Ask and You Shall Receive

Alyssa got the perfect Christmas present this year..A little kitten.  She has been wishing for a cat the longest time and the timing happened to be right as the perfect cat came into our lives.  We welcomed Mittens into the family on December 25th, 2014.  He is 8 weeks old, has gray stripes and white paws. Jason met the sellers from Craigs List at a gas station.  This is a testimony to the fact that things that seem impossible one day, can be made possible.  First, the answer to having a cat is "no."  Then later it became, "wait after the house is done" and now, voila he is here.

Sweet as a Muffin

So far he sleeps a lot, eats a lot and well...goes poop a lot.  But he loves to be around his daddy as each time he wakes up on a pillow, he moves and sits on daddy's lap.  Seems like he's got a sweet personality already.  Alyssa is going to have a great companion now and will grow up with many great memories with Mittens.  Thinking back to my first cat, Tabby, we got her in the late 80s when I was only in 7th or 8th grade.  She lived with us in several different places and last place that was mostly her home was Archdale Rd in Germantown.  She traveled with me to Ottawa, my first post and then went back and lived with brother and mom.  Ultimately she became more of my brother's pet and maybe the fact that she was a female kitten and grew to like my brother.  She ended up having to live with Papa Bear for a few years when we adopted him and the two simply did not get along.  Eventually they did which was nice.  Papa Bear died of cancer which was soo sad for me and my mom.  Few more years later, Tabby got sick and mom also took her to the pound to get euthanasia.  It's never easy to lose a companion.  I miss her and every now and then I would dream about my one and only Tabby.  I'm excited for Alyssa and the journey she will have with Mittens.

Today's Toys VS Yesterday's

Dear Friends:

Today's blog will be short. I am typing on my work iPhone which was Syrie disabled. So I gotta fat finger all my typing to get the spelling right.  My cousin sent me a link  of the toys of yesterday vs today...oh the memories.  I remember them too fondly...here they are.

Pound Puppies - Bo had the Brown one with Long Ears

Cabbage Patch Dolls..Every little girl had to have one.
Came with Adoptable certificates :-)

80s Charm Necklace..I was addicted to this


And of course the toys of today -- My daughter said she wanted a dinosaur that was "trained." I said what does she mean? He moves on its own and is trained.  So I googled dinosaur toy on Amazon and voila..pops one these pictures.  I showed it to  her and she was jumping up and down, so excited!!  "YES, mom that's it...I want that dino!!!"  :-D  Ahhhhh will Santa succumb to her wishes.  Will Santa grant her this?

Another Week has come to a Close

It is the King's Birthday in Thailand and so it is also Father's day.  Long live the King.  Wow, it's a big holiday in Thailand, more so than Christmas.  I remember in 2006 when Jason and I went, we were going to celebrate Christmas in Thailand but on Christmas Day, the spirit was simply not in the air.  We went and had my favorite Thai noodles (Lard Na) in the food court and that day we saw many young students wearing Yellow shirts to celebrate the King's reign.  Hmmm... It was fun nevertheless to be in Thailand.  It was the last time I was there.

Our week officially ended yesterday but Friday we come in to do "projects" and because Washington is still open, we are able to extend our business.  It helps get things moving because we have the day/time difference and we won't hear from them until Monday, which is technically our "Tuesday."
Believe it or not, I'm still not in the right zone and still call Sunday, Monday. I have not been assimilated yet as Captain Picard would say in Star Trek (Resistance is futile..)

Just a short note to wish everyone a happy day, whether it's Father's Day, Birthday, or Happy Friday.  Thank goodness for beautiful weather.

Spoken with my dad's accent - Merry Kiss-Mas!

Thank you, Readers

December 2, 2014

Dear Readers:

I just like to say thank you for following me on my blogs. I know that it takes an extra step to click on this link weekly versus a convenient of my status update on Facebook but it really means a lot to me, that you have followed me, to hear what I have to say.  Now it'll be my turn to hear you..Because I will continue to write for you.

This week I'm blessed to be among friends and to making new ones every day.  I'm blessed for the opportunity that God has given me to learn, to change and to improve.  Changing is not easy, but it is worth the effort if it speaks volumes to people about God's message.  I've had an amazing group of ladies to help; I've made friends with two of them and will continue to share with them by being closer and being in unity.  Yesterday I went to abs clas, and met up with a friend from my training class and we had dinner.  I'm thankful for these friends I can spend time with.

I've started planning my second R & R trip which is just around the corner so that I can spend time with my daughter before the long wait home.  I'm happy to hear that Jason's plan for fixing the home is coming along and that his parents are in FL for a while to be able to visit more frequently..this will help that long stretch before summer rolls around again.

Haven't picked up a book to study for my computer certifications yet, but I am enjoying the bible studies, the tennis, and of course scrap booking!! Money is great but you only live once.  So I'm grateful for the time I have and what I can spend it on :)

Not much else to report..Continue to keep up with this blog, the spirit blog and my Flickr web site. I love updating Flickr because I own a State Blackberry which I absolutely cannot plug onto a computer.  The beauty of Flickr is that I can e-mail it, and it is posted to my web site - DONE.  I will get back to the Facebook medium at some point.  Have a great week!

