Forgive me – I’ve been flying by lately trying to get ready for my very first class in Army esiliency-ray (pig latin), dealing with my 3rd MRI & my 2nd Neurologist…and between the constant trips back & forth to Seoul lately, I’m just entirely brain dead. So…in no particular order, here’s what’s been going on with me:

• Had my 3rd MRI last week - and Mr. Wizard refused to tell me if I had more than 8 brain lesions - but the man had no problem telling me the first time around that I had ‘some-ting in my brain’.
• Have had 3 rehearsals (one of which was today) up in Seoul getting ready to teach the senior leader spouses…and have 2 more to go.
• I’m opening up day one & two of this four day course, pray for me.
• The star count for that course is now at a 2, a 3, the current 4, the incoming 4…and they’ve decided to throw a Californian congresswoman in the mix just for the heck of it.
• The demon-beast Paco, who lived next door, has finally PCS’d with his family – no more having to constantly keep Maggie away from him.
• I’ll be up in Seoul all next week for the class.
• I’ve got a 28 day running streak on my 750words.
• Met the new Neurologist today & noticed he was a bit nervous or awkward for our first meeting…so there I sit, telling sarcastic jokes trying to make him feel at ease while I’m trying to figure just what the heck of spine scan in.
• Oh yeah…got to have a spine scan next. They can’t  do it at 121, so I’ll be visiting the local Korean hospital for that one.
• Turns out I still have 8 lesions in my brain…just not the same 8 as last time. Some have disappeared entirely, only to be replaced by new ones in other spots.
• Eric got to tour the Cheonan today – the South Korean ship that was torpedoed by the North….lucky duck.
• I’ve got cousins living in Japan that were fortunate not to be in the vicinity of the disaster, but who are now heading that way to help.
• And oh yeah…at our FRG meeting tonight we were told that Humphrey’s will be processing 1700 inbound Americans from Japan – they may stay a day…they may stay a week…they may stay…???
• So I’m hitting the commissary first thing tomorrow to stock up on toilet paper, dog food, milk, bread & cereal because they’ll be tapped out – and most likely so will Osan & they may even pull from Yongsan (guessing there).
• And last but not least…I pointed out to our Colonel that if we’re bringing in 1700 people, odds are there’s at least one or two cats – probably closer to 500 cats & maybe 200 – 300 dogs. At which point his eyes widened & you could visibly see the light bulb go off over his head. He hadn’t thought about that one…that’s the problem with a logistics background…the details never stop popping into your head. Like script refills maxing out our resources, have they got the Chaplains, Behavioral Health & the MFLC already on stand by…see?…Never stops.

But I leave you with this parting shot…

a Korean moon-pie..a gift from the hubby for surviving my day.

After a typically weak dinner the other night at the AMC (Alaska Mining Company), Eric & I came home to sit & veg like the old couple we are…doing everything we could to forget both the hospital-ranked meal & that there is actually such a thing as fine dining – just not anywhere around here.

Since our 5 year anniversary is coming up next month, I’ve gone ahead & made reservations at the Dragon Hill Lodge – the on-base hotel up in Yongsan. So as we sat in our deflated stupor at 8pm on a Saturday night, I had the brilliant idea to check out the Lodge’s website. Maybe…just maybe…if we were lucky, the Lodge might actually have a decent restaurant with a menu reminiscent of home.

As it turns out, the Lodge has 2 lounges, a deli, 3 restaurants…including a 4th across the street – typically meant for Generals, ROK (Republic of Korea) Commanding Officers & diplomats from all over, but it’s also open to the public.

And as I read from the various hotel menus, the fun ensued…

“Babe! Look it!…

Chicken Breast Florentine – sauteed in a light egg batter served gratineed with seasoned spinach, fresh tomatoes & fresh basil with pasta tossed in a lemon white wine butter sauce! Ooh, that sounds good!

Steak Delmar – sirloin steak topped with shrimp, scallops, crabmeat & mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce served with your choice of past or rice…that sounds like something you’d get.

Ooohhh…

Steak, Chicken or Shrimp Fajitas…and look! They’re even serving them with rice AND beans! RICE AND BEANS! With salsa, guacamole & sour cream, too…

Ahhh…doesn’t that sound just like home?

And check it out, Babe…

They even have honest-to-God hickory-smoked beef brisket, pulled pork, hot smoked sausage, ribs, smoked chicken…wait…OMG – you can even choose between THREE kinds of BBQ sauce!

And look!….even all the sides are American – not a single mention of Kimchi, white rice or Bulgogi anywhere! Do you think this could be a real American restaurant? I mean really real…like back home real?

Oh God…look…Carne Asada. I swear! Look!!! It’s ON the menu!

Wait – How much longer until our anniversary?

Oooh! Let’s see what the dessert menu is like!

Look! Cafe’ Mocha Torte, Vanilla Flan, Sopapillas – NO! I’m not lying!…Sopapillas! Honest to God, Sopapillas!

[deep sigh]

Oh…do you even remember what sopapillas taste like?

[long pause]

I think I’m going to cry…

Fried Ice Cream…and…Warm Chocolate Lava Cake.

[deep-seeded longing...fueled into excitement]

Let’s get both!…On the same plate!

