A new blog with a different path

I'd like to start off saying my feet and legs are SUPER sore.  This past weekend, I was running around the woods of Fort Bragg for an ROTC Field Training Exercise (FTX).  It was an experience for me that I surely won't forget.  I have to say though as an MS-3 that should have known what was going on, I noticed quickly that I wasn't as prepared as I thought.  There isn't much information out there that breaks down how these things work.

I've decided to create a separate blog just for those types of things.  I know it's in nearly every MS-3's dreams to score in overall E at LDAC.  It's definitely one of my dreams.  But I also want to share my knowledge so that other people don't make the same mistakes as I have.  Or maybe help some new MS-3's that didn't have the chance to learn some things as an MS-1 and/or MS-2.  I'm glad I was able to make mistakes and learn from them early on in my MS-2 year when it comes to Land Navigation.  I did  fairly well passing every event we did.  I will post some pics as soon as I get them from the public affairs people.

Anywho, if anyone is interested in checking out my new blog, here it is below.  I hope it helps some people out there!

An MS-III's Guide to Becoming a US Army Officer

P.S. - I will still keep this blog for my personal use.  I separated them since I want to keep the new one strictly for ROTC advice purposes.

Starting off the semester with a busy bang!

It's been too long my fellow bloggers!  Over a month I believe!  Honestly I've hardly had time to do much of anything besides school and work since the Fall semester started.  I'm actually a lot busier than I expected to be.  Good thing I took three classes over the summer to lighten my load this semester!  I can't even imagine where I'd be right now if I hadn't done that.  Probably ready to blow up.  My brain already feels like a pile of noodles right now haha.

So school started back up on the 15th of August.  I jumped right into ROTC starting as the Platoon Leader and then to make things worse my Platoon Sergeant was MIA most of the time so I pretty much had to do the tasks for that position as well.  This is all on top of getting our fresh new recruits organized, helping my squad leaders figure out the tasks they needed to do, working part-time in the school's IT department, tutoring two students in Calculus, and oh yeah…finding time to get my OWN classwork not to mention tend to my husband as a good wife should!  Talk about a mess. I seriously need to start USING this planner I had bought before the semester started.

So besides being extremely busy, life has been good.  We have 5 MS-III's for the year.  One ADO and the other three besides me are fellow cadets who were in the program with me last year.  I'd say we have a pretty good team.  We work really hard together.  I'm learning more and more as each day goes by.  Way more than last year…not to say I didn't have an awesome instructor last year, but our new instructor is a lot stricter but in a good way of course.  Were currently covering Combat Orders.

I have a great story to tell all of you but I will save it for this weekend if I have time to blog again.  I truly do miss putting my thoughts down in words.

Our first FTX is coming up really soon and I've already gotten word that I will be the Company Commander during the first iteration.  Talk about working up my nerves.  I always get nervous when I have to be in a high position.  Hopefully I do well though.

Classes are doing good.  Data Structures is kicking my butt.  I really don't enjoy the was my professor lectures.  He goes too quickly sometimes to comprehend.  And even when I try and talk to him after class, he rushes me through my questions and tells me he's sorry he can't explain it any better.  He is definitely no Dr. Turner.  I wish he was teaching Data Structures.  :(

My U.S. military history class is amazing.  It's a tough class but I'm loving the challenge and really enjoying all the events we are covering.  The only thing I dislike…is the amount of reading we have to do.  It's not that I don't enjoy what I'm reading…it's just hard to juggle with everything else I'm doing.  I'll definitely be keeping my books after the semester is done to keep on hand for some pleasure reading.  I know I won't have time during the semester to get a full grip on the content but just enough to get me as close to an A as possible in the class.

My human computer interaction class is too easy…sometimes I even forget it's an actual class I'm taking lol.

Ok well you are half way updated with where I am at this point.  I hope to get a recipe or two up within the next month.  I definitely have tons of stuff I want to share with you all.  I just pray I have the time and energy to share it!

School on my fellow bloggers!  ;-)

Tips on Packing for the Field

Hello all!  Its been a very busy few days for me.  Normally I can get my food blogs in during the weekend when I have more time to dance around my kitchen.  But this weekend I had to drill with my Guard unit.  So counting being back to work at my civilian job today...it's been 8 days of non-stop work.  What fun!  We drilled out at Camp Butner for the weekend.  We got everyone qualified at the ranges and then some Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) training.  I got to meet the Captain I'll be working under and all I can say is I'm loving my job so far.  It's going to be a very busy job since they are training me to be the temporary S6, but the experience I'll be getting is priceless.

