I guess I've been a bit of a slacker this week. I didn't do ANY of the things I said I was going to. Honestly, though, we've been busy. The first few months we were in Monterey, I spent a long time trying to get the kids on a schedule. We tried out story time at the library like we'd been doing in Texas. We tried all kinds of different playgrounds. We just couldn't really come up with a good routine like we'd had previously. Then, based on the recommendation of someone Josh works with, we found the Monterey Moms meetup group. It saved my life. Seriously. Since last November, we've been doing 2, 3, and even sometimes 4 different activities with the group every week. Some weeks, like this week, are pretty busy. But it's so good for B and K to get out and socialize that I wouldn't have it any other way. So on Tuesday, we had a walk along the ocean followed by another meetup where the kids made painted handprint spiders (in honor of Halloween). Wednesday, we had a Halloween party followed by B's class with the Monterey Rec Center. Then this morning, we had our FAO Spouses group monthly potluck and skype session with a lady in Jordan. It was all lots of fun, but this week has been BUSY. Maybe tomorrow I'll actually get around to making all those phone calls.
In the meantime... I'm happy to report that we have plane reservations!! It took many emails back and forth, but we got the flight that we wanted on the airline that we wanted. The only downside (if you can really call it a downside) is that there is no airport hotel where we have our scheduled layover, so if there is a delay of some sort on our connecting flight, we're really just stuck sitting in the airport. We've got a 6 hour layover as it is, so any sort of a delay really pushes us in to that window of "what are we going to do with the kids". Luckily, there is a play area in the airport, as well as plenty of restaurants. And really, this is much better than our other two options of an early morning flight to New York followed by a long leg to Hong Kong, then a connection to Nepal, and on to Dhaka or - my personal favorite - the flight that had a layover in Pakistan. Super! Not that I have anything against Pakistan, but when you're talking about places that you could get stuck for a while, it's just not at the top of my list.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Plane tickets, shots, and other great things
Today, I finally feel like we're making some progress and closing things out. So many of these "tasks" to get ready to go are long term items that it really takes a while to feel like you're moving forward. So today, the finance guy called up the ticketing office and got us a quote on how much we would likely be reimbursed for plane tickets. This quote was almost $2000 per person different than the quote transportation gave us last week, so I can't help but be really REALLY happy that Josh insisted on going to finance to check. Even with the new quote though, we can afford pretty much any flight we're currently looking at. Armed with that information we picked our first choice itinerary from the 4 options that SATO provided and we're hoping to hear back from them tomorrow on how we need to go about paying for them (probably the personal credit card since we've still had no progress in the government travel card office).
Josh and I headed over to the immunization clinic this morning and got our second (and final) dose of Japanese Encephalitis vaccine - so now the whole family is done with shots. Josh also got his DA photo done today - another item off the list, and I stopped by the AAA office to pick up international drivers licenses for both of us. Yay for progress!
On tomorrow's list is scheduling a final well-child checkup for K as well as dentist appointments for both kids so they're in tip-top shape before we leave the area. Sadly, my last dental checkup was not quite 6 months ago, so I won't get another one before we leave the area (is it weird that I really like my dentist here??) but I'm hoping to schedule a cleaning while I'm on leave in VA before we fly.
Josh and I headed over to the immunization clinic this morning and got our second (and final) dose of Japanese Encephalitis vaccine - so now the whole family is done with shots. Josh also got his DA photo done today - another item off the list, and I stopped by the AAA office to pick up international drivers licenses for both of us. Yay for progress!
On tomorrow's list is scheduling a final well-child checkup for K as well as dentist appointments for both kids so they're in tip-top shape before we leave the area. Sadly, my last dental checkup was not quite 6 months ago, so I won't get another one before we leave the area (is it weird that I really like my dentist here??) but I'm hoping to schedule a cleaning while I'm on leave in VA before we fly.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Monterey Fall
Well, we got the information from the Transportation travel section about how much money we can spend on plane tickets, but it seems so exorbitantly high that Josh is rechecking with the finance office to find out if they will use that estimate provided by Transpo to reimburse us, or if they have their own formula. Unfortunately, the finance guy is out of the office until Monday. The good news is that apparently this guy really knows his stuff. It's always nice to run across someone who's honestly really good at their job - and wants to help you out. Just wish there were more of those people around when it came time to PCS...