My pumpkin muffins that I made for last week's class.

 

 

Quiet apartment and starting Christmas celebration

Finally Finding My Niche

November 22, 2014

Been back in Baghdad now for nearly a week.  I can say that I finally found my niche…and I’m happy!  I can finish my remaining stay with strengthening what I have been working on.  I found two bible studies that will continue to strengthen my spirit and build upon my knowledge for the truth.  I am hoping for change within.  I am hoping to work smarter, not harder.  I’m hoping not having to go to the gym, but to eat healthier and do activities throughout my day to get exercise I need..taking the stairs, walking briskly.  Life isn’t about going to the gym all the time but finding a balance and letting go of certain strongholds that can keep me behind.   

With that said, I hope the Lord will continue to keep me focused on life’s priorities.  I tend to get side-tracked by many things that come into my life taking away from the task at hand or what is important in my life.  Though I was not born with the skill, I hope that He will somehow bestow this wisdom upon me.  I hope to learn to filter all that comes into my life and be able to “tune out” the non-important things.  I’ve had many strongholds and as I come to realize that I have them to “keep me safe” I don’t really need them.  All that matters to me now is hopefully living God’s word and showing him to others what Christ is.  I don’t need to verify, I don’t need to keep every single piece of thing that comes into my life.  Love God and love others..How simple is that? Easier said, then done.

I found my niche, I’ve made friends and now… I will hopefully continue to let my new vision of what I’ve seen as truth to set me free from the past.  Have faith, love and trust.  

Please follow me at a new blog I set up on my spiritual journey:  http://bovilla.wordpress.com/

What was Life Like before Dry Erase Boards?

November 14, 2014

 

It has been too long since I have updated my adventures.  Yes, my R & R has come to an end, and a busy one it was.  I realized, even with no 9-5 job, life got busy.  The good news is that I did lose three lbs in the three weeks that I was here.  Lots of sleep and lots of unpacking burns calories…plus, Jason’s cooking J  Yes, boys and girls, eating out (a.k.a non-floating military buffet) can make one gain calories in a cinch. 

Alyssa, Jason and I had a great time catching up.  Although I wouldn’t say it was a staycation in the fact that there was work to be done daily, I can say we spent more quality time together..Probably more than one would have done in a year.  I played catch up with Alyssa, taking her to/from school, volunteering twice in her school and catching up with reading lessons, taking her to ice skating lessons.  Halloween was fun.  Dress-up part was, but the trick-or-treating was rather quiet.  We live in a community that didn’t bring a lot of trick-or-treaters like Fountain Springs.  There, we were normally out of candy by 9  PM.  We had plenty left and enough to fill Alyssa’s b-day piñata.

King and Queen of the House as proclaimed by Alyssa.

Speaking of b-day, I’ve started some early b-day planning, and holiday projects because I am not going to be around for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  We did Christmas photos in early November at JCPenny, I just started some shopping yesterday and gift wrapped them; Alyssa and I did Halloween and Thanksgiving crafts…We did LOTS of projects.  I had planned this before I left Baghdad.  I printed out these templates I got from Pinterest and each day before school, Alyssa had a preprinted note with some animal jokes drawn on the back..Thank you, for my spare time I was able to do all of this.  Pinterest had awesome ideas for projects.  The remainder of the time, we visited Kabooms, Monkey Joes and Game Room, and caught up with friends at the theater.  She really, thoroughly had a great time.

Alyssa made friends with kitty boy, our neighbor's cat

As for Jason and I, we kept busy with house projects.  I helped up-pack more than half of the boxes inside the garage.  I surely hope I made a dent..I think I burnt about 150 calories a day for the first week and a half.  I also spent a quarter of my time interviewing nannies. I come to find that the nanny company charges a minimum or $1,600 referral fee. How crazy is that!! I will have to report my finding to the work-life care manager.  She referred me to an excellent agency that set up interviews, references & background checks, but it was 10x that much more..Wow.  Well, Ms. Bo was never the one for an eye for detail.  Finding nannies through other web site may require additional leg work but I’m sure it would not cost as much as $1,600 (that is military discount quote) too…

Some of our work from Pinterest

 

I did however, make use of good time and that included planning Alyssa’s birthday; she chose her theme and the invitation list, as well as the favors for the goody bags.  I told her that she should also think of games, and so far we have a few that we are recycling from her b-day last year in Swaziland.  One is pin-the-pony although it won’t be a pony this year!  Alyssa and I also got to do a manicure spa via this Groupon.  They were oober late that we ended up not going out to eat for one of our dinners.. But my nails are still pretty and Alyssa got a free manicure, thank you!! That was one way for them to make up for the lateness.  I also got an eyebrow wax and had planned for a shampoo but I’ve learnt my lesson not to use Groupon.  It is far easier to drive 2 min to the local shop for a $30 wash/blow-dry then to save ($60) on a so-called Salon that we have no knowledge about.  I used to love Groupons in the beginning but a truly good deal is few and far in between.

