end would never come, but here we are. Jason and I have been married for a year, and we have weathered our first deployment.

I want to thank everyone for reading the blog and supporting us. I hope you've enjoyed the adventures of Amanda and Flat Jason. If you are interested in checking out the adventures of Amanda and Real Jason, you should click over the Stapp Family blog, StappShot.

Much love, the Stapps.

He's Baaaack!

2009-04-01T21:21:00.007-05:00

Finally! Captain Jason Stapp is stateside. He got back to Camp Atterbury the first week of March, and he was with a group of soldiers who were bussed to the Ike Skelton Training Center in Jefferson City, March 8.

The welcome-home ceremony was relatively short. The speakers kept commenting about how they knew they were the only thing between the crowd and their loved ones. (We couldn't see each other until he was released.) Carl Vogel didn't even talk, but told Mike Alden, master of ceremonies, to say thank you on his behalf to keep the party going.

After getting released, some of my family went to save seats at Chili's while Jason, John and I tried to find Jason's gear, load it and meet them.

Laissez les bon temps roulez!

2009-02-26T22:59:00.005-06:00

I wasn't as much fun as Flat Jason had hoped for on Mardi Gras. I stayed home from work and the pantry was running a little low. I left him to party by himself, but I should have known it would be hard for him to stay out of trouble. He stole a couple of Jamie's no-bake cookies and Dustin's beer from the fridge. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

My husband is more sentimental than me...

2009-02-16T00:08:00.013-06:00

...and I like that.

I started out strong: I got up on Valentine's Day and made pancakes - all by myself. (Be impressed. I've never done that before.) I even cut them into heart shapes. And I put my homemade Valentine card at his plate.

Later, I got to talk to the real Jason via Web cam. We played some games together and chatted for a while before he said that he had looked for some red velvet cake in the chow hall, but there was none to be found. Instead, he made due with the dessert available. I said it was too bad because I know how much we both like that flavor of cake and laughed at an inside joke, but it wasn't until after we had said good-bye that I realized the real significance of the red velvet cake.

That was the flavor of our wedding cake. Most couples save the top layer of their wedding cake to eat on their first anniversary, but not us. Our wedding cake was only one layer, and it was so delicious (thanks, Mom!) that we decided to eat it while it was fresh. How could I have forgotten about such a prominent wedding tradition? I thought about it the whole time we were at the Mud Room...

Erin of the Mud Room specially ordered us a rice bowl to paint and make a semi-matching set. Jason painted a dragon on the other rice bowl, so I needed to figure out how to paint a dragon. The only one that I could even come close to was Trogdor the Burninator. By the time it was completed, I had decided to see what sort of fancy desserts were available at Cold Stone Creamery.

Success! Cold Stone had some red velvet petite fours covered with dark chocolate. Mmmm! We gave one to Jamie and Dustin and ate one ourselves while drinking out of our sweet toasting glasses.

Happy anniversary, my sentimental one!

Letting off steam at the Mud Room on Thursday

2009-02-15T23:53:00.007-06:00

Happy Anniversary to me

2009-02-08T23:00:00.005-06:00

It's coming up fast...Valentine's Day AND our first anniversary. Traditionally, the first anniversary is the paper anniversary. In modern times, newlyweds have taken to giving clocks.

In keeping with tradition, Jason wanted to get me a book, but he was afraid of accidentally getting me a knitting book even though he knows I crochet. So, I suggested that I get my own book since I obviously know what books I would like and I recently received a Barnes and Noble coupon in my e-mail.

After listening to Bob Krist and Ralph Lee Hopkins speak at a National Geographic photography conference, I met Flat Jason at Barnes and Noble in Independence. We shared a piece of cheesecake and FJ read The Crochet Dude's Designs for Guys while I decided on the book I wanted. We also talked to Georgia, who just happened to appear at B&N to study.

Oh, Jason also mailed me another present: a yellow paper rose and a roll of anniversary toilet paper.

Courtwarming 2009

2009-02-08T22:10:00.004-06:00

Lauren was nominated queen candidate for the 2009 EHS Courtwarming, so Flat Jason and I went to Eldon to watch the proceedings. Lauren looked amazing, and Flat Jason was sure to relay a message from the real Jason: If you don't win, punch the other girl in the face, grab the crown and run.

Well, Lauren didn't win, but she didn't cause a scene (although I'm pretty sure she could have outrun Andrea hobbling on her crutches). All three queen candidates are great friends, so when Meagan won, the other two were happy for her.

Super Bowl, super fun

2009-02-05T23:06:00.010-06:00

Flat Jason's presence was requested at MU Extension 4-H State Teen Conference by some of the State 4-H Council members, but he didn't really mind. He got to meet Miss Missouri Lacey Fitzgerald. She didn't seem to mind either. Ha.

Later, we were invited over to the Costas for a Super Bowl party. Diana, Flat Jason and I had chips and salsa while we watched, umm...mostly talked through, the first half of the game. We also switched over to Puppy Bowl a few times. I was excited that the kitty halftime started several minutes before The Boss took the stage at the real halftime.

Jason C. grilled steak when he got home from work, and Diana made green beans and potatoes. I did nothing but enjoy a wonderful meal. After the game, I got to try out their Wii. It was so much fun! Now I just need to convince Flat Jason to buy me one.

A pleasant winter shower

2009-02-05T22:28:00.005-06:00

With Jason coming home and our welcome home/wedding reception wingding just around the corner, a few family members were generous enough to throw us a wedding shower. Even more family members and friends were generous enough to attend and give or send gifts. It sure was nice to visit with everyone and we got to enjoy cake made by Kim and punch made by Aunt Ginny. The lovely flowers that adorned the table were from Jackie.

I had wanted to make Flat Jason come, but it was just as well that he didn't. No boys came; he would have felt awkward. So when I brought all the loot home, he took his time going through it. We got several nifty things that will make our married life better, including matching towels, matching bed clothes and Pyrex bowls. He had fun wearing the bows, but do you think he's going to pitch in with his share of the thank you notes? I don't think so...

Flat Jason's vacation funds

2009-01-22T22:18:00.009-06:00

Can you see how excited Flat Jason is? That's because he now has a new piggy bank in which to save his vacation funds.

Our friends Mandi and Jason went on a Carribean cruise to celebrate Jason coming home from his tour in Afghanistan. While they were in the Cayman Islands, they picked up a small trinket for us. It's such a thoughtful gift because Jason and I are saving for our eventual honeymoon to France.

Ernie's on Saturday

2009-01-22T21:31:00.005-06:00

When Jason and I started dating, he wanted to eat at Ernie's. I was opposed to unfamiliar eateries, but he insisted and Ernie's won me over.

It had been a while since I had eaten there so Flat Jason and I went to Ernie's on Saturday. I tried to get there early, but it seems I'm chronically late. There was quite a crowd a little after 8. We ended up chatting with a nice lady named Bernetta from Moberly. She was eating breakfast while her husband was in a meeting.

Breakfast was delicious, but in the end my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I couldn't finish my stack of pancakes, and Flat Jason wasn't much help.

Wait for a lane

2009-01-13T23:03:00.002-06:00

Hmm...either bowling is getting more popular or the people of Columbia are going stir-crazy, which wouldn't be hard with this confusing summer-fall-winter weather we've been having lately.

We had to wait a few minutes for a lane this time, but that just gave us more time to talk. Even though the waiting took some time out of everything, we still fit in two games. I got a 102 and a 91.

Kiss me at midnight

2009-01-01T22:45:00.006-06:00

Flat Jason sure had fun on New Year's Eve! We braved the cold to stop by the Magic Tree in the south part of Columbia. There was a lot more blue in it than I remember, but, as always, it was incredibly beautiful. There was a steady stream of cars filled with people who made their way through the neighborhood to see the Magic Tree. A nice young lady volunteered to take our photo.

Then, we drove to the Schad house. We watched a few movies and celebrated at midnight. Cheers and happy 2009!

Meneely Christmas

2008-12-30T22:56:00.008-06:00

Meneely Christmas began with Flat Jason and I dusting off my bowling shoes at a different bowling alley, Fast Lane in Chillicothe. (I still say it should have been Chilli Bowl, Justin.) We bowled a couple games with some of the cousins, though not everyone made it to the bowling alley for the little pre-party fun.

Next, we joined the rest of the family at Uncle John and Aunt Marilyn's for dinner at 5. There were more people than usual and there was much discussion about the seating arrangement. At one point in the evening, Steve abandoned his wife and fetus to pretend to enjoy very odd stories from the family patriarch at the adult table. Another highlight was explaining to poor Casey, our family's newest addition via Marissa, what gooseberries are and daring him to eat gooseberry pie. Ah, what are holidays without a little family torture?

I presided over the white elephant gift exchange once again this year and was pleased to see several good steals, including John stealing a lava lamp from Lauren and Grandpa stealing a stuffed animal from his great-granddaughter. (He gave it back after it was over.) Perhaps the most disheartening steal of all was when Aunt Dorlene stole the African mask from Jason that he had stolen from Grandpa. He so had his heart set on it. I'm sorry, FJ.

Don't add a bonus to Grandpa's cookies!

2008-12-29T23:02:00.006-06:00

And don't think for a minute that you can leave Flat Jason alone in the kitchen.

Lauren, Flat Jason and I traveled north to Chillicothe early for the Meneely Christmas. We had taken it upon ourselves to make chocolates for the gathering and to make sure there were plenty of Grandpa's cookies to go around.

We started sort of early. It wasn't any later than 9 p.m. But we made peanut butter balls and Oreo truffles AND Grandpa's scotcheroos. By the time we finally got around to putting the topping on the scotcheroos, it was midnight and we were getting tired.

The topping was supposed to be made of butterscotch and semi-sweet chocolate chips, but someone got the bright idea to add some leftover caramel/milk chocolate chips, a little bonus, if you will. Just a few, but the chocolate started getting thick. That's when the second mistake, adding the milk, occurred. The topping was barely spreadable; we know because we tried it. And then Lauren had to scrape it all off while I made another batch of topping. Lauren was none too pleased.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-29T22:10:00.004-06:00

Flat Jason posed in front of the sparsely decorated (ahem...Lauren...) Christmas tree before we opened presents Christmas morning.

Real Jason called while we were opening presents, so he was put on speakerphone for all to hear. He said everyone got the day off and not much was going on. And he said that his Christmas will have to wait until he gets back in the spring. Then he can use all the presents he got that Flat Jason opened.

At the Schad house, he got a Kung Fu Panda DVD, a Starbucks ornament and a box of games, to which he will probably challenge me and try unsuccessfully to beat me. Game on, Jason!

Not so silent night...

2008-12-29T00:13:00.005-06:00

My favorite part of Christmas Eve is singing Silent Night by candlelight at Hopewell Union Church. Flat Jason and I managed to make it from Columbia in time for the service.

After church, "us kids" went home, watched movies and talked into the wee hours of the morning. This was the first year I ever remember being allowed to stay around the Christmas tree. We all fell asleep in the family room.

All I want for Christmas is you!

2008-12-24T10:29:00.007-06:00

I got Christmas flowers from my real Jason!

Flat Jason looks for a new home

2008-12-22T22:49:00.010-06:00

Flat Jason and I took Jamie, my roommate, with us on Saturday when we traveled to Oak Grove, Mo. We were looking for a new place for Jason to live when he gets home in the spring. We met Norm, who showed us a couple of duplexes. The first one was awful, full of stained carpet and cut-up linoleum. The second one was a lot better. In fact, we decided, while the real Jason was on the phone, that it would probably be a good place for him to live. So we started the paperwork.