Based on the numbers we got though, it looks like we've got plenty of options. We can fly east, we can fly west. We can go through Europe, the Pacific, the Middle East... The only real drawback is that no matter where we go, we seem to have long layovers. Nothing totally unmanageable but I'm taking offers if anyone wants to sit with my kids for 6 hours in Abu Dhabi about they just got off a 14 hour flight. Going once, going twice...
Enough on the move though. Apparently our 2 weeks of summer is at an end (summer always comes late in Monterey), and we have now entered fall. While I'm sure I'll miss all this nice, cool weather when we're enduring endless rain and heat next year, part of me really misses having actual seasons. Sun and heat in the summer, snow in the winter, changing leaves in the fall. Is this too much to ask for? Oh, and rain in the spring instead of all winter long :)
Based on the numbers we got though, it looks like we've got plenty of options. We can fly east, we can fly west. We can go through Europe, the Pacific, the Middle East... The only real drawback is that no matter where we go, we seem to have long layovers. Nothing totally unmanageable but I'm taking offers if anyone wants to sit with my kids for 6 hours in Abu Dhabi about they just got off a 14 hour flight. Going once, going twice...
Enough on the move though. Apparently our 2 weeks of summer is at an end (summer always comes late in Monterey), and we have now entered fall. While I'm sure I'll miss all this nice, cool weather when we're enduring endless rain and heat next year, part of me really misses having actual seasons. Sun and heat in the summer, snow in the winter, changing leaves in the fall. Is this too much to ask for? Oh, and rain in the spring instead of all winter long :)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
More time passes
Just a few updates. We requested our transportation dates a while back now, but they have not yet confirmed those dates. The landlord stopped by yesterday to check out some exterior home maintenance and I gave her our whole song and dance about not really knowing exactly when we'd be out of the house. Wish I had a better answer for her at this point, but we've still got plenty of time before we're close to our "30 day notice" window. Josh is going to try to get ahold of Sato travel today so we can talk to them about getting constructive cost of travel estimates for flying from the west coast. This will at least give us a ballpark number for how much we can spend on plane tickets flying from the east coast without having to pay out of pocket. I'm hoping he has good news when he gets home.
And in other news, I'm housebound today. B has been running a fever off and on since Friday night. Friday and Saturday, he was feverish, but then fine on Sunday and most of the day Monday. Then last night, he was running a 102 fever again. Very strange. Of course, it might not have helped too much that we all got our last rabies vaccine on Monday. I'm hoping he starts feeling better soon. Keeping him confined becomes progressively more difficult.
And in other news, I'm housebound today. B has been running a fever off and on since Friday night. Friday and Saturday, he was feverish, but then fine on Sunday and most of the day Monday. Then last night, he was running a 102 fever again. Very strange. Of course, it might not have helped too much that we all got our last rabies vaccine on Monday. I'm hoping he starts feeling better soon. Keeping him confined becomes progressively more difficult.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Pumpkins and Parties
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| Kids in the cornfield |
Later that night, I had the opportunity to attend a Spouse's Dining In hosted by Josh's Battalion. For the past few months, some of the wives in the unit have been planning and fundraising for what turned out to be a great event. Everyone was in costume - our theme was "patriotic" - so I decided to go as a 4th of July firework. We had great food, and the grog wasn't too bad.