Going back to volunteering at Alyssa’s school…I had a BLAST.  The first week was great, I taught kids about veterans which just happened to be up my alley. Although I am not one myself, I work among them, for them and with them.  Plus, arts & crafts is my thing that day, so that was fun.  The second time I went, Alyssa was in my group and this time we had to learn about architects (career week at the school)!  One thing I did for sure, I made the kids write way too much..heheh.  Alyssa wanted attention from mommy and I had to divide it among 6 kids, all whom were funny, had shining different personalities and were like mini-adults.  They were so smart.  Well two things I learned:  Multi-tasking is for sure not my thing; though I do well with children, I’m not sure a full-time job is suitable.  I could probably do a substitute teacher every now and then, and secondly; I am just not firm enough.  Of course anyone can learn new skills, but you need patience, firmness and the ability to multi-task to be a first grade teacher.  Poor Alyssa..She didn’t think I spent enough time with her but I guess one day she’ll understand that mommy had to be shared.  How can kids make one feel guilty at such a young age.  The gene of pleasing others before family runs strong so not everything comes naturally.

So, a few things I’ve learned about the school system – I still think listening skill should be taught in schools.  Unfortunately reading and writing is still among the top skills taught/learn but even as adults, many do not listen well unless of course they happened to be born with that skill.  The modern-age classroom uses the dry-erase boards and the SMART boards now, which reminds me all of the adult-training facilities I have been in mostly do not even use chalk boards anymore.  Wow, with all these changes it really gets one to think – how did we come so far with learning in today’s world?  Aside from one girl in my group, none of the kids could catch up writing my 7-sentence paragraph about what an architect does, LOL!  Of course, I don’t have the mind of a first-grader either.  Here’s a picture of Alyssa using the electronic SMART board.

Speaking of fun stuff we did, Alyssa finally caught up with some of her crafts that she opened in the household effect shipment that came in..One of those was Dr. Seuss “Book about Me.”  She had to fill in the blanks with all of the thing about herself, her neighbor and of course community helpers.  Momma was determined to help her get those signatures..The two momma helped her get was the grocery store checker at Publix and our mailman.  Funny story was we spent nearly 1.5 hours outside one day playing with the outdoor cat while waiting for the mailman to arrive.  In the book it says most children’ won’t get the signatures but I assure you, Alyssa will get a signature from everyone including the tall man (one over 6’3” and one with a beard).  I told her, Alyssa go to the basketball courts..You’re bound to find someone tall there (bad momma).  Also, man with a beard, our friendly neighbor told us her boyfriend grew a beard so he wouldn’t look young, I told her that she could get his autograph… Well, she will end up getting a signature from Santa probably for the man with a beard as daddy suggested.  Subtle but smart… Yeah if it were mommy, I probably would have approached the man with a beard from the grocery mart or the man who * had both* at the airport. He probably would have felt like a freak but nevertheless…..the oh-so-subtle blackberry.

 

Well, this is getting long and my fingers are tired from typing but at least I’m closer to reaching my destination.  Man, where IS Texas?  I’ve seen nothing but water the last hour and some minutes.  Maybe it’s Texas, Paris??!!  Anyhoo… catch up more later.  This will probably be posted when I get to Amman.

November 15, 2014

It turns out that momma was on the starboard side of the ship so I got the lovely ocean view.  Arrived safe and sound in Texas.  Now, in Frankfurt on the way to Amman.  I had two minutes before boarding that I didn’t have time to post my blog.  They had free wifi internet at the airport..Imagine, not too many places have free anything.  I’m looking forward to getting to Amman where I can enjoy a cup of Starbucks Oreos frappucino.  I forgot to weigh my carry-on and one thing I forgot to pack was snacks.  Getting used to 3-4 hours in between meals will be hard.  Good news is *weight loss* hopefully. 

 

A First for Everything

October 26, 2014

Today is Lisa's birthday!  Lisa if you're reading, happy birthday!!  Well, as I travel on my first day back home, I'm glad to say so far the trip has been fine.  I decided to stay at the Four Seasons hotel, Amman being that I have over twelve hours to kill before my next flight to the States.  It is a nice hotel both visually and the service has been great.  The staff bought my luggage within 5 minutes of my arrival in the room, check-in was painless.  I tipped him one dinar and for that, he gave me an orientation of the room.  How to control the temperature, the TV and even locking the hotel door (who would knew to turn the knob UP?).  Yes, this is the first time I got a briefing on room operations ever, in any hotel I've stayed at.  So for that, I give it a thumbs up.  I went down to the concierge and asked for a map and he provided me one.  He pointed me great directions on how to get to the circle/burger king joint.  I saw Popeye and my eyes grew big but oh well, the door was locked.  Guess their hours of operation weren't accurate but the giveaway was no one was inside.  Ended up at good old burger kind with chicken tenders..Well, their version of chicken tenders compares to that of nuggets for kiddies at the old Busy Bees play center that used to be open in Cooper City. 

I got to play tourist for the day..Got to go shopping, take pictures and walk downtown.  I initially wore shorts, not even thinking of  where I am at!  I'm in a country where most of the women cover themselves from head to toe, including the head.  Well, not everyone so here I am in short shorts and before I left the mall, I bought me a decent pair of stretchy jeans for 10 dinars (15 US). On the way back, I was ensured a safety retreat blending in with my environment a little more.  No more clicks and weird noises from the street :) Funny, safety first!