After Norm left, Jamie, FJ and I drove around Oak Grove to get a feel for the town. We checked out the gym and talked to the girl working the front desk. Mariah was about our age and she gave us directions to the park we were looking for and answered our questions about Oak Grove and the surrounding area. Nice girl. Hope she's still there when we move.

Sunday, snow day

2008-12-18T00:03:00.002-06:00

After church on Sunday, Flat Jason and I decided to take it easy. We curled up on the couch to watch back-to-back-to-back Hallmark movies and eat cookie dough.

Don't judge me.

Super Amanda and Mr. Fix-It

2008-12-17T23:08:00.005-06:00

When Jason is gone, I like to think that I'm Super Amanda and that I can do what needs to be done and take care of things when they break down. But when Jason came home, he turned into Mr. Fix-It.

Vacuum, truck, computer. It seemed like everything was going downhill. The vacuum smelled like it was burning when I used it, so I quit vacuuming. The truck was having problems not dying, and I was tired of coordinating rides to and from the shop and trying to keep an extra vehicle running in town. And my poor computer...I don't know what was wrong with it, except it kept giving me error messages on a blue screen.

Then, Jason swooped in. He replaced the belt in the vacuum. He helped take the truck in to the shop to get it fixed, and we bought me a new computer because mine was on its last leg.

Sometimes I forget how handy he is to have around the house - my Mr. Fix-It.

I hate airports

2008-12-13T11:52:00.006-06:00

I hate airports. I really do. Fifty percent of the time you're there it's sad. Someone leaving, going far, far away. And that 50 percent that's happy never seems to quite make up for the sad.

We arrived at the airport early, checked Jason's bag and figured out the location of his departure gate. And then the waiting began, the awkward waiting where you want to savor every moment you still have together, but you're in a big impersonal airport with this feeling of impending doom. He's leaving again.

That's the worst part of the deployment, the leaving. Jason left for training at Ft. Wood. He left for training at Camp Atterbury. I left him at Atterbury before he got sent to Germany. Three times gone and now he's leaving again.

We bought a magazine and grabbed some desserts from a bar in the terminal. I did my best not to cry, not that it did any good. Every time it gets a little harder. Jason just keeps reminding me that the longest part of the deployment is behind us. And when it got close to time for him to go through security, he sent me on my way so I wouldn't be hanging around.

Thank goodness I took the next day off.

Dinner with the fam - Part 2...and other things...

2008-12-12T07:52:00.012-06:00

No visit to Columbia would be complete with out a trip to Huhot's, especially after they were so nice to Flat Jason on Real Jason's birthday. We ate lunch there before heading to see the three-hour epic Australia, which Jason and I both enjoyed.

Later, Jason's parents, Tom and Ann, came over to the house to visit and exchange Christmas gifts. We gave Ann the teapot that we'd made recently. See how beautiful Jason's obsessiveness is?

I suggested that Jason put on his Santa hat to hand out presents and everyone insisted that if Jason had his on, I had to wear mine, too. Thanks for the gifts, Tom and Ann!

Our small party continued at G&D's Steakhouse where we feasted on...what else?....steak.

After dinner, Jason and I went downtown for the Living Windows display. I've lived in Columbia for five years and never made it to this fun event. Many of the shops in the District design holiday-themed window displays that include people doing things. My favorite was at Poppy, the art gallery. I was drawn by "Santa Baby" blaring from the open shop door. Two girl nurses were dancing and singing in a window on one side of the door and a boy playing baby Santa on the other side. All the shops on Broadway were open later and we visited several. We even stopped in to get cookies from the new Hot Box Cookies. If you haven't tried it, you should! It's a college venture by a group of friends, and it looks like they're going to be pretty successful.

When we got home from our busy day, Jason tore another link off the paper chain. Now the chain is too short to be hooked in the middle. Hooray! Another Friday down, 23 to go.

Trim-A-Tree

2008-12-11T22:47:00.012-06:00

I feel very fortunate that Jason was able to visit at Thanksgiving and that we got to do some Christmas-y things together, including putting up the tree.

We got our tree from the MU Forestry Club like we have for the past three years. It didn't take us too long to find a tree. They still had a pretty good selection, and we had size constraints. The tree had to fit beside the TV AND fit into the antique tree stand that I stole from Mom and Dad when they got a new one. Jason took our tree to the counter, and they put it on that thing that shakes out all the loose pine needles. I love that thing! I don't know why, but it makes me laugh every time!

The nice guy helping us cut the trunk so it would fit in the stand, which is a good thing because I don't have a hacksaw, and the last time a tree wouldn't fit, Jason attacked it with a very large kitchen knife. Jason put up the tree when we got home. I was very excited to decorate, but we had to put Christmas on pause to watch "Bigger, Faster, Stronger," a movie about steriod use.

While the movie was very interesting, I was ready for Christmas when it was over. I brought all of my Christmas CDs downstairs, and we began unpacking the decorations while we listened to Bing sing the holiday classics.

My favorite part of decorating the tree is the ornaments. Every one has a memory attached to it: the baseball for the time that Jason lost the car at a Royals game, the recliner for our love/hate relationship with the old ugly chair that resides in the corner and even the jingle bell ornaments that we made together that we have to fix every year because they get smashed in storage. And we topped it all off with the angel that Grandma Mary used on her tree.

This year, we even put up a nativity scene. The stable looks pretty full. I had to look at the layout on the box to get everyone to fit right. If I were Mary, I would have been overwhelmed by the number of guests. Thank goodness they didn't really all come at the same time!

Dinner with the fam

2008-12-10T22:59:00.007-06:00

Since we didn't do Thanksgiving with family, we decided to have dinner with each side.

We met Mom, Dad and Lauren at Chili's in Jefferson City and had a nice visit.

Chipotle virgin no more

2008-12-10T22:28:00.004-06:00

We ate at Chipotle one evening, which was another first for Jason.

We went to the new one, the one where Flat Jason and I went and took photos with the Chipotle-worker-dude named Jason. We sent that photo in to the Chipotle gods, and they sent us some coupons for free burritos, which Real Jason and I used when we went for dinner.

When we got there, we discovered that Chipotle Jason was working that night! Unfortunately, he was busy and Real Jason didn't want to bother him for a photo.

Coincidence that Real Jason got to see Chipotle Jason? I think not!

Mud Room...where everyone knows your name...

2008-12-10T12:57:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm not sure if the Mud Room lady (her name is Erin, I think) knows my name, but she definitely knows who I am when I come in. She's trying to get a special bowl so that Jason and I can make a bowl to match the one that we made when I visited him at Ft. Sill. And she knows that Jason is in the military and that he is deployed and was very welcoming when we came in to make some Christmas presents.

One present we made was for Jason's mom, Ann. She collects teapots, so I thought it would be nice to paint a teapot. She decorates in Americana, so Jason thought it would be nice to paint it red, white and blue stripes. It started out simply. Jason would design it and paint the lid, and I would paint the big portions on the teapot. But no painting project with Jason is ever simple. Jason likes to put a lot of love and effort into the pieces he works on...so much love that I eventually had to take the teapot away from Mr. Perfectionist so we could leave the Mud Room.

Ice skating at Crown Center

2008-12-09T23:06:00.006-06:00

After checking out some stores on the Plaza, we went ice skating at Crown Center. Jason had never been ice skating before and was very scared that he would fall. He didn't fear the impact of his bum hitting the ice; he was afraid that someone would skate across his fingers while he was down and slice them off. I assured him that would not happen.

We got on the ice right after they resurfaced it. Jason refused to hold my hand because he didn't want me to take him down with me if I fell and quickly warmed to ice skating, leaving me to hug the wall alone. Mr. I've-Never-Been-Ice-Skating apparently grew up on rollerblades and was skating circles around me, literally, dodging tottering children and wobbly adults. My "ice legs" came slowly, and upon proving myself, Jason joined me for a few passes around the rink. By the time the great Zamboni appeared again I was ready to call it a day.

We played around on the wooden objects before we left. There were tons of people out, so we had to wait our turn like good kids, which was hard because neither one of us is incredibly patient.

Thanksgiving night on the Plaza

2008-12-09T21:39:00.006-06:00

I tricked Jason into going down to the lighting ceremony a little early...and by "a little" I mean a whole hour, even though it only took five to 10 minutes to walk there from the hotel. It would not have been necessary to use such trickery to get Flat Jason to the ceremony; he would have gone willingly. However, the Real Jason is a much more complex character, one who does not enjoy waiting or large crowds. Bribes of money and food work best...

No, Jason was a good sport. We had a pretty good view from the far left and largely avoided being crushed by the monsterous crowd. We walked around and looked at the lights after American Idol winner David Cook and his niece flipped the switch.

Then we headed to McCormick and Schmick's for Thanksgiving dinner. Jason feasted on his beloved turkey while I enjoyed prime rib. And while it seemed quite odd not arguing with cousins about whether they should be allowed to sit at the adult table (ahem...Steve) or avoiding people spooning on the couch (shall remain nameless to avoid awkwardness at family events), it was rather nice to spend the holiday together as a couple. We are our own family.

Thanksgiving Day on the Plaza

2008-12-08T23:17:00.006-06:00

Jason got bored of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade long before Santa appeared (I know what you're thinking, but yes, he really is American.), so we headed down to the empty (and seemingly closed) Country Club Plaza. We finally located an open coffee shop, Scooter's Coffeehouse, and grabbed some java to enhance our window-shopping experience.

Later, we caught the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. Nothing better than watching 007 next to my own blond hunk!

Really thankful this Thanksgiving

2008-12-08T22:36:00.005-06:00

It was a crazy busy day that I thought would NEVER come, but at 5:30, I picked up my real husband at the Kansas City International Airport, full of plans for a mini Thanksgiving vacation on the Plaza and spending the rest of Jason's 10-leave in CoMo.

Too bad Flat Jason doesn't get to tag along...hope he enjoys the closet...

Victory was within my grasp...

2008-12-08T22:05:00.003-06:00

...and then snatched from under my nose!

In the first game, I was ahead until the last frame. Then, Brian decided he should try to get a turkey...in the last frame. In the last frame, Brian decided he would bowl a turkey. He would have done it, too, if it were not for one obstanant pin. He only failed by one pin, but it was enough to take the game.

Then, Nate decided to steal the next game. Perhaps not as impressively as Brian did, but he stole it nonetheless. And in the last frame, too. BAH! Twice in one day...I was crushed and so was Flat Jason.

Two good things of the night: I significantly broke 100 in each game, and Flat Jason and I ran into Ted from high school.

4-H Day at Arrowhead

2008-12-08T21:36:00.003-06:00

We headed to Kansas City on Nov. 23 for 4-H Day at Arrowhead Stadium. Neither Flat Jason nor I had ever been to a pro football game before, but FJ wasn't impressed. He opted to stay in the car, something about playing sports being more fun than watching.

But I was pumped! I even wore my fuzzy red socks in support of the Chiefs. I ran around during the game trying to locate 4-H members and their families for photos. I got to meet a lot of neat people and had a pretty good time, considering how cold and windy it was.

The Chiefs ended up losing to the Buffalo Bills, 54-31.

Wwwwwwwwipeout!

2008-11-21T00:21:00.006-06:00

The Eldon High School drama department's fall play was a musical comedy called Wipeout. It's about a family who is about to lose (foreclosure, how appropriate!) The Shack, a hovel of retail on Avalon Beach, and the local raggamuffins try to win a surfing competition to raise money to save it. Of course, there's a love story in there, too. Both leads performed well, but for me, it's always the secondary, My-job-is-to-make-you-laugh characters that get my attention. EHS has a German foreign exchange student with a lovely voice (I would argue she should have been the lead.) and due to her acting, her character was more zany and charming than annoying like the other girls' characters. My other favorite was the tall boy who sported a dark mohawk and can be seen in the middle in this video:

But top honors for backstage help goes to my sister, the best stage manager ever!