I promise I didn’t drop off the radar. It’s just that the radar…sorta…ahh…dropped on me.

Kompasu came & went without too much damage to Humphreys. But we still got hit pretty good.

So after it blew past we threw Maggie in the back of the car to assess the damage.

On base the damage is to the trees.

This one (pardon the poor shot) snapped in two right at the base.

Lots of jumbled pines.

Some snapped in two; some pulled up by the roots.

And even some that are still falling.

With all the constant rain we’ve had this past month the ground is just one big sponge.

Eric went into work that afternoon – got there fine, no problems.

Didn’t find out until he arrived that they had called everyone else to stay home.

So between showing up & heading back out the door, this little beauty had fallen down.

Normally there’s cars parked up & down both sides of this street.

Had everyone been at work, someone or two would be filing a claim with their insurance company.

This big ‘ol tree just  fell plum over….roots & all.

We drove around a bit more – same story everywhere else.

Off-base, right outside our complex, they were working away (two days later) to fix the lines.

Unfortunately, Mr. Chong’s storage sheds didn’t hold up so well.

When Moo & I walked past he was pounding away – putting scrap pieces of metal back in place.

His chicken coop didn’t fair so well either. The make-shift roof is completely gone.

But the chickens are fine…much to the delight of the cats.

So essentially that was our trial run.

There’s another typhoon heading our way, Malou, & it’s expected to make landfall Tuesday and hang around all day Wednesday.

Fun, fun!

Just home from the monthly FRG meeting.

FRG – Family Readiness Group: Fudge…don’t even know how I want to define this one tonight. Let’s just say it’s a mandatory meeting for soldiers & spouses…which always involves the most attrocious pot-luck dinners ever.

Since I didn’t know about this one until literally an hour & a half before it was to begin, I had nothing to bring.

So Eric & I decided to hit the AMC afterwards.

AMC - Alaska Mining Company: An American chain restaurant that would go into a raging fit if the head honchos ever came over & tried the Korean-style version. The cooks are Korean; the waitresses are Korean. ‘Nuff said.

Any meal at the AMC is subject to complete & utter disappointment, but seeing as how it’s the only sit-down-style restaurant on post…you roll with the flow.

And tonight Eric was feeling “adventurous”….his word.

There was a new menu item – Sliced BBQ Brisket.

So I listened in abject horror as he ordered.

“I’ll have the BBQ brisket with a salad, kimchi & rice.”

[Sacriledge!]

Looked him dead in the eye & proclaimed he was bastardizing barbeque!

‘What are you thinking?!’

“I was thinking if it really sucks at least I know the kimchi & rice will be good”, he replied.

After one taste of the saltless, flavor-devoid, water-soaked, chunk of tough meat, I took pity on him & let him split my chicken fried steak.

[that would be the vegetable of the day...corn & lima beans]

It’s just as saltless & devoid of flavor, but if you sprinkle enough salt & pepper on it, close your eyes, hold your nose & picture yourself at a Blackeyed Pea…(do they still have those back home?)…it almost tastes passable.

We left the wasted piece of perfectly good beef  on the plate in protest.

Well, it was good before they got a hold of it.

[back at Thanksgiving]

In going back through the blog the other day I noticed that all my music posts weren’t working!

[agh!]

Those posts were written the express intent of being read WHILE listening to the songs.

So I’ve gone back into the hand-full of posts & updated all the code. You know, in case you want to groove out to Elvis.

The only reason I went back to check them out is that I’ve had a lot of music rattling around in my head lately. Well…ok, more than usual.

Yes, I’m the human jukebox. For example….

When I’d like to chuck Korea & all the joys of life that come with it, Hendrix screams in my head.

When I’m home alone on a Friday night now that Eric’s back on nights again, Susan Tedeschi nails my exact sentiment.

[man, that woman can belt it out]

Of course when he gets home somewhere between 1 & 4am, the Limelights gently wake me up.

(These days we get to spend all of about an hour together before I can’t keep my eyes open anymore & have to crawl back in bed.)

Every time I’m at the grocery store & pass by those stinkin’ watermelons, the Squirrel Nut Zippers get my blood boiling.

[promise there's lyrics...just play it through]

And then there was this past Friday night when Eric was actually off work & we tried to have an official Friday Night Date – dressed up & everything, only to remember that after our lovely, leisurely long dinner that there’s nothing open & nothing else to do around this place after 8pm.

Seriously.

And I had the biggest urge to do something – anything!

Then there’s this guy. While he still holds the title for biggest show-boatin’ mid-life crisis vehicle on Camp Humphreys, sadly he’s not so alone anymore.

With the influx of this summer’s new families, I’m seeing tons & tons of more half-tons…pick-ups, that is. Huge SUVs, too - there’s now a Toyota Tundra that’s jacked-up, camper shell & all that’s trying to dethrone the current king.

Hmm….I’m noticing a trend. Are you?

Can you tell I’m really missin’ home – well, specifically honky tonks, blues bars, BBQ joints.

The sad part is my repretroire is slowly dwindling.

Without easy, regular access to American music (God, I can’t wait until I can push more than one radio button) I’m afraid I’ll have to pull out some of my old stuff.

Ok, so maybe not that old.