On Sunday, we headed down to Asilomar State Beach to enjoy the beautifully warm weather we've been having for the past two weeks. Naturally, the first thing we needed to do was put on jackets. It seems anytime you get within sight of the water, you need to put on a jacket. The second thing K needs to do once she gets within sight of the water is find a way to get absolutely soaked. So she did. It cut our visit a bit short since she actually managed to submerge herself several times and we had failed to bring a complete change of clothes for her, but it was a nice trip. We might to try head back later this week if the weather holds.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Yosemite
One of the real joys of being in the military is getting to see things you otherwise wouldn't. We try to make a point of really exploring the local area as much as we can. With Josh's study schedule for the past year, we really haven't had as much free time on the weekends to do long trips as we would have liked. Now that he has graduated, he still has to study to maintain/improve proficiency, but we don't have to worry as much about tests/quizzes/schedules/etc. About a week ago, we up and decided to try to visit Yosemite National Park for part of our Columbus Day weekend. Most people schedule a trip like this months in advance. Not us. We waited until one week out and then just happened to get reservations at a place in the valley on the night we were looking for.
We had high hopes of leaving "really early" - like 8:00. Since my guys don't normally roll out of bed until around that time, that's pretty early for us. We're not die hard or anything (wake the kids at 2 am in their jammies and hit the road), but we don't like "wasting" the day. As it was, we couldn't actually check in to the hotel until 5:00 pm, so we hoped to arrive around lunchtime. We weren't too far off schedule, and managed to stop for lunch at the last town on the way in to the park. The drive in was beautiful, but I was totally unprepared for the breathtaking views as we entered the valley. Both Josh and I were fortunate enough to visit several national parks when we were growing up and remember them vividly, so while the kids might not really remember this, it was important that we take the opportunity to visit while we're here. We might not get another chance.
The road system in the park took a bit of getting used to. Luckily, we were able to arrive on Friday, so it was not terribly crowded. We stopped in at Bridalveil Falls first to stretch our legs before heading further in to the park to start out trek to Vernal Falls. We parked near Curry Village (not realizing it was still almost a mile to the parking lot we were supposed to park in) and then walked to the trailhead for Vernal Falls. The description for the hike to the lower falls said something about a "mild" 400 foot gain in elevation, but I swear to you, it was rough. The second half of the hike - from the lower falls to the upper falls - was mostly stairs, and honestly, I found this much easier to take. Josh meanwhile felt much more uneasy on the second half as he had the task of corraling the boy and making sure he didn't walk off the edge of the path. The hike was well-time though as we arrived back at the car (taking the bus this time to get back to our parking lot) just in time to head over to the hotel and check in. The room was... well, it was a room. Clearly, you're paying for the view when you stay in the valley. And what a view we had! We could see Yosemite Falls just outside the front of our room. Can't beat that.
We had dinner at the food court by our hotel, had showers and baths for everyone, and then tried our best to sleep. While the shower had nice hot water, the towels were relatively soft, and the sheets were nice and warm, double beds for two fully grown adults (one of them taller than average) just aren't what I call relaxing. I suppose that's the price you pay to stay somewhere that gorgeous...
After breakfast (again at the food court) we walked from our hotel to Yosemite Falls - the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. It was truly awe-inspiring. The kids were totally happy climbing on the rocks - I mean, who really cares about waterfalls when there are cool things like logs, rocks, and dirt. It was a bit brisk in the morning (when we checked the weather on Thursday morning to help decide what to pack, it was only 21 in the valley - BRRR!). Lucky for us, the weather on Saturday was not quite that cold. I think it was probably in the 40s. Once the sun starting hitting things, it warmed up quickly though to the mid 50s - perfect weather for wandering around. We got on the free shuttle bus and took a trip around the valley. The kids were good until we had about 10 minutes left; then they pretty much made everyone miserable.