Flat Jason gives it two thumbs up, but reminds everyone to bring earplugs...just in case!

Sunday night = bowling night

2008-11-19T23:39:00.007-06:00

Sweet, starry bowling shoes...two plates of seasoned fries to mooch...talk of getting the soundtrack to Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog...ahh, it's bowling night!

This time Flat Jason and I made a new friend. Her name was Shaylene. (I don't know how to spell it, but that's what it sounded like.) She offered to share her 6-lb. bowling ball and all but forced me to use it. We did pretty good, she and I. I got close to 100 the first game and broke it the second game.

Mizzou Collegiate 4-H invites Flat Jason to dinner

2008-11-18T22:58:00.007-06:00

Mizzou Collegiate 4-H recently hosted the North Central Region Collegiate 4-H Conference at the University of Missouri. College students from several states came to Columbia to participate in workshops, hear speaker Patty Hendrickson, volunteer at the Central Missouri Food Bank and just have fun...and they invited Flat Jason to attend the Saturday evening banquet and dance.

At dinner we heard from a few speakers, including MU Chancellor Brady Deaton. He recognized Flat Jason and his service and managed to tie-in that the university was completing a new veterans facility. The evening's entertainment was a hypnotist. Mildly amusing, but definitely a creeper. After dinner, Brady and his wife, Anne, posed with Flat Jason and me. And even though the photo would suggest otherwise, I promise I am not a giant, even if I tower over the Deatons.

Later, it was time for the dance, which was interesting. Flat Jason and Kelli Jo got the party started, even though the DJ got off to a rocky start and never really recovered. Then some drunk women from the bar crashed the dance. I totally tattled on them and either Ina or Melissa kicked them out. Ha, ha! I realized that I only know the dance to the music video version of Thriller. And I realized that I have a lot of friends in town that like to dance...sounds like a dance party at KC Country is in order!

One Day at Forum

2008-11-13T00:17:00.006-06:00

On Sunday, Flat Jason and I went to One Day at Forum, which technically was at the Columbia Performing Arts Center. It was the first time all three services of Forum had worshipped together in more than 30 years. I was amazed at all the people. It's so different than my home church, Hopewell Union, a country church where a good day sees 30 people in the pews for one service. At Forum, there were so many people, they even handed out pre-packaged communion!

Even though the service was in a different place, with way more people, it still felt like Forum to me. And that was the point. Scott reassured us that as Forum expands to another campus on the north side of town (by me!), it will still be the same, just in another location.

And worship was awesome! Here are the last few minutes of the service:

Rock the Vote! Flat Jason hit the polls on election day.

2008-11-06T00:49:00.004-06:00

Flat Jason celebrates Real Jason's Birthday

2008-11-05T23:58:00.008-06:00

Sunday, Nov. 2, was Jason's 26th birthday. Flat Jason celebrated by staying busy. After church, we went with AshLee and JR to Shryocks' Corn Maze. None of us had ever been to a corn maze before so we didn't really know what to expect, but it's just like how it sounds: people wandering around a big cornfield.

This year's theme was Race for the White House - oh the elections! Will we never be rid of them? Shryock's made the maze more interesting by adding checkpoints with trivia questions that we had to find and answer. We started the maze by just choosing a path, left or right, but after unsuccessfully locating checkpoints, JR developed a systematic approach to the maze. We thoroughly covered the maze, located all of the checkpoints and turned in our sheet in good time. Masterful job! It's a good thing, too, because someone (I'm not naming names) on the team was getting a little hot and tired of the game.

After the maze, Flat Jason and I went out to eat birthday dinner at Huhot Mongolian Grill. We had a coupon for free birthday dessert, but our lovely waitress Sydney told her manager Jim that we were there and he said that Huhot would pick up the tab. What an incredible gift! Then a Marine came over with some money. "Here," he said. "When he gets home, take him out and buy him a beer." Another lady also came over to say thank you for Jason's service. On the verge of tears, I thanked everyone as best I could. I hope they realized how much their kindness and generosity meant to me. I felt incredibly blessed.

We met the Sunday evening crew for some birthday bowling goodness around 9 o'clock. I beat Brian both times with scores of 101 and 90. He'll say he was injured if you ask him, but the point is I beat him twice. It was the shoes...and Jason's birthday magic.

###

Real Jason didn't have as much fun on his birthday. He actually had to go into the office for a little bit, but it was ok because he had decorations to remind him how special he is! Real Jason also wants to tell everyone thank you for the birthday cards and packages.

The day before his birthday

2008-11-02T01:49:00.011-05:00

Flat Jason has officially attended his first baby shower. I know it seems kind of like a girls-only thing, but his presence was requested. And he got to hang out with the guys all the way up to the point that they decided to go shoot guns. It was then that I decided it would be best if FJ stayed with the girls, just this once.

He was very disappointed he had to stay. To prove his masculity, FJ guarded Michelle's presents and opted out of any game-playing.

Later, we met AshLee and JR at Cold Stone for some birthday ice cream. The guys that work there are pretty much amazing. They even sang to Flat Jason in honor of his birthday.

We finished eating our ice cream in Peace Park while we watched the squirrels play and the people walk by. It was a gorgeous afternoon.

Later that evening, we headed to KC Country for some line dancing. Our usual crowd was absent, but we were fortunate enough to be invited to join a birthday party. They were celebrating two birthdays, Betty's tonight and Joyce's tomorow. They were very excited to learn that Flat Jason's was tomorrow as well.

Mary Lou and Joyce were both Army wives, so we had a nice chat about the military. Before they left, Mary Lou gave Flat Jason a hug, and Joyce posed with her birthday twin.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T01:04:00.008-05:00

Flat Jason and I hosted a small Halloween party at the duplex as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr. Suess's Cat in the Hat. We also had a couple of characters from Gossip Girl, Quail Man and a hobo who needed money for student loans.

We made sure to get some good candy for kids who might stop by. I got Reese's for the chocolate fans and Nerds for the anti-chocolate. More than a dozen kids from the neighborhood stopped by to trick-or-treat. I think my favorite was a little guy dressed as a dragon. We opened the door and he came right in. We would have let him stay, too, but I think his mom wanted to get home.

Later, we broke out the games. We started with a traditional one: bobbing for apples. Then, with a wet face from the apple bucket, everyone got a chance to retrieve a marshmallow from a bowl of flour. The idea is that you have to root around in the flour for the marshmallow and the flour sticks to your face. In hindsight, powdered sugar would probably have been a better choice. It would have been just as messy AND it would have tasted better. Good to know for next time!

We ended the evening looking at funny videos on the internet. I never knew there were so many out there, everything from silly cats to Japanese portapotty pranks. Where have I been all this time? I had everyone beat, though. They'd never heard of Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog. (Watch it!)

Halfway Done!

2008-11-01T19:21:00.005-05:00

Wa-Hoo!!! We are officially halfway done with this deployment! From 57 weeks down to 28 weeks. I'm so excited! Sometimes the end seems so far away, but I can see that we're making progress. Thanks to everyone who's been a part of this, from friends and family inviting us to do things and lending a listening ear to restaurant staff who indulge our insanity to complete strangers who read the blog and thank us for Jason's service. We couldn't have made it this far without all the love, support, and prayers.

Man, I feel pretty pumped up. All right! Let's do this second half!

Zidane and the Whistance boys

2008-11-01T02:08:00.004-05:00

Instead of biking like normal on Tuesday, Jeremy, Jarrett and I opted to see a movie about Zinedine Zidane, a French footballer, that was playing at the Ragtag.

Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait - It's a movie of the football match between Real Madrid and Villareal in real time. Seventeen cameras were focused on Zidane. It was incredibly interesting to be focused on him instead of where the ball was going; it was a totally different perspective of the game. I imagined him to be running, moving all the time, but instead he actually seemed to stand still and observe the game quite a bit. I really liked watching him explode into action on the big plays. From so many angles, it was a complete picture of him recognizing an opportunity, seizing it and being congratulated by his teammates afterward.

But, I was disappointed. I thought there were too many shots of just his feet standing around, and I hated the abrupt transitions to the grainy television "replays." I also wish we had heard Zidane talking more about what he had seen, felt and remembered about the game instead of the few subtitles that flickered across the screen. And, I would rather have heard the noise of the match and the crowd instead of the boring score that played behind the movie a good chunk of the time. I'm not going to lie, it put Flat Jason to sleep almost instantly.

All things considered, I enjoyed the movie...and my time with the Whistance boys. After the movie, we looked at some paintings in the restaurant that a local artist had painted from photos that her brother took while serving in Iraq.

Homecoming Weekend

2008-11-01T01:20:00.013-05:00

M-I-Z-Z-O-U! Homecoming at the University of Missouri, the birthplace of homecoming, really is the best. Festivities had been going on all week.

Todd came down for some fun on Friday. We took Flat Jason to Greek Town to check out house decorations. Each year the fraternities and sororities team up and decorate their house yards. They mostly put on small plays relating to a theme that somehow incorporates winning the upcoming football game. This year's theme was Strength in Stripes, and it looked like the Stripes had taken over the silver screen. We watched versions of the Incredibles, Madagascar and Shrek. The Shrek one was my favorite. I think they did the best job pomping their background and characters.

Then we went to the rally at Deja Vu. I don't know how I missed those as a student because it was awesome! There was such a great sense of camaraderie and Tiger Spirit, especially when they broke out the fight song!

Even though we got in pretty late, we still got up the next morning in time for the parade. (Note the coffee in the photo.) We watched from outside Whitten Hall, near Memorial Union. The Grand Marshal was Juliet Huddy, an MU alum who co-hosts The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet on ABC. I was very impressed with the parade. All of the fraternities and sororities had nice floats. There were tons of bands, including Laura (married-but-single) Mudge's band from Hartville. And since it is an election year, the politicians were out in full force.

After the parade, and a nap, we headed over to the Phi Psi House for some tailgating. We spent most of our time meeting Todd's friends, but we found a fellow Wal-Mart veteran from our era. Ahh...good times. Anyway, we ran into someone who had decided they could make the game and graciously gave us their tickets for free! It was a little weird sitting on the alumni side, but the game was amazing! We beat the Colorado Buffaloes 58-0! And we met one of the nicest Tiger fans ever; he let me borrow a sweatshirt. M-I-Z-Z-O-U!

Here we go round in circles...

2008-10-27T23:47:00.004-05:00

Ash and JR met me and FJ at the skating rink...and AJ got us in for free. Shhh! Don't tell!

It was AJ's last week to work. so we came to hang out and skate. It was a crazy, random time. We met a really nice girl named Colleen, who was incredibly articulate, especially for a 12-year-old. It was retro night, so the weird guy in charge of the music, not AJ, was playing '80s music and was totally getting in to singing all the songs. And a sorority group came in and took over the lobby. Strangely enough, they didn't skate all that much. I think they were busy taking pictures with Flat Jason. I've already seen one rogue pic on Facebook. Sigh...that's what happens when I turn my back...the ladies flock to him.

I win!!! and lose...

2008-10-27T23:31:00.002-05:00

A couple of weekends ago (yes, I know I'm behind) Flat Jason and I hit the bowling alley with the Sunday evening crew...and it was the most amazing bowling night ever! I got the first strike of the night, I broke 100 AND I WON the game, beating Brian by a good 15 points no less. Brian pretty much sets the standard. He used to play on a league, and even though he's all washed up now (out of practice, you know) he can still pretty much beat the pants off anyone who plays him. Ha ha! Not this time!

