JustLisa

Two more weeks until I take Wally to my mother and bring Christopher back to Texas for the summer. Trading the little baby for my almost grown baby. Good trade! Neither sleeps much but the grown baby can be up and not bother his mother.

Wally has hit the stage of puppydom where everything must be trashed. It's on my last nerve and I am afraid my mother won't like him much. Every two minutes I find myself yelling "Wally! NO!" She thinks he will keep her busy and give her something to do. She has nooo idea. He still has cute moments like swimming in the pool. He's quite the swimmer! Like any baby, he's cutest when he's sleeping.

I almost never sleep anymore and it's starting to have a deep impact on my well-being. I lay down in the quiet and start thinking about the kids and how much I miss them, then I catalog all the things that have annoyed me and so forth. When a person gets tired, almost everything is annoying.

My mom had to put her dog to sleep so I bought her a little mini schnauzer to take back to her next time I go home. His name is Wally and he loves to help me sleep. I believe he thinks if he lays on my face, I will sleep better. I was supposed to take him to her this weekend but decided not to go since I'm not alert enough to drive that far.

Eva had her baby. A boy named Caden Rush finally got here on the 14th. She is loving motherhood and I can't wait to get over there to meet the big boy.

Did you read the news story about the suicide jumper in China? He was threatening to jump and a bystander pushed him. He landed on a air cushion and didn't die so it's kind of a silly story.

Have a safe holiday weekend and enjoy your time off if you get it.

I'm still alive but incredibly neglectful of this space. I think I even forgot the ten year anniversary of justlisa.com. Oops.

Texoma (hate that word!) finally got rain this morning. About 4" in most places near me I think. I've never been in a place so dry. Earlier this month I drove to Iowa and picked up my mom and Christopher to bring them back down for a visit. On the way up there, Kansas seemed to be burning up with fires burning along both sides all the way along the turnpike. On the way back here, it was Oklahoma burning to the point that we ended up stuck in OKC for over an hour at a complete standstill because of wildfires along the road. While they were here, fires raged all around it seemed so Christopher did not get to go turkey hunting as he had hoped.

I think they had a really good time. Christopher got to fly the simulator and actually landed. That was pretty impressive. My mom was impressed with how nice everyone was. I've had several pilots ask how my mom is doing which is terribly sweet considering they met her for a couple of minutes at most. I do love the people I work with.

Lately I've been extremely agitated over stupid things. Right now I believe I could go off the deep end over the media hype surrounding swine flu. Yes, it's a big deal and yes, we need to be aware BUT, let's not forget the regular flu kills tens of thousands in the US every year. Texas has cancelled all high school athletics and several school districts have closed. I will keep taking Vitamin C and washing my hands a lot. I guess I don't get too freaked out over things that can kill me.

Another source of contention is the media coverage and analysis of Obama's first 100 days. I love the Obamas but I'm so sick of hearing about them. To my friends who love to bitch about him I want to say "Shut up, quit your bitching, and get to work on a plan for your party in four years." Geesh.

Today is Eva's one year wedding anniversary. She and her hubby are expecting a baby any day now. Her due date is May 8th so I'm betting the baby will be here May 9th. She's famously late for everything...

Last week I sprained my ankle and am supposed to be wearing one of those orthopedic boots. I wear it some but not at work. I probably should since I walk the most at work but it's heavy and makes my hip and back hurt. I don't want to trade one injury for two more. My friends give me grief for not listening to the doctor but the pain isn't so much in my ankle but more along the outside of my fibula. Also, it's not so much pain as it is just a weird sensation and some weakness in my foot. Anyway, I've convinced myself that I just need to walk it out.

I'm really missing Spring in Iowa. Texas doesn't have such marked changes in season. Spring on the walking trail at home is so beautiful. I also find myself missing friends and family a little more all the time. I'm excited for a summer here though. I found out the other day that my new town shows movies in the park on Saturday night. I guess people bring lawn chairs or blankets and watch outside. I seriously let out a squeal over that! Horton Hears a Who is one of the first movies in June and I cannot wait! I'm also excited about the upcoming "Queens Birthday" celebration put on by the Dutch students and instructors. Being surrounded by different cultures works well to counteract homesickness.

First, some history of my new hometown. From the Burkburnett website:

"The Wild West was being tamed when in 1905 the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was the guest of Samuel Burnett at a wolf hunt in the "Big Pasture" area of what would later become the State of Oklahoma. Burnett was a flamboyant figure whose 6666 Ranch covered much of the North Texas - Southern Oklahoma area.

In 1905, part of the vast Burnett empire was sold to Frank Kell and J.A. Kemp of Wichita Falls who were building a railroad through Burnett's ranch to the "Big Pasture."

A town lot sale held by Kemp and Kell on June 6, 1907 marks the official beginning of the city which would later become world famous as the center of a gigantic oil boom. At the suggestions of Teddy Roosevelt, the town was named for his wolf hunt host, Burk Burnett.

The oil-crazy days were dramatized in story and song and later became the subject of the Clark Gable - Spencer Tracy movie, Boomtown."

They still pump oil around here. When gas prices are high, almost all the pump jacks are going. When prices are low, only one or two out of a dozen will be pumping. I've not quite figured out the logic there but nothing about oil prices makes sense I guess.

The thing I love most about here (besides the jets) is the fact that the Wichita Mountains near Lawton, OK are so close. Within 45 minutes I can be standing on Mt Scott. It's not the Smokey Mountains but it's good enough for me.

Totally random things... I was going to go to Iowa this weekend but they had more snow again. It's been an impossible winter to plan a trip there which has made seeing Christopher incredibly difficult. My next three day weekend isn't until Memorial Day now.

We start two weeks of night flying when I go back to work on Tuesday. Yay! There is nothing like afterburners in the dark.

I now have a blown out tire off a jet. Not exciting for most but for me it's like having a small piece of heaven.

I had my first cup of coffee ever two weeks ago. It was German double something something. I wasn't a huge fan so the German pilot who made it for me is going to make me another, only sweeten it up a lot. I told him dump Pepsi in the mug, call it coffee and I'd LOVE it.

I've got to take the Pepsi back out of the diet soon. It's added 20 pounds to me. Every day I say "I'm not getting a Pepsi today" and every day, I buckle and get the big bottle.

I said I was not going to get close to anyone here but that's falling by the wayside too. The people I work with are just too awesome to keep at bay. My coworkers mother passed away this past week and my heart ached for her yesterday as they laid her mom to rest. It made me realize that I am not going to be able to change the way I relate to and connect to people. I suppose in the big picture, that is a good thing but my heart will break lots as people graduate, retire, get reassigned and so on.

To stay here, it looks like I'm going to have to get a second job and I hope to do so as aircraft crew of some sort or maybe life support packing chutes.

I never watch SNL but caught the opening last night. Too funny!