Well, my flight leaves, uuhhh 4 AM in the morning. This will be a great start to my jetlag.  Be sure to check pictures on my Flickr site as I will post more pictures taken from the BB.  Here's what I got on my surface... room and view of the city.  Oh, the souvenir shop, I got a genie, some jewelry that will go nice with my genie costume (one day) as this Halloween I'm an angel!  Finally, I got some flexi magnets.  Can't come home empty handed.  Alyssa can give to her teachers and so forth.  I also got a Petra keychain as a bonus..The guy was nice and gave me his business card.  Next time I'm going to buy the plush camel.  I don't think I want to exceed my allowance.  I only  had 1.2 lbs left on my carry on. 



Well time to get some rest and relaxation in.  Going to need it for two more flights (3 more) before I get home. 

4:30 PM

Well room service was impressive.  Alyssa and Jason can tell you as they were Skyping with me when he arrived with a trolley and salad and my sandwich. Yum..I finished all the sandwich fingers :) A lot better than the chicken fingers earlier LOL.  The difference between 3 dinars and 10 dinars hehehe.  The pool is beautiful but there were all men inside of it.  Hmmm, maybe next time.  The SPA is beautiful.  The sauna was nice and hotel and I definitely need to get a aroma massage next time..No deep tissue, thank you for much!!! 

Speaking of first, I like to recall my first time in a cab, where the guy stops by the gas station and asks me to pay for gas.  So I said, "Sure I didn't know I had to pay for gas.". Then I asked him how much to hotel and he told me 22 please and tip.  So not bad..He didn't rip me off that bad because the expected cost in dinars is 35 Jordanian Dinar which comes to about 49.59.  The actual cost according to the hotel is 28 Dinar so I'm going to use the hotel.  They are able to wrap me a breakfast box to-go at 1:30, excellente!  So far I'm loving it..Once you go to a 5-star hotel you can't go back :))

Some tidbits I thought I'd learned more about the middle east especially when I got some awesome souvenirs from the mall.  I got a Genie lamp, some magnets of Petra (the site from Indiana Jones 3) and some jewelry for my next Arabian costume :). I love dressing up.  Well did you know the hat in the last scene was actually what Robin Williams wore?  And who knew Jafar (the evil character was inspired by a villain in an Iraqi movie -- he sure looks like Jafar!  Finally, I see no resemblance between Aladdin and Tom Cruise though they say he based looks on it.. Hmmm..And Jasmine was indeed an Iraqi princess.  Interesting.

 



Last but not least, I learned that there are camel racing.  Wow, those things can run fast! I watched it on TV.  They have 100 channels here..Amazing how much I can learn from the comfort of my room!!

See you on the other side!!  :-)

A Real Upside Down Cake

Brought to you by  Bo V

 

What was life like before youtbue.com?  Having only one week to plan a dessert project for this weekend’s cookout I decided to save myself a mess and watch you tube.  Eh, voila, I got myself a nearly perfect upside down angel cake.  How I do it..Just google, “How to use a tube pan” or how to make angel food cake etc. etc. Check it out.

 

I am nearly packed but with my tons of lists, I know I’m bound to forget something.  After that lost-luggage incident (which by the way I got reimbursed 450 in vouchers from AA just last week when I asked), I have learned that you know what..I can do with a lot LESS.  So I definitely will not be a pack-rat, LOL.  No need for 10 pairs of underwear and 6 pairs of socks in every shade of the rainbow. 

Started preparing Alyssa’s Xmas list but from the sounds of it, she doesn’t even want to have many gifts.  It’s like, she says she wants to prepare gifts for Santa  J How sweet.  I guess she realize how loving Santa is and how he generously gives and gives ;)  Well, gifts *is* one of the known 5 love languages spoken across all cultures. 

Last week got my hair straightened.  LOL my spa lady nearly burnt my scalp a few times, but she did good.  My hair is sooo smooth and straight. I wish I woke every day and it was like that.  Unfortunately, best I can do myself is a 20 min decent hair dry.  She sections my hair into at least 30 sections, blow drying about 1” strand each time.  Yes, 1 hour well spent J  And it shows in the end result.  Sorry no pic this time! 

Well time to get some shut-eye.  I said I was going to start my delayed sleeping but I didn’t think it would be THAT late…Chores and baking did take a bit of time tonight.  ~

My Extra Time

Study Time, Reading Time, Scrapbooking Time, Zumba Time

 

 With so much quiet time to myself, for the first time, my personal inbox is empty – zero!  Everything has filed, either in archived folders or for later – to go through if I ever had the time!  Nice huh?  On the other hand, my inbox at work will never be empty, as I continue to have a 9-5 job hehehe.  I got a bike to ride to and from compound so I had a nice bike ride over the weekend.  After skipping several cafeteria meals,I lost 7 lbs already in three weeks.  If it costs $3 for frozen food, it’s worth it more than a dish of lasagna, fried chicken and what have you at the buffet.  Man, some people are so skinny and can eat all they want and not gain a lb.  I got the Ngernwichit fat “gene.” Sorry to say but I am what I eat.  So for exercise, I’m doing abs class M W F, Hiits (High Intensity) workouts, Zumba for cardio, or the T25 insanity DVD at home when I don’t have time to go to the gym.  Some of us aren’t born lucky and before Alyssa was born, time was what I had to keep the weight off.  Now I have to work more on the diet for the next ten years which is my super weak area.