After the bus ride, we headed back and had some lunch at the food court, then picked up the car and headed up to Glacier Point. I will say it again - the views on the way were incredible. But now for reality. A short while in to the drive, I had to pee. Naturally, a portion of the two-lane road was closed on the way to Glacier Point and so traffic was reduced to one lane requiring everyone to stop and wait for an unspecified amount of time... That's always nice. So we get past that delay and get on to the road heading up to Glacier Point. There was snow on the ground, so we started rethinking the wisdom of taking a 2 mile hike with kids and no boots. Upon arriving at Glacier Point, the traffic has stalled to a standstill, so I get out of the car and head toward the bathroom - only to discover that for all of the people visiting this particular attraction (and there were a lot), there is only 1 single functioning chemical toilet. After waiting in this line for about 20 minutes, I hear tell of another bathroom a short distance away "that has no line". Immediately I am suspicious, but curiosity got the better of me - which was good since B (who was stuck in the car with Josh and K - who was sleeping) had decided in the interim that he really had to pee as well. Luckily, this mythical set of bathrooms did in fact exist and I got B in just in time. Again - gorgeous views at Glacier Point. On the way out, however, all traffic was again stopped because someone had managed to drive all the way to the Glacier Point parking lot and promptly run out of gas. So the tow truck delivering the fuel blocks the road for 15 minutes while he delivers said gas to the stranded motorist. Meanwhile no new guests can come in, and we can't leave. Eventually the flow got moving again and we got out and back on our way home.
I'm not going to lie - the ride home was pretty miserable for all of us. The kids hadn't napped in 2 days, and none of us really slept well, so the kids were loud and we were DONE. After the sun went down, they finally started checking out, and silence reigned supreme. In the words of Tom Chapin - It was a long, long, long, long, long way home. And if you haven't heard the song, you really need to. So, check Yosemite off the list. Now we need to figure out what to do for Veterans Day...
We had high hopes of leaving "really early" - like 8:00. Since my guys don't normally roll out of bed until around that time, that's pretty early for us. We're not die hard or anything (wake the kids at 2 am in their jammies and hit the road), but we don't like "wasting" the day. As it was, we couldn't actually check in to the hotel until 5:00 pm, so we hoped to arrive around lunchtime. We weren't too far off schedule, and managed to stop for lunch at the last town on the way in to the park. The drive in was beautiful, but I was totally unprepared for the breathtaking views as we entered the valley. Both Josh and I were fortunate enough to visit several national parks when we were growing up and remember them vividly, so while the kids might not really remember this, it was important that we take the opportunity to visit while we're here. We might not get another chance.
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| B on our way up to Vernal Falls |
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| The family at Vernal Falls |
After breakfast (again at the food court) we walked from our hotel to Yosemite Falls - the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. It was truly awe-inspiring. The kids were totally happy climbing on the rocks - I mean, who really cares about waterfalls when there are cool things like logs, rocks, and dirt. It was a bit brisk in the morning (when we checked the weather on Thursday morning to help decide what to pack, it was only 21 in the valley - BRRR!). Lucky for us, the weather on Saturday was not quite that cold. I think it was probably in the 40s. Once the sun starting hitting things, it warmed up quickly though to the mid 50s - perfect weather for wandering around. We got on the free shuttle bus and took a trip around the valley. The kids were good until we had about 10 minutes left; then they pretty much made everyone miserable.
After the bus ride, we headed back and had some lunch at the food court, then picked up the car and headed up to Glacier Point. I will say it again - the views on the way were incredible. But now for reality. A short while in to the drive, I had to pee. Naturally, a portion of the two-lane road was closed on the way to Glacier Point and so traffic was reduced to one lane requiring everyone to stop and wait for an unspecified amount of time... That's always nice. So we get past that delay and get on to the road heading up to Glacier Point. There was snow on the ground, so we started rethinking the wisdom of taking a 2 mile hike with kids and no boots. Upon arriving at Glacier Point, the traffic has stalled to a standstill, so I get out of the car and head toward the bathroom - only to discover that for all of the people visiting this particular attraction (and there were a lot), there is only 1 single functioning chemical toilet. After waiting in this line for about 20 minutes, I hear tell of another bathroom a short distance away "that has no line". Immediately I am suspicious, but curiosity got the better of me - which was good since B (who was stuck in the car with Josh and K - who was sleeping) had decided in the interim that he really had to pee as well. Luckily, this mythical set of bathrooms did in fact exist and I got B in just in time. Again - gorgeous views at Glacier Point. On the way out, however, all traffic was again stopped because someone had managed to drive all the way to the Glacier Point parking lot and promptly run out of gas. So the tow truck delivering the fuel blocks the road for 15 minutes while he delivers said gas to the stranded motorist. Meanwhile no new guests can come in, and we can't leave. Eventually the flow got moving again and we got out and back on our way home.