We won't talk about the second game...:(

It's the Great Pumpkin, Flat Jason!

2008-10-14T22:15:00.016-05:00

Bright and early! That's the only way to see the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. We got there in time to see the parade, which I feel is the best part of any festival. I firmly believe the quality of the festival can be determined by the parade. And the Hartsburg festival has a lot of, well, heart. Bands, politicians, sports teams and the local MU Extension 4-H club...who can ask for more than that?

Judy Baker stopped to talk to us along the parade route. She even took her life in her hands to pose with Flat Jason. Seriously, the band almost ran her over. Every time I see this photo I feel like I should be singing either "76 Trombones" from the Music Man or "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello, Dolly! Ha!

Next, we scoped out the free samples. The pumpkin fudge was good and luckily there were two free sample per family. More for me!

We also found some puppies, and while they were definitely NOT free, they were amazingly adorable! I wanted one so bad, and Flat Jason seemed to be having a good time with them as well, but I knew in my heart that the real Jason wouldn't approve of me picking puppies without him.

We ran into some friends from the ol' Campus House days.

Before we left, Flat Jason wanted to make sure he got a chance to help make the apple butter. We went back to Erin's apartment to rest and talk to A.J., who came to visit. Then we headed over to the Maryland Parking Garage for some serious tailgating action.

It was the first time Flat Jason and I had ever tailgated. Tracy and I played washers and talked while FJ hung out with Tommy and Sunday Phil. He fit right in with his Mizzou fleece that he borrowed from Brian M., but by the middle of the afternoon it was almost too hot for it.

Around 5 p.m., the group began to split up. Those who had tickets started going into the stadium to get seats while those of us who didn't, cough...me and Tracy, went home. I think we may have gotten the better end of the deal, though. We took a long nap and then carved our pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns. Guess who mine is...

Birthday Flowers - Yeah!

2008-10-14T22:11:00.002-05:00

Birthday luncheon for four turns to five

2008-10-13T22:44:00.009-05:00

Erin, AJ, Flat Jason and I headed to G and D's Steakhouse after church for an impromptu lunch. I ordered the special, of course. It was Jason's day to call me, so I spent a lot of my time talking to him instead of Erin and AJ. Thank goodness they're such good sports!

After dinner, we took photos with the restaurant patriarch.

Versailles throws me a belated birthday party - Apple Fest!

2008-10-13T22:17:00.008-05:00

Apple Fest!!! Even though Lauren and I stayed up way too late the night before, we got up early and got ready for the Apple Fest. Breakfast came from Wal-Mart, and we had to stop at the car wash to get all the bird doo-doo off my car. Grr...the hazards of parking under a tree overnight.

We got a good parking spot near Dad's office (the best part about being early) and met Grandma at the truck Uncle Dwayne had left in front of the office the night before to save our spot. The Schads ALWAYS watch the parade from in front of the Farm Service Agency office, at least as long as I can remember. Family began trickling in, and I got to hold both of the new babies.

We watched the parade, hollering at people we knew riding floats and those just walking by. Lauren and I made short work of the festival booths, which could be generally categorized as food or crafts, most we'd seen before. I picked up some ornaments for Christmas and a necklace; Lauren bought a bag that was decorated with skull sporting a mustache. I must admit I was more than a little jealous!

After the fun and festivities, we went to say hey to Peggi Sue at KS95, the Lake's Best Country, 95.1 FM. Ha, all the taglines are still in my head from when I worked there a few years ago. It's been one of my most favorite jobs so far.

We went back home to change clothes and grab pies for the Eldon FFA Hog Roast. At the hog roast, Flat Jason decided to buy some raffle tickets, but he was sad when he found out how expensive it would be to enter the drawing as many times as he had at the family reunion. He settled for six tickets.

Bonne anniversaire!

2008-10-05T23:40:00.010-05:00

Happily, my birthday was on a Friday this year. It started as a nice day and only got better when Brian from upstairs gave me a Twix. Mmm...chocolate! Then, I got the other half of my birthday present from Jason - flowers!!! I even got a phone call from my long-lost cousin Josh!

After work, FJ and I went to Versailles and met Mom, Lauren and Grandma at the Royal Theatre to watch the Apple Festival play, Hello, Dolly! We were late, so Mom and Lauren saved some pizza for us, and we sneaked it into the theatre. Hooray for food!

I was horrified and confused when music for the play began and I realized it was pre-recorded and playing over the speaker system instead of coming from a piano strategically placed in a corner and played by the gray-haired lady like so many years in the past. It was a kick in the gut to be sure. It was almost as if I had just learned that my favorite small, cozy, intimate corner saloon had been demolished to make way for a raging discotheque. To add to my confusion, I wasn't very familiar with the plot because my love/hate relationship with key people in the movie had kept me from getting into it. After I settled down and eaten my pizza, though, the story began to grow on me. The actors did a great job and so did everyone else who had a hand in it, from sets and costumes to directing and selling popcorn. Flat Jason got a little love from one of my favorite character actors, Reva, after the play. (I don't remember her character's name.)

Then we went home to make pies for the Eldon FFA Hog Roast on Saturday. Flat Jason helped Mom make two pumpkin pies and a cherry pie while Lauren and I worked on the dishes. We listened to Pogey and took a break to eat some birthday cake. Mom made Red Velvet Cake, and FJ helped blow out my candles. Year 25 is off to a good start!

Happy Early Birthday to me!

2008-10-05T22:33:00.015-05:00

I got birthday greetings from Cold Stone Creamery in my inbox this week, and I was nothing less than excited. On Thursday, Flat Jason and I went after work to get some Birthday Cake Remix from Skye, our ice cream barista. (I don't really know what his title is...is there a real name for that job?)

Then, we went to Jesse Auditorium to see Billy Currington in concert. The opening act was one I'd never heard of, Love and Theft, from Lousiville. All three played guitar with one stopping every now and then to tickle the ivories. I was pleasantly surprised by their tight harmonies...very nice! We visited with them after the show, and they gave Flat Jason a free CD! Thanks, guys!

Billy Currington also put on a nice show. FJ and I stayed out of the crush of people that crowded against the stage, but we still got a few nice photos. After the show, there weren't very many people waiting at the stage door, so we decided to wait, too. While we were hanging out, we met Melissa and Stephen. They took a photo of us with the keyboard player; he was wearing a Punisher t-shirt. Flat Jason's a fan.

Billy finally came out and we got an autograph. We were told he didn't have time for photos, but Melissa got one of us while we were getting our paper signed. Hopefully she e-mails that soon.

Queen of my heart

2008-09-29T21:48:00.009-05:00

My sister, Lauren, got nominated for Eldon High School homecoming queen, and I couldn't have been prouder. Beautiful, smart and talented...she's perfect for the role.

Homecoming was on Friday, Sept. 26. Since I couldn't make it to the football game to see whether or not Lauren got crowned, I decided to drive down to Eldon to see Lauren in the parade. Flat Jason joined me.

We made it down a little early and visited with Lauren before the parade. She was riding with Trever Griswold, who had been crowned homecoming king at the pep assembly earlier in the day. FJ totally embarrassed Lauren as he tried on Trever's crown. Then he sat in the car while we were waiting for the parade to start.

It was a warm day, so on our way to find a place to watch the parade, we stopped off to get some water for Lauren and Trever. Then we found Mom and Grandma in front of Henley Jewelers, and we watched the parade together. They were pretty excited that Lauren was in the parade.

Later that night, Dad walked Lauren out on the football field for the ceremony, but Lauren wasn't crowned queen. I think someone made a mistake, but it's ok. It doesn't change how great Lauren is! I love you, girl!

Meneely Madness

2008-09-21T21:23:00.008-05:00

It's that special time of year again...Meneely Reunion. Flat Jason was super-excited to see all the cousins again, especially after all the fun they had together at Uncle John and Aunt Marilyn's farm. Check out those photos here.

The Meneely dinner started like usual. After the blessing, Howie's Crew attacked the dessert table while everyone else lined up like civilized people to load their plates with the "real" food.

I signed the guestbook as Amanda Stapp and Flat Jason, and after meeting some opposition, I put both of our names in the doorprize drawing, which was looking pretty promising with fabulous favors such as rhubarb and a stuffed toy monkey. Little did I know, the cousins didn't want me to enter Flat Jason in the drawing because they had already entered him multiple times as "Flat Jason," "Jason Stapp," and "Amanda's Two-dimensional Husband." Each time he was called, the cousins would yell about me entering his name more than once, and when someone from our family got called, a cheer would errupt from the far corner of the room. I ended up with a Pink Panther coloring and activity book - score! I picked up a manicure/pedicure set for Flat Jason. Lauren was the lucky devil who got the rhubarb.

After the drawing, we went outside to play in the park across the road. We played on the swings, the merry-go-round and the slides. And we took lots of pictures. Lauren and I also had a duel using the rhubarb stalks as swords. I'm pretty sure I won the battle - Lauren fought with two stalks, and they were both broken down more than mine in the end.

Soon it was time to call it a day. FJ and I headed back to Columbia, where we stopped to wash the car because it was kinda dirty. It was nice and pretty when we left the car wash, but what does washing the car do? Encourage rain, of course. (Cue the opening of the heavens.) Erin R. texted me that there was a big rainbow in the east. I couldn't see it, but all I can say is, "You're welcome."

Didn't know Flat Jason was THAT country...

2008-09-21T20:06:00.004-05:00

It was Saturday night and time for dancing! Flat Jason and I headed to Kingdom City to meet our friend Josh for some fun at KC Country, a dance hall in town. FJ was well-rested and ready to go; he stayed at home while I joined Diana, Jason and Jeremy to see John Oliver in Jesse Auditorium Friday night, and he also took a nap Saturday afternoon.

We got there in time to learn some line dances before the band took the stage. Learning the dances beforehand was very helpful because, as we learned, when you don't know the dances, it's hard to pick up on a dark dance floor. We met a lot of nice people, including some Westminster students, a smattering of young people from Jefferson City and Josh's grandma, who was helping teach me how to dance. We finally left when it closed around 1 a.m., perhaps not the best idea considering the Meneely reunion the next day, but we had a good time!

Twilight Festival

2008-09-18T22:33:00.014-05:00

Flat Jason and I headed to Flat Branch Park for Twilight Festival for the Stream Extravaganza night. There were tons of booths about native plants and animals and conservation. There were even kiddie pools filled with water and aquatic life.

Our first stop was the clown dressed in a flag costume for a pink balloon flower. Next we stopped by the Columbia Public Works booth to talk to the guys and get an "I heart Worms" sticker. We talked to our friend Dan from CCH and then Flat Jason decided he needed a massage.

Luckily, the Greenway Massage Team had a chair and FJ got his neck and shoulders rubbed...and the lady didn't charge us for it!

After the massage, we were getting a little hungry, so we headed toward the food, but they were out of burgers. We decided to wait and chat with some Mizzou students. We found 2008 Missouri Beef Queen, and AgJ major, Sarah Jackson promoting beef.

We also talked to a few Ag Rho guys who knew John, including his former roommate Matt, who was working the grill. I must say I don't mind working the connections. Flat Jason helped cook while I waited, and we got the first burger off the grill. Thanks, guys!

Having secured sustanance, we mosied across the road to the other side of Flat Branch Park. It was the music that drew us. We ate dinner while we listened to the Fried Crawdaddies play. A neat band, they played mostly upbeat tunes, mostly encouraged by the young dancers in the crowd. It was a lovely way to end the evening.