I am still not sleeping well but at least I’m getting photo updates from Jason on Alyssa which always brings me a smile. I know he’s bad with e-mail but he knows what I like!!! Seeing Alyssa having fun gives me a peace of mind.  This is a catchup time for him and her for the year.  After all, the first five years of her life, momma Bo spent her time taking Alyssa to all these b-day parties and playdates.  Go to my villatravels.smugmug.com site and you will see the most populated folder or gallery is the playdates.  Now it’s time to reconnect with the three of us.  I don’t regret joining the playgroups, or paper crafting. I made great friends I never would have otherwise. 

The bottom is that Alyssa is a good girl, she’s secure, she’s resilient and she’s going to be OK.  And I hope that she will grow up to be a responsible adult and start a generation of healthy Villas or whoever if she decides to adopt another name for her future family. 
I’ve started to play around with voice recognition.  I figured I want to get rid of this keyboard thingy that I drag about with my Surface Tablet.  Alyssa finds it a nuisance and she won’t be a keyboard girl because she is born into the world where typing may no longer be needed.  Well, here are some of my productivity results.

 

I’m making going to the spa a weekly thing now; which was a luxury back home in Florida.  Making time for myself really is important…Now if I can just get those extra hours of shut-eye. I think it has a combination of factors and I realize, that I am actually grieving over my mother’s death.  A lot of guilt and unfulfilled wishes and never know if she heard me during those days in the hospital. I just have to trust and believe that she did.

Lately, I’ve been listening/and watching Mr. Russell Peters (Canadian Comedian).  I bought the audio CD, Outsourced and he’s been keeping me laugh so hard it hurts my stomach.  Man that guy knows how to make those various Asian accents.  My favorite one – Chinese people talk like their chopping veggies… Check it out here on You Tube - "Different Types of Asians": it’s in the last minute of the 6-min video clip:  “Don’t say nothing beck!”  What??!!!  “Back!” :-D 

October 12 – Columbus Holiday

Well today was well spent.  I got my mani-pedi done. Actually I did my own nails b/c wasn’t going to risk Spa lady cutting of my cuticles again!  She did do a great job on the feet here. 
I tried to do some distance training..Not going to happen with phones ringing off the hook. Hello, did someone forget it’s a US holiday?  Columbus Day which is incidentally, Canadian’s Thanksgiving day.  So Happy holidays to both US and Canadians alike!

Definitely my highlight of the day was Skyping with Alyssa.  She showed me her costume for Halloween..She is going to be a devil.  What a gal…She will be great at it too…b/c she can be a naughty little girl, “ooohhh that little devil” J. 

 

Nothing else to report.  Besides getting more time for exercise, dieting, watching movies on my DVD I am doing fine.  Finding groups who share interests are finally happening and then I’ll be back home for a decent rest and recuperation.  Good night.

 My Beautiful Accomplishment - Mani/Pedi! :)

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

I love getting extra money so my family can enjoy life a bit more and I can save for Alyssa's college fund.  Speaking of that, I keep having to remind myself even though Birthday planning is more up that alley than college fund planning :-)

OK, so let's start with my favorite thing - Chatting with hubby and Alyss-suh!  She calls me "ma maaaa.". And oh daddy hates this but what the heck... "Da. waaaa.". LOL, only Nana and daddy knows it.  He hates being called that, he told her you're not two years old.  She's so cute and funny she makes  me laugh.  Oh the things kids do and say.  Did I tell you the other day she was on the phone with me and she gave the phone to daddy.  Then after I talked with Jason, I hung up.  She called me right back.. "Mommy I called to say "bye bye.". I said OK, sorry honey I forgot to say bye to you after I talked with daddy.  Then I start going on a tangent and ask her, "Alyssa what do you want for Christmas" she goes, "Mommy I only called to say "bye, bye." Uh huh... being smart with me huh?

Chatting on Line app IS one of my favorite things.  But you can see that my fave thing(s) is Jason (a.k.a. Alyssa) :-)
 

My next favorite thing:  Scrapbooking.  Two days in a row, I actually had time to get to this after 8 months of no time in Swaziland.  I guess that's one thing great with the extra time.  I don't fret too much about the embellishments anymore or the perfect layout.  Who has time for everything?  Speaking of time, did you know that if you spent ea minute looking at all the art work in the Louvre museum it would take years as well?  Yup.  Interesting.  

Dance -- It's such a great way to express my innermost emotions and at the same time, I'm getting exercise.  I like to express myself in a physical way.  Growing up I had celebrity idols:  Cindy Crawford, Oksana the figure skater, and Jennifer Aniston.  I wanted to have the same qualities and Oksana was a beautiful ballerina on ice.  Jennifer Aniston was a great actor with lovely toned arms.

