and the rest of the weekend
After several weeks of practically being a hermit, suddenly I had the opportunity to go out Friday night. Actually, I was offered two choices, both of which I really wanted to participate in. One was a ladies night at the church I've been attending. SPC Nbs and I started going there just before he left, but there haven't been many chances to really get to know some of the other ladies there yet. I thought it would be pretty fun, playing board games and stuff, all in all a pretty calm but enjoyable evening. However, earlier in the week I'd gotten an email from one of the ladies in the Family Readiness Group for Nbs' unit, saying she really wanted to go out, and thought it was about time that we had an adult night out. She suggested dinner and a concert at a local casino. I'd never been to a casino, but I hadn't had many opportunities to bond with this group of women either, since I am the ONLY one of the wives without children who has stayed in the area and actually participates in anything. There might be others, but they have family that live near here and ignore the rest of us. I was torn because I really wanted to bond with both groups of women, but in the end I decided that I wouldn't have nearly as many opportunities to hang out with the other Army wives without their kids. So, off to the casino for me......
Well, actually, my day started much earlier with a couple of hours at the gym--walking on the treadmill and going around the circuit during the weight training class I've been going to. Then after lunch, I decided to take myself to the movies. I went to see The Ex with Zach Braff and Amanda Peet. It was hilarious. Then it was time to meet up with a friend and drive over to the casino for dinner. It was a pretty expensive buffet, mostly because of the seafood I guess, but I don't eat seafood of any kind. So, I had salad and piled my plate high with tenderloin and prime rib. Other than the salad, most of the food stayed on the plate, although I did have about 2/3 of a piece of vanilla cake with choclate mousse filling. I've learned over the course of the last 7 weeks on this diet and exercise program to control my portion size when I'm actually eating, but not when I'm putting it on the plate yet. Oh well. I was down 19.5 pounds as of Friday morning, so things are going pretty well.
After dinner we headed into the bar to listen to Jonathan Harris, the country singer performing that night. Pretty darn good. And cute, too. He did alot of covers and some of his own songs too. The five of us who stayed for the concert sat towards the back and tried to chat through the noise. I was the only one not drinking. Not because I have something against alcohol, but because I'd gotten out of the habit. I was on so much medication for so long, and it was not a good idea to mix booze with what I was on. I did end up deciding to order something after awhile though, and it was so good..... My old favorite, Malibu rum with pineapple and cranberry juices, but a small one. Ah, that was nice, and brought back alot of good memories. We had some interesting conversation around the table, you can imagine, a bunch of women out on the town, their men gone for awhile. Yep, we're all deprived, and the others seem determined to wash the lust away, or drown it anyways. Fat chance.
Saturday was spent mostly running errands and pampering myself. Oil change for the car, haircut, pedicure, video store to return a couple dvds and get a couple more, which I still haven't watched. The oil change was hilarious and highly embarrassing, though. A friend went with me, one who was out with me the night before and had a few too many. She's very sweet, but she likes to talk to people, and sometimes says too much. Like at Wal-Mart while we were waiting for my car to be ready. The guy at the register was flirting with her while she checked out and I waited, and she mentioned we'd gone out to the casino the night before. He immediately started asking questions, like who'd you go with, was your husband there? And she said her husband was deployed. Now, over the past few years, I've noticed that people have very different reactions to hearing that your spouse is deployed. Most people, especially those of the same gender, become very sympathetic and comforting, and it's pretty cool. Some people, thought, and it's usually a member of the opposite sex, become predatory. I had an experience like that with a gate guard back in TX a few years ago, and Nbs took care of that real quick. Anyway, when she said her husband was deployed, he became very interested, and asked me about mine, too. Up until then he'd pretty much ignored me, and I hadn't really been paying attention, so I said our husbands were in the same unit. He said, "really?!?" in a sleazy way that gave me the chills. Then, and this was brilliant.....
My friend replied, "but we're not loose or anything"
It was pretty obvious that he thought she meant exactly the opposite. My face was as red as my car, and I had another 10 minutes to wait before it was done and I could leave. He asked if we were on yahoo, if we were on my space. We are, but said no. Or rather, I said no and glared at her from behind a sign where he couldn't see my face so she wouldn't say anything more. The worst part? I didn't have cash, so I had to use my credit card to pay. I just loved the guy having my name, let me tell you. I was very glad my profile is private and that it's almost impossible to find me on there even with my name (I went home and checked to be sure). Thank God! We've been laughing about it ever since.
After that I definately needed the relaxation of the pedicure and the haircut. There's just something about having someone else wash my hair that I love... And pedicures, well, I was introduced to them in TX and pretty much became addicted. Besides, with my husband gone, having someone else massage my scalp and my feet are about the biggest thrill I'll have for a good long while.
Sunday morning early was a 2 mile walk before church, lunch with a friend, playing on the computer, bowling (we get to go bowling for free once a week while our soldier's gone), then another 2 mile walk before dinner. Then set up the DVR for Family Guy for Nbs and cruise around on the net.
This morning I spent a couple more hours at the gym. I've still got to go walking, as I was pretty much just working on weight training, but I'm waiting a while before I go. Life is fun again right now. I miss my man (I LOVE YOU, DEAR), but I do get to hear his voice from time to time, and if I really get lonely, I just listen to the funny messages saved on the answering machine. All in all, I'm happy. It's surprising how much can change in just over a week.