its been a while

Hello ladies,

In the last 6 months my world has be flipped-turned upside down. In the next week or so I think things will have returned to right-side up and as close to normal as they may ever be! It has been a smooth transition from college to the "real world" and the "real Army," but it is a very different life. I am not sure what to do with myself some days. Now that I don't have to be up for practice at 730 and class from 9-3 with practice again from 345-530ish only to have to eat, shower, do homework, and whatever else the day holds. . . I have so much TIME. What do "normal" people do all day? Ha-ha.
I was busy working for the first 2 months, but now my job is done and I am just waiting to move to Alabama on the 5th of August. I was busy being a lifeguard, but the Army calls it a Combat Water Survival Swim Instructor. It was entertaining. I spent 8 hours a day in a pool (never thought I do another pool workout after leaving Riddle, but I was wrong!) teaching cadets how to survive with gear and equipment in water. It's rather difficult to swim in a uniform with an extra 10-20lbs of equipment, especially when several of the cadets don't even know how to swim!!!! (tangent here, sorry)
I didn't realize how much of the population in the US doesn't know how to swim. I thought it was something exclusive to a few people here and there, but its not. We ran some test on the demographics of the cadets and realized that more of the cadets from the Northern region of the US could swim vs. those from the South (despite living by oceans and beaches)!? My thought is there is far more to do in the South year round than in the North so maybe the cadets from the North spend more time at pools/lakes/ponds during the summer? Who knows. (tangent over!)
Anyway, while I have been here in Kentucky over the summer I had leave RyLee somewhere with someone. Well, obviously I didn't just leave her with anyone, anywhere, so I put her in a Boarding Kennel in the mountains of Georgia. The scenery is beautiful, there is a lot of land for her to run around on, AND they train her! Now, initially I did not care about the obedience training. I didn't and still don't think she needs it, but I went to see her for the 4th of July and WHOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I know you all know that she is more like a child to me than a dog, and that I spoil her rotten and take her everywhere and don't hardly talk about anything but her, so you can imagine how torturous being away from her for 2 months has been for me. I cried my eyes out when I had to leave her and you can only imagine my excitement when I got to go see her. I was pleasantly surprised to see she was equally as excited to see me! I got to see what she had learned after only being there for a month and I was blown away. For a dog that I thought was fine without all of this training, she can do things that I'd never thought of teaching her! Now the trick for me is keeping her up on all of this training. It took me several months of saving to be able to afford all of this. 90 days at a kennel anywhere is not cheap, especially one in the mountains that trains her too, but it has been so worth it. I wish you guys could see her now, I am SOOOO proud of her :D In addition to all of this excitement, RyLee's 4th of July present (aside from seeing ME!) was a little brother. I got her a friend. His name is Tyrk. He is a Doberman Pinscher. He is 3 months old in my profile photo on here, now almost 4 months. He contracted Pneumonia right after we left him with RyLee at the Boarding School (he got it from traveling, not from the kennel) and has been fighting that for the last month, but he is on the up side and doing well now. Only 8 days till I get my little ones back!!
Like I said before, August 5th I move to Alabama. I will begin flight school with the Army for the next 18 months. I am looking forward to it all, but scared at the same time. As of right now I am looking to fly the Blackhawk, but there are 3 other airframes that are available and it all depends on how well I do as to which one I get. I wont bore you with anymore details here on that, but Enterprise, Alabama is where I will be. It's only 3 hours from Pensacola, FL so when you all are racing in Tallahassee and that area I hope to drive (or fly) on over and see you!
I miss Daytona. I miss the team (even if some of you don't miss me :P ha-ha). I miss the fast pace of college life and everyone there. With working in the pool, was able workout now and again by swimming a few laps, very rarely got to go for a run :( Now I know why the Army is overweight...we hardly ever workout. Anyways, I've been trying to stay in shape as best I can and not just become a shape by swimming or riding my bike to work and back, but my efforts appeared fruitless as I was feeling more and more out of shape and blah. Sooooo, as an effort to be more self motivated on Saturday, July 24th I decided to run the Army 10-miler. Mind you it had been 2 months and I've not trained or hardly ran so this was a daunting idea, none-the-less, I did it. I don't think even on 2 hour long runs I've really ever ran 10 miles. Maybe ONCE. lol. So a new goal and accomplishment for me. My goal based on the level of fitness I felt I was at was to run 80 minutes for the 10 miles, but no slower than 95 no matter how awful I felt. Again, this is not Florida, and there are hills and gravel so I tried to estimate accordingly. I finished at 1:20:28. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs nor lungs at that pace didn't bother me, but by mile 8 my knees were aching BAD. I was a little ahead of my pace until mile 8 and the last hill and 2 miles got me and brought me back to my original pace. Nothing to be disappointed in, I gave it my all, and still think you distance people are CRAZY! ha-ha. Power to you and your body for enduring that day after day, but no thank you! I'll stick to running 10 miles once a year! I'll stick to my bike for anything over 5!
Well, I suppose an update on the last 2 months of my life is longer than any blog posted yet, and probably one of the less interesting based on everything I've read so far. LOL. It's great to read all about everyone's summer events and I look forward to reading more.
Welcome to the family to all of the new ladies. My only words of advice (take it or leave it, I was no all-star myself) are this: When you feel like the team, coaches, athletic dept, or school OWES you something, you've lost sight of why you're truly there. The team and all the opportunities that come along with it are just that, opportunities and privileges, not god give rights. Push yourself beyond any limits you feel exist, step outside your comfort zone a few times, open your eyes and your mind, because this team teaches you more than how to run well. Take it all in, the good with the stuff you'd rather leave behind, and HAVE FUN.
And again, welcome to the family :)