Well, since you got this far in my blog, you might as well know that my interests has changed. I still am the same person but I am become wiser (least I hope).  It's my last year in my thirties... next June the big 40 hits.  I've become spiritually stronger, I am still human but I believe we all have the power to change and develop skills.  

Another one of my favorite things - Skyping with Alyssa

Yesterday I went to the local beauty salon to get a massage..I thought I deserved it.  It turned out the spa lady was..uh, what do you say, a little "rough." I said that hurts but I don't know if she understood but she kept on going harder..Today I couldn't exercise because my back hurt.  Hmm..she cut my cuticles until it bled and now back muscles hurt :(. Not sure I would say it's a good muscle sore from a workout! We'll see how they feel tomorrow.

Done rambling.  Thanks for reading!!  Namaste

Planning for my Vacation :)

September 27

Well it's a Saturday and exactly a month before I venture back to see fam <3.  I'm so excited, no details yet but just brainstorming.  I'm planning my weekends here in Baghdad so I can look forward to fun activities while making the time pass by sooner :-)  I'm going to try the new Flip Jack that Kristi my friend bought me from the Facebook "pay it forward" or some similar thing where you participate and your friends send you a "surprise."  At least here they have a kitchen so good! I just watched a YouTube Video and didn't seem bad.  Let's look at the results of how I did:


Start out by cooking on one side 'til it bubbles.

Then flip over.  The second one was a lot better. First one I had to cook longer

First One  is on top.
Second one was a trial.

All and all it's great for making picture perfect pancakes. Accordingly I used this to make grilled cheese the other day. It cooks longer than the foreman grill for making hot sandwiches but can't complain! Supposed you can do eggs over easy too.

October 4, 2014

It's been a week  since I drafted my blog and haven't posted.  Next week we have a local holiday all week which means my week will go by so fast!!  Excited about that to get some home projects done..and plan for my vacation.  My top three to do with Jason and Alyssa is to go to the SPCA and get a cat together..If Mr. Jason is willing :)  Next, we will take some pictures for our Christmas cards. Maybe one weekend we'll go to Orlando and swim with the sting wrays although I'm thinking maybe the weather is too cool now.  So, my readers, what else do you suggest? ;-)  I think I'm going to get Alyssa a bike and teacher her to ride and the three of us can ride somewhere.. But of course traditionally the three of us like ice skating.

As of life at work, it's going.  I've ran into some issues at work, which I'm proud to say, I've dealt with assertively.  I won't let people tell me what to do, I'm setting my own priorities and not letting others (other than my boss of course) set them for me.  I've started Zumba, I hope to get more interest in.  I love dancing and I just hope to pass on this passion to get more people into fitness. I like training, I like helping people.  Work is work, but my passion is making a difference and maybe making things for the better.  My niche... Strengthening my soul as well as my temple (body).  My room has a corner for all my needs.. Devotion time by the bed, coffee table for scrapbooking, make up corner and DVD/exercise area.  I guess that is my niche for now :)

See you next week.

Camp Cupcake

 September 25, 2014

 With so much quiet time to myself, for the first time, my personal inbox is empty – zero!  Everything has filed, either in archived folders or for later – to go through if I ever had the time!  Nice huh?  On the other hand, my inbox at work will never be empty, as I continue to have a 9-5 job hehehe.  I got a bike to ride to and from compound so, I had a nice bike ride over the weekend.  After skipping several cafeteria meals, I lost 7 lbs already in nearly two weeks.  If it costs $3 for frozen food, it’s worth it more than a dish of lasagna, fried chicken and what have you at the buffet in the cafeteria.  Man, some people are so skinny and can eat all they want and not gain a lb.  I got the Ngernwichit fat “gene” LOL!  Sorry to say but I am what I eat.  So for exercise, I’m planning for tennis (when the courts open again), abs class, Hiits worksout, cross fit, Zumba, T25 and all you can think of.  Some of us aren’t born lucky.

I am still not sleeping well but at least I’m getting photo updates from Jason on Alyssa which always brings me a smile. I know he’s bad with e-mail but he knows what I like!!! Seeing Alyssa having fun gives me a peace of mind.  This is a catch-up time for him and her for the year.  After all, the first five years of her life, Momma Bo spent her time taking Alyssa to all these b-day parties and playdates.  Go to my smugmug site (thevillatravels.smugmug.com) and you will see the most populated folder or gallery is the playdates.  Man, don’t I just have my priorities straight do I?!?!

The bottom line is that Alyssa is a good girl, she’s secure, she’s resilient and she’s going to be OK.  And I hope that she will grow up to be a responsible adult and start a generation of healthy Villas or whoever if she decides to adopt another name for her future family. 