A blast from the past

2008-09-15T23:59:00.008-05:00

Ok, so maybe the not-so-distant past. My buddy Todd, whom I met in college and hadn't seen for a year or two, was in town today, and he stopped by for a visit. We caught up over burritos at Chipotle. Flat Jason got to eat part of Todd's burrito because the guy working there gave it to him before he realized it was Todd's order. (The guy working there also tried to pick FJ's nose, but we won't talk about that!) The Chipotle-worker-dude was hilarious, so I'm sad I didn't ask for his name.

Great Balls of Fire...

2008-09-15T23:01:00.004-05:00

Flat Jason hosted a Debut the Shoes party at Town and Country to celebrate my awesome new bowling shoes. Oh yeah! They are black with white stars. The stars are supposed to glow, either in the dark or in black light. I'm not sure which, and I haven't tested them. We got to the bowling alley a little after 9 p.m. to get the sweet low rates on bowling games and sneaked in some cupcakes to eat. What's a party without cake?

AshLee, JR and AJ came to celebrate. My friend Brian and his fiancee, who bowl with more regularity than Flat Jason and I, were also there and had saved a lane next to them for us to bowl on.

Unfortunately for us, our lane, Lane 28, was all jacked up. We constantly fixed the score and reset the pins. After the first game, which AJ won and I scored a 98 (I was sooo close to 100!), we happily switched to Lane 31. No more problems, mostly. I ended up winning the second game with a score of 116. Wa-hoo!

I must say I was very happy that so many people came, especially AshLee. She expressed her distaste for the game at the beginning of the evening, but by the end, I think she was close to converted. It was definitely a fun night.

Flat Jason stays home

2008-09-12T00:32:00.006-05:00

It's been rainy lately, and Flat Jason has been taking it easy. He stayed at home on Thursday when I went to an ag journalism reunion at MU. This year is the J-school's centennial and there were tons of events last week. So, of course ag j needed an event, too. It was fun seeing everyone again, and I got sent home with the balloons!

On Friday, I went to Forum Boulevard Christian Church's craft night. FJ stayed home because it was a girls only thing. I met up with Erin R. and Mandi. I ended up helping Erin with a present she was working on, and I crocheted a couple of ornaments myself. It was fun to just hang out and chat. Erin thought we should do it every Friday, but as it turns out, she can't do it next Friday.

On Saturday, after work, I met Lauren in Jefferson City. The goal of the evening was to see The Marquette Weekend play. Boy, we had no idea how tough that was going to be. Long story short, we bought t-shirts, braved pouring rain and flood conditions and endured three and a half hours of nonsense before the guys went on. BUT, when they went on, it was all worth it...wasn't it, Lauren?

Thursday funk and pity party

2008-09-07T16:17:00.009-05:00

So, I'm not gonna lie. I've been trying to keep the blog as upbeat as possible, writing about all the fun things that Flat Jason and I have been doing, the people we've been meeting, and skipping over the more mundane ( and lonely) parts of life. I mean, who really wants to tune in to hear how much life sucks when your husband is deployed? I certainly don't go looking for downers during my day.

But, I think the funk I was in on Thursday is worth mentioning. It really wouldn't be representative of the whole "married-but-single" experience if you didn't hear about a rough time or two, would it?

I had decided that, after work, Flat Jason and I would go to the Tomato Festival out at the University of Missouri's Bradford Research and Extension Center. It was something I've gone to for a couple of years, and it's been fun tasting the tomatoes and peppers and looking at the flowers in the rose garden. Unfortunately, the day started with rain, and the rain continued off and on. So, I nixed the idea of going to the festival. The rain also discouraged any thoughts I had entertained of checking out the Twilight Festival downtown.

"What to do?" I thought. I suddenly felt depressed and wished Jason was in town to hang out with me. Definitely missing him...36 weeks until he was done in Kosovo...and 12 weeks until he was stateside for leave. Still 12 weeks? I counted again. Still 12 weeks...how could that be? 12 weeks has been the count for, like, three weeks. Either I can't count or time is seriously standing still...

Hmm...there was a group of people from work going to El Maguey's for food and margaritas, but I probably wouldn't be good company now. I certainly didn't feel like hitting the gym, even though it probably would make me feel better...eventually.

Nope. I decided to go home and throw myself a pity party. On the way home, I called my sister. Lauren let me cry and carry on about how much I missed Jason and then began distracting me with funny stories. After I had been home for about 30 minutes, I was laughing again. Have I told you how amazing my sister is?

So the pity party was over before it really began, and I can't say I mind. Thanks, Lauren.

Mud Room with Mandi

2008-09-07T15:59:00.006-05:00

I was looking for fun on Friday evening, so I called Mandi to see if she was free and wanted to go to the Mud Room. She said yes, so I met her there.

The Mud Room has a neat service project going on right now called Cup of Kindness. You get free studio time to paint when you purchase and paint a mug to be given as a gift for a cancer patient in town. In October, every person hospitalized for cancer in any of Columbia’s five hospitals will receive a Cup of Kindness. The Mud Room is donating the glazing and firing of mugs painted by the community and Jackie O'Roarke, a cancer survivor, is sponsoring the project.

I think our mugs turned out great! I wanted to make a happy mug, so I painted mine with yellow, my favorite color, and added flowers. I wished that Erin didn't have to work; aside from being tons of fun, she could have written, "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day..." in her neat handwriting. I was singing that the entire time we were painting. LOL Mandi painted a calming mug. It reminded me of the sea, waves washing over each other, lots of shades of blue and green.

After the Mud Room, we headed to Pizza Hut for some dinner. We tried the new Tuscani pastas. Mmm...yummy! Convo at dinner was good, too. I'm defintely blessed to have a been-there, done-that friend for this deployment. She totally gets what I say and where I'm coming from. I love hanging out with Mandi!

KC Irish Fest...good times...

2008-09-07T01:45:00.008-05:00

My biking buddy Jeremy always tells me about the cool fairs and festivals that he attends as we bike around Columbia. Recently he mentioned he was going to the KC Irish Fest and I said that sounds like fun, so Flat Jason and I planned to meet him there.

Holy cow! It was fun! The festival was Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but Flat Jason and I only made it for the bands on Sunday. The festival was at Crown Center and on State Street. All the fountains, except the fountain garden, were dyed green. It was really pretty, and the weather was perfect. We walked around and checked out the booths. They tons of neat things from jewelry to kilts and pinch hats to crosses.

They even had a heritage area where they had sessions about Irish language, sports, stories and other heritage-y things. We stopped at a little area they had set aside for demonstrations by people in costume who represented the Irish Americans that fought in the Civil War. Flat Jason posed with one of the soldiers' swords.

I'm not sure what a pumpkin had to do with the festival, but I couldn't pass up a cutout. I usually make Jason do those...we must have done five or six when we went to the Renaissance Festival...

After we looked around, we claimed some seats in front of the Boulevard Stage. We made sure to get seats a little way back and in the shade. Our afternoon/evening line-up was Barra MacNeils, Beoga, Pogey and the Elders.

Pogey is my new favorite band! They were high energy and totally got the audience involved. Even though we weren't up front, we got some people around us to stand up and dance with us. Jumping, clapping, singing, yelling...it's been a while since I've had that much fun at a concert!

Way up north...

2008-09-07T00:07:00.006-05:00

The last weekend of August was Uncle John and Aunt Marilyn's 40th Anniversary so Flat Jason and I headed north to Chillicothe on Friday for fun and festivities. On our way, we stopped by Grandma's grave in Meadville.

Then we headed to Grandpa's house. On Saturday, the rest of the Barnett crew made it to Grandpa's house in time for a weenie roast in the backyard. We ladies sent the men out to prepare the feast while we readied the kitchen for dinner. John and Grandpa roasted the hot dogs on a pitchfork while Flat Jason supervised.

Later, we headed to Uncle John and Aunt Marilyn's house. We played games with the cousins and visited. Then Lauren and I cut out to take some photos. Luckily, we made it back in time for the world premeire of a movie Tracy had made from snapshots of Uncle John and Aunt Marilyn through the years.

Then we turned on the MU game and watched the Mizzou Tigers beat the Illini, 52-42...and I called my friend, Patches, to rub the win in his face! LOL It was a good day.

Weekend Happenings

2008-08-27T22:42:00.004-05:00

Erin R. is back in town! Let the fun begin! She invited Flat Jason and me to a free concert in front of Memorial Union on Saturday night. We met up with her brother and his girlfriend, plus some random friends. The Hibernauts from St. Louis and Augustana of moderate fame were the performers, but at times I felt that more attention was directed at Flat Jason and me.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm used to people looking at FJ and whispering in a not-so-inconspicuous manner, but I'm not used to people accosting us. A young man in the crowd approached us and began yelling, "What's he doing here? He's supposed to be grounded. Why's he looking at me?" He yelled it very loudly, the same thing over and over, as he walked toward us. Fortunately another gentleman in the crowd moved between us and the violent man and got him to calm down and walk away. Now, we've seen all kinds. There were several more that night who asked about Flat Jason, including one boy who complimented me on my eyes.

Despite all the distraction, I enjoyed the bands and wished I actually knew their music.

On Sunday, we made it to church finally since missing twice for the fair. We sat on the right side like normal, even though after we sat down I saw Erin and AJ in the middle of the auditorium. After the service, we met Jody, one of the youth ministers. I had seen him before at some of the CCH flag football games, but he'd never met FJ. We continued on to the gym where we hoped to find a donut, but alas, there were none. Not even a trace of them! Weird. Oh well.

Flat Jason and I parted from our friends' company after church and headed to see Diana and Jason in their new apartment. We brought them a wedding present, which I wrapped in my National Geographic maps. Not only were they colorful, but I knew that Diana and Jason would appreciate my resourcefulness. We had a good visit; there was a lot to catch up on since I had seen them last. Then, we had lunch. Jason grilled some meat and corn for us, and we ate watermelon from Grandma Schad. It was a lovely afternoon. I even traded some of our extra watermelon for some of Diana and Jason's extra corn.

The weather was so nice on Monday that Flat Jason and I couldn't resist eating on the patio. I cooked some corn and cut a tomato. And I made sure to bring out our awesome citronella candles to keep the bugs away. They're in cute turtle containers. The candles worked pretty well, but I still had some bug bites!

Fair Finale and the Schads from Texas

2008-08-22T23:32:00.004-05:00

On Military Appreciation Day at the Missouri State Fair, Flat Jason came downstairs to check out what was going on. As it turns out, the 2008 Missouri State Fair Queen Whitney Wallace had stopped by the 4-H Building to make camo coolies for the soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood using her stellar sewing skills she got from MU Extension 4-H. FJ got to meet her and hang out with the kids that were doing crafts sponsored by Operation Military Kids and MU Extension 4-H.

Uncle Dorsey and Aunt Lucille came up to visit during the fair, but luckily they stayed long enough that Flat Jason and I had a chance to come visit. We even went back to Columbia with some leftover goodies. Have a safe trip home!

An evening out at the fair

2008-08-18T22:47:00.007-05:00

As Flat Jason and I got ready to go out for dinner, Smokey Bear wandered into the 4-H Building from the fire station to say hi. He came with Sparky, but since we had already posed with Sparky, Sparky stepped out of the photo.

We headed to the Gerken Dairy Building for a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and some soft serve ice cream. We checked out this year's butter sculpture. Then we watched the cows get milked in the small parlor on the side of the building.

We headed down the Midway to talk to Richard, who works at the carnival. He couldn't believe that I was actually carrying Flat Jason everywhere with me. Neither could anyone else in the carnival. Anyway, after that we went back to the room to work.

Another night, we went to the Leroy Van Dyke Country Gold Tour. I had told Leroy about FJ and he wanted to meet him, so FJ came along and posed with him. I should have brought him to the concert. There were so many classic artists playing my old favorites. I was in heaven.