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| View from Glacier Point |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Expectation
How random of a post is this...
I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, but when nothing exciting is happening in the present, I tend to look forward to things I know will happen in the future. This is all fine and wonderful in the confines of my own head, but when the things I'm thinking pop out and show up here, suddenly I've created a "situation". I'm trying my best to get into a good blogging mindset where I use this to share things that have already happened - thus limiting the risk of someone knowing our plans ahead of time.
It seems like a good idea in theory, but now I'm consumed with thoughts of something I'm going to do soon, and I can't say anything about it. Does it make sense to keep a secret from yourself???
I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, but when nothing exciting is happening in the present, I tend to look forward to things I know will happen in the future. This is all fine and wonderful in the confines of my own head, but when the things I'm thinking pop out and show up here, suddenly I've created a "situation". I'm trying my best to get into a good blogging mindset where I use this to share things that have already happened - thus limiting the risk of someone knowing our plans ahead of time.
It seems like a good idea in theory, but now I'm consumed with thoughts of something I'm going to do soon, and I can't say anything about it. Does it make sense to keep a secret from yourself???
Monday, October 3, 2011
Rabies - Take 2
We had a pretty uneventful weekend (which is in most cases good). After some review of the documentation we got from the Transportation office, it appears that while we're authorized a consumables shipment, we might not actually be authorized to ship "food", just other consumable items (laundry detergent, toiletries, etc). I haven't actually bought too many food items yet, so I guess this is a good thing, but I'm waiting to hear back from the CLO to get some sort of official confirmation of this as it's a bit strange.
On that note, I finally got around to shooting out a note to the CLO to let them know (officially) that we're inbound. Up to this point, we've done all of our communication with the embassy through the family we know that's there. I guess you could say I'm cutting the cord. With a few months to go, it's time to make direct contact and start the ball rolling on housing, school, etc.
We looked at dates for scheduling our pack out and realized that we just don't realistically feel like packing everything between Christmas and New Years will happen, so we're considering pushing in to the first week of January (and paying January rent) so we can have a bit more time to sort, organize, pack, and clean. While the cost definitely factors in, having a real Christmas with the kids is important as well, especially with all the other changes coming soon. So we'll open presents and then immediately put all of them into boxes on Monday with the movers. Ideal? No. Liveable? Yes.
Last, but not least, we had our second round of rabies vaccinations today. Keeping an eye on K to see if she has a reaction to this one. The peds clinic has called a few times this week to check up on her after the last one, and we're all kind of hoping it was a one time thing.
On that note, I finally got around to shooting out a note to the CLO to let them know (officially) that we're inbound. Up to this point, we've done all of our communication with the embassy through the family we know that's there. I guess you could say I'm cutting the cord. With a few months to go, it's time to make direct contact and start the ball rolling on housing, school, etc.
We looked at dates for scheduling our pack out and realized that we just don't realistically feel like packing everything between Christmas and New Years will happen, so we're considering pushing in to the first week of January (and paying January rent) so we can have a bit more time to sort, organize, pack, and clean. While the cost definitely factors in, having a real Christmas with the kids is important as well, especially with all the other changes coming soon. So we'll open presents and then immediately put all of them into boxes on Monday with the movers. Ideal? No. Liveable? Yes.
Last, but not least, we had our second round of rabies vaccinations today. Keeping an eye on K to see if she has a reaction to this one. The peds clinic has called a few times this week to check up on her after the last one, and we're all kind of hoping it was a one time thing.
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