I didn't forget, I just got... sidetracked...

So wow, my history says my last (which was also my first) blog post was July 20th... I've thought a lot about posting again, but obviously have not done so until now!

Quite a bit has changed since July 20, 2010. We've moved out of our little apartment on Elm Street in Springfield. Lived out of suitcases for two weeks at my parents lake house. We've become Virginia residents - with the most hideously ugly driver's licenses ever, no joke. And 2010 is nearly gone!

I've been working at my school for a grand 4 months now and I'm ready for summer break! But wait, I have five and a half more months to go before then! Ah!!! I like my school and my job, it's just draining (as any first year SLP or teacher could attest to). I'm still trying to figure out the SPED (special education - if you weren't in the know there) system and how it works in LCPS. Perhaps I should say 'functions' instead of 'works' because did doesn't always work correctly. I'm sitting at a caseload near 60, with potential newbies and potential "graduates." Thankfully some of those are "consult" but that makes it hard to get the minutes when they aren't solid every weekers on the schedule. I'm not sure how I feel about this whole "consult" model, but I guess it doesn't hurt to wean them down off therapy...

Andrew just passed 90 days with his job. He's worked out of town more than in town as of now. That will likely be the case as we continue into 2011. La Quinta near the base he's been working at since the end of October, has become a home away from home for him - from number of nights spent there, not the level of comfort. He's been commuting this and last week, which has been nice since he had to work. The funny part is that his round trip time is 3 hours, and when he travels an extra hour (30 mins each direction) they get him a hotel... weird. He's learning some new skills, logging hours of experience time, paying bills/feeding savings and getting a security clearance - those are the positives. The negative is neither of us remember how to not hog the blankets come Friday night! haha...

I've slowly unpacked and am still not sure where some things are... I was glad to find the box of coats on the bottom back corner of stacked boxes in late October/early November. Next I'm hoping to find the shower curtain I plan to use in our nearly finished new bathroom (our current bathroom has doors on the shower - so I have not been letting the water fly free for  4 months).

Sadie is adjusting to a bigger residence, yard with leash restrictions, neighborhood construction noise, knowing which door to sit in front of to say "OUTSIDE please!" and living with an old-man dog. We call him a dirty-old-man dog. (Just think, I'm sure you can figure it out.) She likes to play, typical puppy, and he sometimes goes along, other times not so much. He's loosing his teeth and eats slowly. She's learning not to eat his food under supervision. Although when his food is left unattended by person and old-man dog, it's a free for all.

That's the Cloudy wrap up for 2010. Maybe I'll be better at this blog thing in 2011 ;)

Stats of Change (it's not as nerdy as that sounds)

So I've read friends' blogs and wondered "Do I have anything to blog about that anyone would care to read about?" Now with some large impending life changes and transitions I decided to go on with it whether anyone cares or not! :-)

I knew as I named this blog, that Andrew would hate it (the name). I guess I'm still in the honeymoon period for my name, I still find "Cloud" jokes funny! After 23 years of hearing them, Andrew does not find them funny. You'd think a guy with such a strong sense of humor would find funny things funny. Maybe after 23 years of marriage, I won't find "Cloud" jokes funny either... 22 years left to see ;-)

After nearly a year of marriage (11 months and 18 days- including today, but who's counting?). Andrew and I will be making some big life changes. Here are some stats comparing where we live in Springfield, MO to where we will live in Lucketts, VA.

Currently in Springfield we live within 5 miles of 5 Wal-Marts. Once in Lucketts, we will be 12 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart!!
Springfield has one mall. Lucketts has one stop light.
Springfield has like 10 zip codes (do I exaggerate?). Lucketts doesn't have a post office.

Okay, so maybe you're confused. I've said I grew up in the DC Metro area... well I did. We're moving in with my brother who moved out just into the rural-beautiful-ness that Virginia has to offer. I've said I was a city girl right? Okay, well don't start feeling sorry for me yet! Leesburg is large enough, just over 10 miles away. And Leesburg is home to an Outlet Mall :-)

My parents house in Sterling is a mere 24 miles from Lucketts. Granted, if you go at the wrong time of day that 24 miles could take you an hour. Sterling has it's own Wal-Mart, Mall and numerous things I could not list (partially because it's all changed so much in 6 years!!!)

By the way. No panic allowed. Still a couple weeks before the big moving day! ::sigh of relief::