Agriculture, firefighters and Otto

2008-08-11T09:10:00.011-05:00

After work, Lauren, Flat Jason and I walked around the fair. We stopped by the Agriculture Building, where Jason saw a ginormous pumpkin. It was huge! We also saw that Alewell's Country Meats won Grand Champion Slab of Bacon. Flat Jason wants to congratulate Colonel Alewell for a job well done!

We also visited the Children's Barnyard. FJ liked watching the pigs sleep.

While we continued our tour of the fairgrounds, we ran into Sparky, the fire dog. He was spraying other people, but he was nice to us and posed for a photo with Flat Jason. We stopped by the fire station to talk to our friend, Sheriff Chuck from Johnson County. He took us on a tour of the station and invited us to eat dinner with the firefighters and state troopers. Everyone we met was super-nice!

Our last stop of the evening was saying hi to Otto, the talking car. We helped a group of kids tuck him in for the night.

Concert at the Fair

2008-08-11T08:23:00.007-05:00

Saturday night - concert time. Lauren came up to go to the Josh Turner concert with me. Flat Jason decided he didn't want to go, so we left him in our room to sleep.

Lauren and I ate dinner at the Missouri Cattlemen's Beef House before the show. Then we found our seats: four rows from the front, dead center.

The concert was amazing! Pat Green was on first. Lauren and I were the only ones standing in our area for a while. When I started taking photos, Pat saw me and pointed. His fiddle/guitar player threw a guitar pick at us, but it fell behind us and a little girl snatched it up. Pat closed with "Wave on Wave" and people were STILL sitting, so he started calling out audience members, including my roommate and her boyfriend who were sitting with their arms crossed. By the end everyone was standing and ready for Josh Turner.

Josh opened with "Firecracker" and put on a marvelous show! He played the guitar and the mandolin. I really liked his shirt. The "Blessed with Freedom" shirt is available from the Blessed Clothing Company, and the proceeds go to St. Jude's.

Afterward, we grabbed a funnel cake and went to visit Richard, who works at a ball toss for the carnival, on the midway. Lauren and I had planned to watch a movie when we got back to our room, but we had too much fun and had to call it a night.

Missouri State Fair - Day 1

2008-08-07T22:46:00.007-05:00

Day 1 at the Missouri State Fair, and Flat Jason has started making the rounds. First, we stopped at the bear carving. They built a new children's playground near the bear and added more wooden sculptures.

Then we headed to the Missouri Department of Conservation to see Smokey the Bear. We stopped at the concession stand near the 4-H Building for our dollar-priced corn dog. Wa-hoo for Dollar Days!

Next, it was on to the farm implements, where I found what Jason would call a "quad cab, dualie, double pumper," which is what he says when he thinks things are huge and maybe a little overkill. He's only had to work on small farms, though.

Then we came back to type a few things in our snug little room. You can see that Jake the dog, who joined my family six years ago this fair. You may also notice that there are polar bears and penguins on my sheets to help me think postively about the fair weather, which has been great so far.

Hello, Wendy! or Meatatarians Unite!

2008-08-07T22:20:00.005-05:00

Flat Jason and I had planned to go to the Muny to see Fiddler on the Roof, but we didn't make it. It was very hot and I had to pack to get ready for the Missouri State Fair. To make it up to him, we stopped by the new Wendy's near our place.

Wendy was standing outside waving to passersby, so we posed for a picture. And inside we talked to a nice manager about his family in the military.

We ordered a Baconator because I wanted to try it and we got a frosty because Jamie said we had to try one. The frosty was good, but I'm glad we got a little one because the Baconator was HUGE! And I found this:

I am a true MEATATARIAN because...
I feel bacon should be its own food group.
I eat, sleep, and breathe beef and bacon.
I have ketchup running through my veins.
I will only recognize cheese if it is on a hamburger.
I know the secret to true happiness is hickory smoked bacon.
I believe the Baconator is the true 8th Wonder of the World.

Near K-lamities

2008-08-03T13:36:00.012-05:00

Flat Jason and I headed to Kansas City on Saturday to hand out Hero Packs to children of military members and see the Royals play. When we pulled into the parking lot at Kauffman Stadium, I searched for the sunscreen that I was sure I had packed. Negative. All I came up with was a can of bug spray, and while potentially useful, it was not going to guard my pale skin against the intense midday sun. Fortunately, there was a group of tailgaters parked a few spaces over who were more than happy to let a complete stranger use their sunscreen after, of course, enduring much teasing about white legs and unpreparedness. Oh well. Crisis averted.

Military Appreciation Day with the Royals - Before the game, we worked with Joan of Operation Military Kids to hand out free tickets to families of military service members and passed out around 15 Hero Packs to school-aged children who have had a service member deployed. Some of the guys from the 129th stopped by for some free tickets and posed with Flat Jason. I also wandered down front to take photos of the pre-game activities.

After the game started, one of the ushers told me to find my seat, so I packed up and headed up the stairs. When I got to the top, I felt kind of dizzy, so I dropped my stuff and sat down with Flat Jason under a concession stand counter. The smell of the food made me a little nauseated. I decided the best thing to do was to get some water, so I got up and asked for a water from the person at the drink cart that was near me. I grabbed the money out of my pocket to hand to the vendor, and I passed out on their cart. I wasn't out for very long, but when I was coming to, I felt dizzy and thought I was going to fall over, so I lowered myself to the ground. God bless the vendors because they were great. They applied ice packs to my neck and head and called first aid. An EMS guy named Christopher came to check on me. He called for a wheelchair and took me down to first aid. While we were waiting for an elevator, we saw Sluggerrr, the Royals mascot. Everyone also kept remarking that FJ looked like Jimmy Gobble, a Royals pitcher that I think is on the disabled list.

We checked into first aid, and I stayed there for a little bit, just resting, drinking water and chatting with others. I was totally embarrassed for having caused such a scene, having to be wheeled about and such, but other people were having the same problem (It was 158 degrees on the turf.) so I didn't feel quite as bad. Before Flat Jason and I left first aid to find our seats, we posed with my hero.

Luckily, Joan had given Flat Jason and I seats in the shade. When we found them, we discovered a group of servicemen from the area. I think their names were Mark, Ed and Wentworth TAC officer Robbins. (I don't remember his first name.) I arrived near the end of the second inning or the beginning of the third, and it was nice to have some people to discuss the game with.

FJ and I put on the free hats we received at the gate to finish watching the game. The final near-calamity of the day occurred in the eighth inning. The Sox picked up four runs, and I was afraid that the Royals were going to let victory slip from their fingers again. Kansas City brought out closer, and Mexicutioner, Joakim Soria to keep their lead, and the Royals won 9-7. Wa-hoo!

The Dark Knight!

2008-08-03T13:19:00.004-05:00

Finally! I can now say that I have seen the new Batman movie.

After work on Friday, Flat Jason and I joined Jeremy at Hollywood Theatres for the 6:30 showing. Suprisingly, and happily, no one had a problem with Flat Jason seeing the movie. I loved it, and I think when Real Jason gets to see the movie, he will like it as well. Until then, he can play with the small Batman toy that I plan to send in his next care package. (I rescued from the bottom of my Cheerios cereal box.)

After the movie, we all went to eat a late dinner at Chili's, which was on the way home. At home, I was still too wired from the movie to go to bed; it was crazy-intense. Flat Jason and I decided to stay up until midnight to catch a replaying of the new Psych that we missed to go to the movie. We made it through House, but we never got to Psych. I guess we weren't as excited as we thought. When I woke up, Psych was half over, so I just shut the TV off and headed to bed.

More bowling!

2008-08-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

Wa-hoo! Flat Jason and I hit the bowling alley with A.J. on Thursday. I sat FJ on a chair at our table, and he proceeded to freak out as many of the members of the party bowling a few lanes away as he could. Good times.

A.J. and I bowled a couple games, and he won both times. Sigh. Am I never going to be a good bowler? I'm trying not to get too down since I haven't been bowling too many times in recent history, and really...how many people are good at bowling? Don't answer that.

I alternated between the 10-pound ball and the 12-pound ball. Apparently, bowling with a heavier ball is supposed to be a good thing. I'm not sure that I could tell a difference, aside from throwing slower. Shrug. My high score of the night: 81.

Maybe my own shoes will do the trick...

Every Sunday

2008-07-27T21:35:00.010-05:00

At the beginning of my VHS of Summer Stock, a 1950s movie musical starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, there is a "tabloid musical" called Every Sunday where Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin try to rustle up a crowd to listen to a concert in the park.

Columbia doesn't have to worry about its citizens being interested in an outdoor concert.

Flat Jason and I went to Shelter Gardens to see the final concert of the season on Sunday. Although it had been rather hot all day, it was comfortable in the shade. There was quite a crowd, but most were in lawn chairs. We were able to lay our sheet right out front. We shared a picnic dinner, complete with sparkling grape juice.

We even shared with a cute curly-haired dog whose person was sitting behind us. The poor thing almost got into a scrap with another dog sitting nearby, but their people held them off.

We stood for the national anthem, and the concert began. They had a lot of fun music, but I think I liked the bits and pieces from Beauty and the Beast best. Flat Jason even perked up near the end when they played a salute to veterans. They asked the service members to stand when their music was played. FJ doesn't like to call attention to himself, so instead of standing, he sat up straight...and then promptly returned to his leisurely reclining.

The band played for an hour, but I think it was over much too quickly. It was a nice way to spend the evening.

Someone in Kosovo hearts me

2008-07-27T17:31:00.003-05:00

We're officially more than 100 days into the deployment, only 42 weeks to go. Jason has been great about calling and e-mailing. He even surprised me with flowers and, most recently, a t-shirt.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. And for hanging out and talking with me. It really means a lot.

Saturday in the park...

2008-07-27T16:20:00.006-05:00

Flat Jason volunteered to be my roady this weekend as I traveled to New London for the sesquicentennial. (That's 150 years.) They had a parade and lots of activities around the courthouse square. We stopped by Extension's booth. They had a smoothie cycle that 4-H'ers were using to make smoothies and encouraging others to make their own. It was right up Jason's alley: a healthy snack and exercise. He was glad he came.

Later, we went to the mall and Hobby Lobby. We also checked out a free event where the farmers market usually is. It was crazy-crowded, so we went to Stephens Lake Park. Our friends, the Lancasters, were enjoying a lovely evening outside. We joined their small party and visited until dark.

Impromptu Bowling

2008-07-27T15:18:00.005-05:00

Flat Jason and I were invited to go bowling with Brian and Kathleen. We went to Town and Country late, around 9 p.m., because games are half price. Good thing to know in case you have some free time on your hands. And talk about cheap fun --the bowling alley gives out these scratchers tickets that have bowling-related prizes on them, and Brian had an extra one for a free shoe rental. Sweet! Anyway, we met their friend Rick, who didn't talk a lot. I probably made up for that.

I was totally inspired by Kathleen's bowling shoes. She bought a pair of amazing purple shoes to wear because they bowl so frequently. (Brian has his own shoes AND ball...that's how much they bowl.) So, I'm looking for a pair of crazy shoes myself.

We couldn't squeeze two games into one hour, but I'm sure you're all super curious how the game turned out. My stellar score was 72. Sigh. I usually get closer to 100, but it takes a game or two to warm up. Oh, well. At least, I wasn't in last place!

After the game, we got some Shake's. (Or is it Shakey's, Brian?)It was a nice evening, so we sat out on the patio enjoying our frozen custard and chatting with a nice family with a young girl who looked like she was wearing as much dessert as she had eaten. Everybody loves Shakes!

