Moments of Musing

Mental Images

Filed Under: aloha //

Yesterday, T’s alarm went off just 4 hours after we’d gone to bed. He wanted to take me on the Lanikai Pillboxes hike during sunrise, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. When we reached the first pillbox, I was taking photos and asked if he was going to take any. He said he’d capture mental images of the moment instead. 
 
I thought to myself – you know what, that’s not a bad idea – so I stopped what I was doing and watched the sunrise. A couple minutes later I went back to taking photos for memory keeping sake (but I didn’t upload any to social media for a few hours – no social media during hike and sunrise time!). And eventually T took some photos, too, because he also likes the idea of having them to look back at in time. 
 
But as we were getting ready to go, I told him something I’ve been noticing while taking photos here – that the photos just didn’t do the sunrise (or any of life’s beauty) justice. Because they don’t. It’s why I think it’s important to stop what we’re doing when we’re doing it and just look around us. Take mental images. Appreciate the beauty. The peacefulness. Surroundings. Our companions. Those moments will never come again, and though we might be able to capture their essence in photos, they will never be able to replicate the moments 100%. Mental images might eventually become flaky but I can vividly remember some of my favorite moments and I think those memories surpass any photos I’ve taken.
 
Though, photos are wonderful to have. I don’t deny that.
 

Proud

Filed Under: aloha //

“And then, on September 11, the world fractured.” – President Obama
 

9/11 Memorial (taken October 2011)

 
September 11, 2001 will forever be etched in my memory. I lived in NYC. My dad was a NYPD Detective who rushed to the scene (he was thankfully unharmed). Family members worked in Manhattan, including a cousin -who was off work due to surgery- in one of the towers. 
 
I pray for everyone involved and I admire our heroes all the more. Today (and everyday), I am proud to be an American, a New Yorker, the daughter of a NYPD First Responder, and the girlfriend of a service member who’s been deployed numerous times, twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
 
 
Cue the milso-related remainder of this post. If you remember, I posted about things military spouses don’t say a little while back. Well, I actually just recently came across this article and figured it’d be fair to talk about some of the things I actually do say:
 
I have an unhealthy relationship with my phone.
When I’m not with T, I’m with my phone because that’s how we communicate the majority of the time, especially when he was underway and deployed. So, unfortunately for those around me, it’s almost attached to my hand when I’m out and about. I’m currently much better about this because he isn’t deployed and we have each other’s schedules down … but when he’s somewhere new or something is going on, I can’t promise not to look at my phone a lot.

I’ll believe the return date/time when he/she is standing in front of me.
  I am a planner but the military does not allow for much planning. So this has been one of my biggest struggles. Almost 3 years later, I still get very upset when plans aren’t made well in advance or have to be changed because of military-related issues. Overall, though, it hasn’t been too hard or bad. We’ve never had to drastically alter visits or trips and for that I am grateful.

 
I got this!
Or even better – we got this. Time and time again, I am reminded by Timmy that we are a team. Partners. Neither one of us is going through the distance or in a military relationship alone. Knowing he misses me as much as I miss him, and supports me as much as I do him has been one of the most helpful things for me.
 
REMEMBER OPSEC!!
  This is so important. During deployments, underways, workups, etc. it’s vital to keep sensitive information to yourself. Keeping the guys and girls out of as much of harm’s way as possible shouldn’t be as difficult as it seems with others spewing off dates and locations. Don’t be one of those people. Don’t communicate the information to others unless it’s been made public i.e. on the web, in newspapers, on t.v. etc.
 
. . . And my favorite:
 
How do I do it?  One day at a time… because I LOVE him/her.
 Taking it one day at a time is a sure way to help myself cope with his demanding career. Of course, some days are harder than others. The lonely nights and months of distance catch up to me sometimes. But in general, it’s actually pretty easy to support T when his passion is selfless and admirable. He supports our country so I support him. Most importantly, he loves me and I love him. That’s what it comes down to.
 
 


A Cause for Military Suicide Prevention

Filed Under: Uncategorized //

 In case you didn’t know, this month is Suicide Prevention Month and today is Suicide Prevention Day. In honor of it, I am letting you know about Antonio Centeno’s cause. Antonio is a former U.S. Marine, Texan, father, husband, and founder of the veteran resource High Speed Low Drag. He reached out to me to spread awareness about military suicides. Back in 2003 his friend, 2nd Lt Christopher Shay, killed himself while they were deployed.

Sadly, that wasn’t an isolated incident. Veterans commit suicide at a rate of 22 per day. To help combat this tragic epidemic, Antonio is going to give Stop Soldier Suicide (a non-profit vet-run organization) $20,000 this Veteran’s day to raise awareness of military suicide. To do this, he created 400 neckties to honor each of the 4 military branches. For every tie sold he is donating $50 to the cause.

You can check out his project here. The ties cost $79 each, however, any veteran/active duty/military spouse can use the code “military” for a $30 discount. It’s explained in this video. Antonio is also a fashion designer (he runs the website RealMenRealStyle.com) so the ties are designed using 100% silk, regimental stripe, and historic service colors.  He figures he could give service members a tie they’re proud to wear all the while helping those vets who need it.  Win-Win!

 Now go give your service members a big hug and kiss and tell them thank you for all they do!
 

*** If you or any veteran you know is battling with PTSD, mental illness and/or suicidal thoughts, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a crisis hotline and website. ***

 
 

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Filed Under: Uncategorized //

In all my (25) years on this earth, I’ve found that being happy is the best problem solver. No matter is going on, looking at the good helps me to overcome the negativity associated with the situation. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel in the present. It’s backed by hope, faith and optimism. 
 
Positivity breeds positivity. So be happy. Because happiness trumps sadness, fear, anger, concern of the unknown. Happiness prevails.  
 
Choose happiness.
 
  
 

Eventful AND Relaxing? It’s Possible!

Filed Under: aloha //

Ever have one of those weekends where it’s hard to believe you’ve done so much because you feel so relaxed? That’s what this past weekend was like.
 

Friday, I cooked my very first meal from scratch – fig balsamic chicken with onions and mushrooms and a side of broccoli. Healthy, delicious AND fresh as most of the ingredients were from the farmers market. Fortunately, Tim loved it! I didn’t bring out the dinnerware because I didn’t know he’d love it so much he’d take a photo of it 🙂
 
Saturday,  we headed to Pyramid Rock Beach on base, I drove here for the first time (it’s a big deal for me because I somehow drive in NYC but get nervous driving everywhere else), we watched some college football, and went to Duke’s Waikiki for a double dinner date. (The other couple is a military/law school grad couple doing Hawaii/NYC distance, too! I know the girl from home and her boyfriend happens to have just recently gotten stationed here so she’s in town visiting him.) The dinner was great – salad bar + delicious entree + Hula Pie = WIN! Oh, and when we got home from dinner, I killed my first cane spider. Thankfully, T was home for that. YUCK!
 
Dinner was so fun that we took 0 pics, so this Hula Pie photo is from hawaiimagazine.com
 
 
 
Sunday, I woke up before 7am HST to tweak my ::gasp:: Fantasy Football team starters. This is my first time being in a league so in preparation Tim has introduced me to the tv show The League, which I now love, and has taught me the basics. I woke up early to research one of my previously questionable bench players and decided to play him. Good thing because he did better than some of my supposed great players i.e. CJ Spiller and Trent Richardson. If this all sounds foreign to you, don’t worry because it kind of still does to me, too. We ran an errand, I drove some more, and we watched football … on the projector 😉
 
Hope you all had a great weekend, too!