So you might wonder why I labeled my blog “camp cupcake.”  Yes, they call this in comparison to Basrah because I definitely see more greenery and shrubs. You got it more here. I have yet to get a taste of the people’s personality but at least I feel somewhat not so much in a prison!! LOL the MGT Officer at the last place told me, “I’m letting you go on parole” as he turned to the mailroom DPO lady and said you got to stay a bit longer, hehehe.  But I really didn’t feel Basrah a prison, because the people were nice, the food was GOOD and I had a group of friends that we exercise nearly every day with.  They were my friends.  It’s just that it’s out in the middle of no where (desert) and you don’t see any trees, mostly it’s hot with lots of gravel everywhere.  Well for now, I don’t need to look no further for a friend, other than my roommate.  She is sweet, concerning and we communicated a lot.  I might start a bible study b/c doing it alone, I fall asleep, LOL!!! I have these bible books with exercises, it’s still not the same as fellowship.

Here is a picture of my new cross-fit workout?  Rough huh?

Well, counting the days still..This is still one of my favorite pictures of Jason and I, when we were in Paris 2004.  We met in December of 2003 at a Montreal trip my friend Joy decided to set up so I went.  We clicked when we met face to face and had personal interaction.  So if E-mail between us was poor then..what tells me it will be good now? :-)  We were always better in person and so we must keep it that way.

Have a great week! :)

Week Two at Baghdad

September 18, 2014

I am still finding my way around here; haven't found a niche yet other than a great abs class. I know the teacher because she works in my section and I met her at the Amman airport but still, no friends to hang out with.  My roommate is great, kind and doesn't mind helping with chores or sharing of foods.  We both work well together...but we haven't worked our way to best buddies yet.  But we vent to each other, so that's a start.  I told her about my frustration and she said something that made me smile...that's what matters :-)

Tomorrow is "Hail and Farewell" party.  It's for 3-4 going away including Senior Foreign Service IMO (similar to the head manage of a huge IT Specialist team) as he and his wife are retiring and for the newbies - me, another IMSer and some Techs.  It will be fun.  I made cakeballs but due to the fact that I haven't made them in a long while, they were too big and the candy melt is tooo thick. Oh well..At least I did it and I took my time doing it over the course of three days. 

Today, I was helping one of the offices out with a trouble ticket and when I asked him to lock the computer and log on again after changing his password he tells, "Wow you have no faith." :-)  That got me thinking..I can be a doubting Thomas.  Well benefit of the doubt, most users are technically challenged and often forget their passwords.  I was thinking that and he works in a security related area where he has to know these things.  #1 - know my audience.  #2 - Have faith.  OK while we are on the topic of faith, I feel that in this world, we have to appreciate things and believe there are good people out there.  I was at the commissary shop and they don't use coins, instead they give you these cute things that look like a round game board piece that my daughter would love.  Well, I was short 25 cents and the guy behind me says, here I have some.  Now that is what I call, an angel.  Friends, there are angels walking among us all the time..ready to open the door, ready to help when in need, just there *at* the right moment.  So "Bo have faith.  Angels are here."

Got settled in here are some pictures of my home.  Not quite homey yet but need to do some reorganizing to meet my lifestyle.  Where is my Jason when I need him :)  He is great and practical at organization.  His simplicity was inherited and he doesn't keep much.  The less you have, the less you gotta buy crap to organize it.  I think he dumped a lot of my stuff that I don't remember I own. Initially I was mad, but I guess memories can't take with you to the grave.  Pictures and photographs are for the living. 

I still think about my mom and how she had a caring heart but she never learned to let go of *anything.* It's a common trait or just a skill never taught.  No one is and will ever be alike as I said before in a blog, and people who have more in common have the best tendency to get along in the long term.  It's sad but opposites attract is a myth.

Anyway some photos of my quarters.  Definitely comfortable and nicer than the Basrah ones.  I have a couch, coffee table a TV and DVD player.  Also an Armoire.

September 20, 2014

Well the farewell party was a success and everyone raved at my cakeballs.  Well, if there's one dish I can actually..I try to practice every month, I try so I won't forget all the tips/tricks.  The Boss made a good speech and so did the Host/MC.  The food was great and I had a great time getting to know all the people in the different IT sections.  These get-togethers should definitely happen more.

Well counting the days until I get my vacation and see Jason and Alyssa.  She is getting smarter by the day, I'm glad daddy's taking good care of her and replacing my duties with taking her to game rooms and water parks.

'Til Next Time!

Destruction, tigers and bears, oh my!

Typhoon 

To see a typhoon in your dream indicates sudden unexpected changes occurring in your life. You may be experiencing some destructive and powerful emotions.

To dream that you are swept up in a typhoon suggests that both your mental and emotional forces are building up inside and making themselves known. You are being consumed by your emotions. Alternatively, the dream indicates that you are being pressured and pushed against your will toward something you do not want to do

Sometimes I like to start my blog with some morning thoughts.  I had both a typhoon and a lion in my dream, in one night.  So the www.dreammoods.com says to see a lion attacking you means you have some force is driving me to self-destruction.  On the other hand, though he did find me, he didn't harm me and I was able to run away and close the door in time.  So, the other part of the dream interpretation of seeing a lion is, "To see a lion in your dream symbolizes great strength, courage, aggression and power. You will overcome some of your emotional difficulties."

The dream about the Typhoon part..Well I woke up hearing noises so I go downstairs. I'm actually *in* Thailand with the relatives whom I am staying at, says that oh it's just a typhoon as I hear noises.  Oh??? Well I go back to my room where there is no windows (on top of the roof) b/c of the tropical weather, so essentially nothing is protecting me.  So "destructive emotions" it is :-)  Nuff said.