At last, an evening with Willie

2008-07-22T22:20:00.007-05:00

Holy cow! I just had the most wonderful evening!

Flat Jason and I met our good friend Sara at Shakespeare's Pizza for dinner. We also purchased a t-shirt, which you can see FJ was excited to model. We enjoyed some cheesy bread and then our pizza.

Then we changed into our concert attire. Sara, our Willie Nelson aficionado, brought t-shirts for Flat Jason and me to wear to the concert. After we were properly outfitted, we headed to Jesse Auditorium.

The concert was amazing! But c'mon, did you expect less? It's Willie Nelson! He played all the old favorites, some new tunes and a surprising number of gospel hymns. I certainly enjoyed them, and I was pleasantly surprised that everyone else did, too. People were dancing in the aisles.

After the concert, we headed outside to get a photo with the tour bus. Check out the sweet shirts Sara let us borrow!

Planting time

2008-07-21T22:17:00.003-05:00

After church, we changed our clothes and headed to Jane's house. She gave us some salad and coffee cake. Then we went outside to plant.

It was pretty warm outside, so Jane decided we were just going to plant her rosebush. She said it's a cabbage rose. Her mother planted it on the farm in Virginia. Jane's sister-in-law, who still lives on the farm, sent her a couple slips of it to plant and grow in her garden. I dug a hole and watered the soil. I wasn't too careful with the hose, and I squirted FJ pretty good. Luckily, it was hot outside; he dried quickly. We planted and staked the rose, and then we went back inside to chat.

I was inspired by Jane's garden project, so when we got home, we went to work on mine behind the duplex. Weed-pulling was the task of the day. It was still terribly hot, so we took several breaks, but we got it done.

A nice visit with Jane and size discrimination at Hollywood Theaters

2008-07-21T20:58:00.008-05:00

Flat Jason and I got up and went to the market again this week. Peaches, blueberries, blackberries, corn-on-the-cob, zucchini and yellow squash. What a bounty! We also picked up some honey ice cream in mocha flavor.

Then, we stopped by to visit with Jane. She seems to be doing well. We visited a bit and ate a wonderful piece of coffee cake that she had made. She mentioned that she had a couple of things that needed to be planted. We volunteered to come back on Sunday afternoon to plant them.

Later that afternoon, we went to see Mamma Mia! at Hollywood. I was super-excited; Flat Jason was less so. We hit the concession stand before the movie. That was where we met Aaron, who was completing his first day of work at Hollywood. He was a nice guy, even posed for a photo with FJ.

However, the guy that was taking tickets was not nice. I didn't get his name, but he informed me that Flat Jason could not accompany me into the theater. When I asked why, he said that FJ was too big. Interesting, I think, because FJ is, in fact, a bit smaller than the real Jason. I told the Meanie that I could put Flat Jason in front of me on the floor, but he still insisted that I couldn't take him in. Instead, Meanie locked FJ in the "office" all by himself. I couldn't believe it, but I didn't want to cause a scene, so I went ahead and watched the movie.

I thought Mamma Mia! was very enjoyable, and to make it up to FJ for getting put in the big-people jail, we stopped by Wal-Mart and bought the movie soundtrack. Then, we went home and had an ABBA dance party. Sweet!

Sometimes it's a God thing...

2008-07-18T00:28:00.007-05:00

I had to make a trip to the mall on Saturday afternoon and I just happened to run into Laura, a fellow married-but-single. We stopped in at the Asain store in the mall. I'm not sure of its name, but it had tons of fun bamboo and Asian decorating items.

We checked out a few other stores. Then Laura suggested we get pedicures. I was up for an adventure! We went to California Nails for some special treatment. I got a deep red color for my polish. Laura got a pink color to match a dress she's wearing to her brother's wedding.

I was pretty excited until I had to take off my shoes and sit in the chair. That's when embarrassment set in. My legs were covered in those darn mosquito bites, and I felt like a leper. But the guy doing my feet didn't say anything.

Afterward, we stopped a few other stores and ate dinner at Sonic. A cold front was moving in, and we finished our meal quickly. I never knew it could be that chilly in July!

The best part was Laura said she had thought about calling me, but she figured I would be busy. I definitely was not, and I was totally glad that we ran into each other. It really brightened up my gloomy evening.

A Day at the Market

2008-07-18T00:14:00.007-05:00

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day...what better to do than to visit the local farmers market? FJ and I gave our empty egg cartons to an egg producer for reuse. We also picked up some blackberries and corn-on-the-cob.

There was quite a selection of produce. Thankfully, I had a limited supply of cash, so I wasn't tempted to be extra produce that might spoil before it got eaten.

I also realized just how ravenous the mosquitoes were at Cooper's Landing. My legs and feet were covered in small red bumps, and they itch like CRAZY!!!

Crooked Jack at Cooper's Landing

2008-07-17T23:48:00.006-05:00

Friday night was a special treat. Flat Jason and I went down to Cooper's Landing to see Crooked Jack. A girl I work with and one of the editors at the Missourian play in the band. They do old-timey, folksy, bluesy kind of music. I like them. We met a few people from work and the Whistance brothers, very fun guys.

We grabbed a beer, an ice cream and a picnic table close to the music. I also ordered some delicious Thai food: ginger, pork, cashews...yummm!
The night was gorgeous. There was a slight breeze and a beautiful sunset. We had a great view of it across the river.

Fireworks and more!

2008-07-17T21:35:00.008-05:00

Happy Independence Day! Flat Jason and I celebrated the 4th of July by pulling some furniture out of storage and hanging out with family in Chillicothe, Mo., including fam visiting from Colorado and Alabama. Fun times and talk about a crowd at the Meneely mansion!

When we arrived, we were introduced to a game called Corn Hole. I'm proud to say that I'm better at Corn Hole than I am at Washers, but that really doesn't take too much. We warmed up with Corn Hole before breaking to eat food prepared by the Chefs Meneely.

Then we waited for nearly 30 minutes as the boys figured out a suitable bracket for our washers competition, complete with team names and a losers' bracket. Lauren and I paired up again with mixed results. The A-Team, as we were named, beat only one team: Art and the Farm. Happily, it was one more than we won last time we played. I think Lauren and I should practice some more...

After the tournament, which the Avengers (Megan and Steve) won, we headed into town to watch the fireworks show. According to those familiar with the usual Chillicothe show, it was not impressive, but I enjoyed the show. Then we went back to the house to watch more fireworks.

And, as requested, I posted a clip of the day's events on Youtube.com:

Lunch with two of my favorite men

2008-07-06T21:11:00.002-05:00

Flat Jason and I occasionally go out for lunch after church on Sundays. Last Sunday, we went out to eat with AJ at McAlister's Deli. I made sure to get their famous sweet tea, even though Jason prefers to skip the sugar. I really like going there. It's always quiet and peaceful and the food is great. It's also pretty cool that they play Christian music.

Discover the Magic of 4-H

2008-07-06T18:46:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to meet cool 4-H'ers. I went to a military family camp at Camp Cloverpoint sponsored by University of Missouri Extension 4-H and Operation: Military Kids. The camp was Harry Potter-themed. The families learned about 4-H, competed in contests, sang songs and did other fun things. Since it was a military camp, I brought FJ along. He got to hang out with some of the counselors: Orin, Kelli Jo and Elliot.

Pet-sitter Extraordinaire

2008-07-06T13:04:00.005-05:00

Flat Jason is pretty dependable. When he says he'll do something, he always follows through. He also doesn't do a lot of traveling, which makes him a great pet-sitter. This summer, he's already helped out a few friends.

At the end of May, we took care of Kodiak Holderieath for a few days while Mandi traveled. We got to play catch and take long walks together. A fun fact about Kodiak: her eyes are two different colors!

Last month, Thor and Chicken Plasse stayed with us for about a week. They weren't as fun to play with as Kodiak, but FJ really enjoyed watching the hermit crabs move the shells around their tank. In fact, he was a little bummed out when he had to give them back to AJ.

Now I'm wondering if I should get Flat Jason his own pet...

Birthday surprise for Erin!

2008-06-22T18:05:00.010-05:00

Erin's birthday was Saturday. She thought that she had planned a small trip to IHOP for her family to celebrate with her before she went to work. Little did she know that she was playing right into a plan that had been hatched nearly a month earlier.

After much consulting with Erin's mom and AJ, it was decided that the party would be at IHOP. Erin's a breakfast girl, which is great because that was about the only time she had to celebrate in her jam-packed weekend. A secret Facebook group was organized, and guests were invited. When Cheyrl came to town, we picked out party hats and a sash for the birthday girl. Tracy came the night before to help make cupcakes and wrap presents.

Then the big day: We had party hats, presents and pancakes! Erin arrived a little earlier than planned, but everything worked out. The people at IHOP were great, especially our waiter Ryan. He got Erin some birthday ice cream while we were waiting for our food to come out...and you know what that means! The IHOP crew crowded around to chant a happy birthday cheer for her.

Erin got a few small presents, including a kitty sticker book and Care Bear disks for her new Viewmaster viewfinder.

Check out the great people and the great food. I'm just so glad that we could get together to celebrate. I'm blessed to have such great friends.

Happy birthday, Erin!

Moving the Merritts...and truck damage

2008-06-22T17:37:00.006-05:00

I have new neighbors! Well, they're actually several blocks away, but they're on the same side of town as me, and I helped them move last weekend.

I'm not sure exactly how much help I was. Aaron and Carolina had packed up and moved a lot of stuff. Plus, Laura was there, and she had been helping all day. I helped unpack a few things, but mostly I just played with Mariana. I think Flat Jason might have helped more than me. I had no idea he was such a great baby-sitter. Mariana had fun pointing out Flat Jason's eyes and nose and mouth. I got a picture of her giving him some kisses.

She really cracked me up when we were playing. She started opening and closing her hands around his chest and arm pits. "Tickle, tickle," she said. And when she got a little cranky, Flat Jason was the only one that could get her to lay down to rest until Mommy and Daddy came home.

Unfortunately, when I returned to my home, I found that someone had hit Jason's truck. It was parked on the side of the road across from our house and had damage to a mirror and the bumper. A Columbia police officer left his card for me to get in touch with him. I assumed it was to get information about the damage or tell me that he'd found out who hit the truck and left. Nope. It's been more than a week, and Officer Michael Hestir has yet to return any of the attempts I've made to contact him. Just another great thing to have to deal with while Jason's gone.

Crossover at the Lake

2008-06-22T17:23:00.004-05:00

The "married but single" girls went to Crossover Christian Music Festival in Camdenton a week or so ago. It had been raining all day, and I was afraid that it would continue into the evening. It cleared off, though, and ended up being a gorgeous evening. We saw Building 429, Barlow Girl and Skillet. Oh! And I tasted some delicious chocolate milk from Heartland Creamery. If you want to order some, just call 1-877-HUG A COW.

Having a ball in Olean

2008-06-09T22:03:00.017-05:00

It was Testicle Festival time in Olean, Mo., on June 7. Mom, Lauren and I took Flat Jason to see the 15th annual event.

The first person we met was Brock Olivo, who is running for U.S. Congress in the 9th District. I believe he wants to take Kenny Hulshof's seat, which Hulshof is vacating as he tosses his hat in the ring for governorship of Missouri. Olivo is super-nice and has a great resume. Check him out and see if you agree with where he stands on the issues.

Our next stop was the ball-battering tent. Eldon FFA members were working hard to keep up with the demand for turkey fries. It's become a tradition for the FFA members to help out the Olean Jaycees.

Some members were relaxing and enjoying the fruits of their labor. They were more than happy to share their turkey fries with me and Flat Jason. Mmm...

We picked up a few other things while we were at the festival: a t-shirt, some spices for dip and a dress. I know what you're thinking: A dress from the Testicle Festival?!?! Yes. This neat lady named Jessie made some clothes herself. The one-of-a-kind pieces reminded me of the clothes I found in Camden Market in London. I ended up finding a black and white gingham halter dress with a black leather waistband. It has a little pink skull on the left side, and Jessie let me pick out some pink hair pieces to wear with it. I'm not sure if I'm hard core enough to wear the hair pieces, but the dress is cute. Her brand is BlackLess and can't be found online yet, but watch for it to come.

Clover Connections for Flat Jason

2008-06-09T21:40:00.006-05:00

When I was in 4-H, State 4-H Congress was always the highlight of the 4-H year and why not? Members from all across the state - different backgrounds, different personalities - came together to meet each other, share ideas and learn. I know I met some very cool kids from extension programs at both the University if Missouri and Lincoln University. And this year, even though I'm not a 4-H member, was no different. Awesome, talented young people doing fun, new, creative things.

I decided that Flat Jason should see some of the coolness. After all, I'd taken him to the Missouri FFA Convention, and I couldn't let him think they cornered the market on youth organizations. Flat Jason joined us for the last day, just in time to hear speaker Grant Baldwin talk to the group about being a difference-maker. I'm not going to detail it with my notes (yes, I took notes!) because I think you should invite him to speak to your group or organization. He's pretty good, even if he didn't balance a ladder on his chin like the guy last year did. LOL

And, of course, Congress wouldn't be complete without the election of the new council. After the results were announced and photos taken, FJ accompanied me to the Key Award reception where he said hello to Derek Brucker, the new president of the Missouri State 4-H Council. And then we ate some cake...

Proud daughter-in-law

2008-05-29T20:29:00.003-05:00

My father-in-law, Tom Shields, is a soldier with the Missouri National Guard. He's serving in Iraq and I'm super-proud of him and what he's doing:

Missouri Guardsmen continue important medical mission in Iraq
By Michelle Key, Missouri National Guard Public Affairs
CAMP BUCCA, Iraq –Nearly halfway through their deployment to Camp Bucca, Iraq, the Soldiers of the Missouri Army National Guard’s 205th Area Support Medical Company have distinguished themselves by providing medical support to both service members and civilians.
The company has been providing medical support at Camp Bucca since
February. Their commander, Maj. Herbert Mosebach, of Benton, said his Soldiers
have been doing an outstanding job.
“I can tell we’re on top of this mission and there is much more to do,” Mosebach said. “Their drive and enthusiasm is always showing.”
Camp Bucca is the largest American-run detainment center in Iraq. The
facility is now undergoing a major renovation and expanding to hold up to 30,000
prisoners, according to an October “Stars and Stripes” article.
Sgt. Jason Bird, Spc. Tessa Bulgier, Pfc. Travis Stahl and Pfc. William Floyd are assigned to the Air Force-run security operation. The security force patrols the area, serves as a quick reaction force, provides security for detainees, and searches for
improvised explosive devices. The Guard medics provide medical support for the
security force and Iraqi civilians.
In addition to their duties, Sgt. Suzanne Sippel, of Union, and 1st Sgt. Thomas Shields, of Lamar, volunteer one day each week at the detainee camp. They hand out clothes, toys, books, snacks and candy to Iraqi civilians at the camp’s visitation center.
“To us, this is a rewarding experience to show the people of Iraq that we care,” Shields said.
Although the Soldiers’ missions keep them busy, they still have some free time. Maj. Ian Fawks, of Moberly, and Capt. Jason Maeder, of Liberty, used that time to compete against 50 other participants in the camp’s half-marathon. Along the course, Guardsmen including Sippel and Staff Sgt. Joshua Hall, of Jefferson City, manned
water stations and medical stops.
“The weather cooperated and it was not too windy or hot until later in the morning,” Fawks said. “It was a fun race and I’m honored to be part of this memorial event.”
Two other Soldiers used their spare time to make work easier for their fellow Guardsmen. Sgt. 1st Class Kelly Robinett, of Wentzville, and Spc. Richard Westmoreland, of Moberly, helped implement a new electronic records system that gives medics quick and easy access to patient records on portable wireless devices. Both Robinett and Westmoreland received sergeant major coins from Sgt. Maj. Garfield Skyers of the 31st Combat Support Hospital.
Mosebach said he is proud of all his Soldiers and reminded them to look out for one another. He added that before long they would be planning their return home in November.
For more information on the 205th Soldiers and how to support these troops, contact Sgt. 1st Class David Huff at (816) 922-5044.

The Boys from Oklahoma rocked my face off!

2008-05-29T01:24:00.007-05:00

Much thanks to my sister for telling me Cross Canadian Ragweed was playing at 9th Street Summerfest. I didn't hear any advertising for it, and I would have missed it for sure had she not have insisted on me getting her a shirt, which I'm wearing in the photo. Love you, Lauren!

Anyway, I decided that Flat Jason would probably enjoy the show, and we invited Mandi H. to come with us. Luckily, she was game for a Wednesday night adventure. We saw a few people we knew and met some we didn't. The band was rockin' so we didn't talk much.

We caught the guys after the show as they headed back to their bus. Thanks to the guys for posing in a photo and for supporting our troops! We even got home in time to catch Mandi's Jason online in Afghanistan. Both our Jasons will be sad they missed it. What a night!

Happy Memorial Day to you

2008-05-26T21:08:00.007-05:00

So, I was pretty bummed that I didn't get to talk to my soldier this Memorial Day. He's busy doing his thing, I know. I got a phone call yesterday letting me know he got to his base ok, which was a big relief. I think this is where this deployment is going to start getting hard for me. Today was the first day in a very long time that I didn't get a phone call, not one. I feel like I'm going to explode. I'm used to telling him everything: what I'm doing, what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling. But I can't tell him, not now. Now, I will have to make due with e-mail and hope that the random calls come often.

Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park

2008-05-26T20:18:00.014-05:00

Ahhh...road trips. They are a hallmark of summer. AJ, Lauren, Flat Jason and I piled into the car for a short road trip to see Tracy and King Richard in St. Louis. We got to the park early to find a good seat. And, after much debating, AJ made the final decision on seating location, and the tarp was laid out. We made friends with Lee Roy, a man sitting in front of us who regaled us with stories of Kentucky, sunsets and the actors in the play.

Before any entertainment began, our small party wandered about, looking at various collectibles and food items for sale. AJ and Flat Jason were very excited to come back with William Shakespeare bobbleheads.

Around 6 p.m., performers began making their way through the crowd doing bits of magic and other tricks. Others gathered on stages to dance or act out a short version of King Richard. We were sitting on our tarp when we met Magic John. AJ and Lauren were his assistants, and we were all amazed by his tricks.

Later, Tracy, AJ and I watched the short play while Lauren and FJ met Yorick, the jester. Lauren said Yorick was pretty funny and was awesome as a fire-eater. The actors did a good job of the short play, too.

Then, as the play got underway, small drops began to fall from the sky, which had been threatening rain for part of the afternoon. A short rain delay was called to allow time for the clouds to blow past. Everyone that had an umbrella opened it. We just pulled one section of our tarp over us and made a tent. We waited hopefully and talked with Lee Roy. It was announced that the play would start in another 10 minutes, and we waited, but alas! It was not meant to be. The show was cancelled.

We gathered our things as quickly as we could (which was not easy for an unrolled, wet tarp) and headed to the car. It was a good thing they called it off. Our trip back was punctuated with close lightning strikes and loud claps of thunder. Not a good time to be outside! We went back to Tracy's and played with Toby, the cat. He seemed to take a liking to Flat Jason. He sniffed at him and then curled up in his lap.

So, we headed home without seeing the play, but we still had fun...and that's the most important part, n'est-ce pas?

The first rose of the season

2008-05-23T18:57:00.005-05:00

A Red, Red Rose
by Robert Burns

O my luve's like a red, red rose.
That's newly sprung in June;
O my luve's like a melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a'the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o'life shall run.

And fare thee weel my only Luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

The Weekend of Leave

2008-05-22T22:57:00.009-05:00

Before I left for work this past Friday, I tore another link off of the chain. Week 53 was done. Only 52 more to go, one year. It seemed like a lot, it is a lot, but time is passing. That's what is important.

After work, I drove to Indiana to see Jason. He had leave this weekend. I knew I would be tired from driving six hours, so I didn't plan on doing much. The weekend was laid-back, easy and quite delightful.

Saturday was shopping day. We went shopping at the outlet mall in Edinburgh. We picked up some clothes at Rue 21 and Ann Taylor Loft, but the best finds were in Le Gourmet Chef. We found this amazing raspberry wasabi dipping mustard (mmm!) and a picnic backpack that was half-price. We also Mapquested a movie theatre and checked out Iron Man.

Sunday was race day...well, not exactly. It was race-qualifying day. It was the last day for racers who wanted to be in the Indy 500. We got to the track in the morning. It was colder than we thought it would be, but we trekked on. Earplugs - check, sunscreen - check, umbrella hat - check. Yeah, you know you're jealous. Ha! We knew we were cool, but we didn't fully appreciate the greatness of the umbrella hats until we heard a loud, excited whisper, "Mommy! Where did they get those hats?!"

As it turns out, Jason and I aren't much for racing. To pass the time, we walked around and observed all the military displays. It was Armed Forces Day. Jason showed off his athleticism by doing 11 (and a half) pull-ups. He beat the Marine that was sitting there. If you get a chance, you should ask him about it...Anyway, we continued to a grassy hill where I joined other children in rolling down one side of it. Then we ate steak at Longhorn.

Monday we went to the zoo. Indianapolis has a neat zoo! We saw a dolphin show inside an ampitheatre, a giant walrus who stood on its tail, and penguins who bray like donkeys. AND I pet a shark! How cool is that?! We also fed the ducks and lemurs my leftover breadstick. Shh! Don't tell the zookeeper! Later we went to see the new Narnia movie...after we stopped for ice cream, of course.

After we checked out Tuesday, we spent the rest of the morning getting lost. Jason Mapquested the directions to a Barnes and Noble so we could pick up a set of the Narnia books. We stayed on one road that changed names three times and discovered that even though the addresses are on the same stretch of road, if there's a change in county, more than likely your numbering system will not make sense. We finally made it after much discussion and silence. Take home message: if you really love us, remember that those navigation systems are great for every gift-giving occasion. Mandie-Mandie does a good job, but she can only do so much!

Surprisingly, the good-bye wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I expected to be crying for at least part of the trip back, but the tears dried soon after I left Camp Atterbury. I travelled all the way back to Missouri with Flat Jason riding shotgun and Real Jason checking in with me to make sure I wasn't getting too sleepy.

Mother's Day

2008-05-22T22:32:00.005-05:00

Flat Jason and I went to my parents house for Mother's Day, but we made sure to call his mom. We had a nice lunch, and Flat Jason helped Lauren make one of his favorite desserts - chocolate trifle. (Long "I," as in rifle.) Then the girls retired to the family room to watch P.S. I love you. FJ didn't come; he avoids chick flicks when he can. John and Dad would have done well to follow his example. They both got tired of it and left the viewing area. Good thing, too. We girls were getting tired of the "I-can't-believe-you're-watching-this" groaning!

After the movie, we went to eat dinner at Grandma Schad's house. We didn't have the normal-sized crowd, but it was good to visit with those who came. Mom even posed for a photo with Flat Jason before we left.

So, happy Mother's Day, Mom and Ann...and Grandma! And, to the new mother, Stefani, of my new nephew, Oliver.

Flowers for our fourth anniversary

2008-05-10T16:11:00.003-05:00