I'm happy a new week is beginning; I went to non-denominational service last night and the pastor said God loved David even though he sinned. Though he forgave him, David suffered consequences of losing 4 sons because he sinned.  I know there are certain things I need to overcome to become more spiritual. So I will continue to pray for that. Those reading, pray to the holy spirit...Christians or atheists, you know you pray because you see that prayer helps, nevertheless :-)  

I came to this post with little direction but I think I've accomplished more than I hoped. People who I run into seem friendly with smiles and want to know me.  Just as they are getting used to my faces, it's time to meet new territories.  I know at least I help the Zumba group get started.  Maybe I've given some good ideas to the contractor working in our section.  At the end of the day, if I helped someone in someway, I think I've done my job.

I skipped the cafeteria yesterday and had nutella sandwich and mandarin orange for dinner.  Quite the "cook" I am, eh?  Well, I figured with exercising 5 days a week, I should at least make an attempt to do better on my diet which is the important part.  

I started T25 CD, I heard about it from Cathy.  She said it's short and sweet and yes..the short part is great.  Sweet..yeah I guess so. I need better sneakers with all that jumping in the video my sole/arch of my feet hurts.  But I recruited a workout buddy so I'm on!!!  I figure life will never be done with what you "want to do." Someone else will finish it for you. Things will never be finished.  So you reached your goal and lost 20 lbs..guess what it's not done.  You need to maintain it so it's actually ongoing and you stay 120 lbs.  I think most things in life are ongoing and that's just what it is.  Achievement is good but the important part of the last healthy last habit is "sharpen the saw."

See you on the other side! :-)

September 12, 2014

Been in Baghdad now for a few days.  Settling in and getting back into the routine.  I gain 9 pounds it's not even funny.  I don't think I've ever weighed this much in my life.  The stress of mom, being away from Jason and Alyssa and not sleeping well as taken it's toll.  On the other hand, I am staying active, doing bible studies and exercising.  I just came back from a great ABS workout.  I think I will feel it tomorrow.  All my orders from Amazon came already..Kick Mbabane's butt with 2 weeks waiting.  Guess it all depends I maybe, but DPO are generally better.  Time to get back to the room and finish my laundry.

Laundry near dry and I'm thinking of sharing some of my last few thoughts..Dinner with bosses, a funny guy following me around to be my friend (hmm) and my sweet roommate.  She is nice and I'm glad we are together.  Hope things go well and we develop a great friendship. I think being honest and straightforward and communicative is best.  Grandpa always thought honesty is best policy, though not always the most diplomatic :-)

Here are some of my goodies I got.  

Gots-ta to go soon!

My Final TDY Week Woo Hoo!

 

 September 3, 2014

Mom's Birthday, she would have been 65. Well those Medicare cards are now in effect but what good are they?? I always thought in my mind that she would not make it to Medicare age just because she had so many health problems. Almost to the finish line but it was her time..
I have been hooked into Line. 

 

For those of you who do not know, it’s an app created by a Japanese company where you can text, post emojis and stickers..Love it!  This is my favorite one! J

 

Well besides keeping in touch with friends and families, I know most of you have known I froze my FB account..Nothing’s lost, just frozen J  Then I google my name and find, low and behold, my blog is searchable. Oh well who gives. No one reads it anyway, LOL ‘cause it’s too long. J  Maybe one day you’ll check my poem book if I ever start one.  I’ve been busy organizing my photos and putting them on Smug Mug – some are private, some are public without a link and some you can view it here http://thevillatravels.smugmug.com

It’s pictures within the last three years mostly.  I like the fact that it’s more organized than FlickR and I use FlickR more for recent photos, kinda’ like Facebook.  Lately though I’ve just been throwing random pictures on there.  Follow me on Flickr!  Ask for my handle, and I’ll send it your way.  I know those who are my faithful ones have already bookmarked it J

So I was playing with the gadgets on Windows 7 Desktop and now I can know the time difference without having to buy an expensive dual clock (uh-oh..to late daddy!! ;-)  Amazon has everything one can think of.

Today’s Weather.  Interesting DC and FL are just about the same. 
 

 

 I think Canada has it worse at 55 degrees. Brrrrrrr

 
Back to work lfie: Well it’s a bit stressful.  The boss I temporarily replaced wants us to work overtime every day.  I’m there 50 hours a week, plus this passed Labor Day holiday I had to come in for one thing.  One that door sign says, "Open" forget about it.. Rrrrrr!!   It’s been crazy three weeks here at work running the shop, opening doors/calls for all kinds of requests, and on top of that, we have a Satellite team install *and* an inventory due with no inventory staff on board.  This is going to be fun.  I know now..I don’t LIKE small posts.  Just give me one specialty, I am not a jack of all trades, nor am I a juggler.  Can’t wait to go to Baghdad where I will be a small fish, worker bee whatever you want to call it. I guess this extra money I’m making now will be for the new kitchen pantry and new bathrub spa in Alyssa’s room.

Well, time to get the laundry!