So I'd like to talk a little about packing...specifically packing for field training exercises.  Some people pack too much for these things...comfort I guess.  And then others pack too little...probably last minute packing.  Even though Guard field exercises are different from ROTC ones, I still pack the same way.  

Tip #1: Take what's on your packing list.  It's there for a reason!

Tip #2: Review your packing list at least a week before (or as soon as you get it if you get it less than a week from departure).  This way you can make sure you acquire the things on the list before you leave.

Tip #3: Hygiene kit includes the following: toothbrush, toothpaste, BABY WIPES (a definite must), deodorant (so you lessen the stinkiness of being out there).  Those are the basic necessities.  Anything else is for comfort.  I usually bring floss too and a bar of soap incase I have time for a canteen shower.  

Tip #4: Sleeping system - If you are sleeping outside, check the weather!  You might not have to bring the whole thing if it's going to be cool or hot out.  The less excess stuff you have to carry, the better.

Tip #5: Do a Pre-Combat Check (PCC) before you leave your house to again make sure you packed everything.  A few times I've forgotten to pack something even though I went over the list before hand to make sure I had it.

Anywho...I'm looking forward to this work week ending (Thursday will be my Friday!  whoohoo!)  I'll be making my way to the beach for some fun in the sun.  Can't wait!

As for my Avengers treats, I'm still working on ideas! I will most likely have my Hulk treat done this week.  I'll give you a hint...they are cupcakes...but don't make them angry!  They might grow to abnormal sizes! Haha...stay tuned!  =)

Motivational Push

So today I've been re-evaluating my life...where I've been, where I'm at, where I want to be....that sort of stuff.  I have a set goal in mind, a strong dedication to that goal, but sometimes my motivation tends to lack.  Even though my routine is still going great....school is better than ever...I'm doing fantastic in ROTC...it's all rolling perfectly fine but sometimes I feel so late in the game.  I feel like I should already have my bachelor's degree and that I should be working a full time job being a "real" adult you could say.  Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of adults in my classes who are getting their degree for the first time but many of them have lived a good...maybe hard...but good life with maybe kids and/or a spouse.

I live a good life with my husband.  We have no kids though...nothing to really tie us down so school is a good option right now...but we can't really do all the things we want to since money is tight because of me only working part time and paying for tuition suckssss.

So with that being said...sometimes I feel like I'll be over exhausted before I get to my goal....

And other times....I feel like my goal is still so far away....

And a lot of times...I feel like I spent a good part of my life like this...

And so I stress myself out because all I wanna be is here...

Can I get an amen people?  Am I the only that feels like this? lol  Ughhhh...that's life right!

So I've been looking for ways to motivate myself....my family, my husband, my close friends.
It get's hard but I know that I can get there.  I have a great support system.  It's me that I have to keep convincing that time is going to fly and before I know it, all my dreams will happen.  In the mean time...I should post a few of these all around me house!

Sinful Summer School

I really don't know why I do this to myself lol.

So last week I finished my Spring semester ending my first year at UNCP.  I'm happy to say that I ended with straight As once again but the best thing was I got no A minuses.  Just 5 pretty little A's.  I was ecstatic.  =)

So you'd think I'd reward myself with a nice long summer by the pool sipping lemonade right?  NOPE!  This summer I'm taking three classes, one during each summer term.  Here at UNCP we have a Maymester term, which started this past Monday, where you can take one class in just 10 days.  Seems easy right?  Yeah except you have to be in a classroom for 4 hours a day and you take a test everyday that counts for 17% of your grade.  So fun.  I'm doing well though.  It's BIO 1000 which is the most basic science course offered (can you tell I'm not a fan? haha)  I should end with an A- or an A.  I just need to study really hard for these next 7 days and I'll be right where I want to be.
The other two classes I'm doing online so it won't be too bad.  It took me a few years to really figure out how to take an online class.  One of these days I'll have to post some tips for you all that are thinking about taking one.  They can be easy but your studying techniques are a whole lot different than an classroom course.

So its been very busy lately.  I know I've been MIA since the beginning of finals week.  We had our company's commissioning ceremony this past weekend.  It went well.  I'm happy to announce that 5 new highly trained officers have entered into the ranks of our military.  I couldn't be more proud of this group.  I worked very closely with most of them this past semester to keep our company running smooth and they will be surely missed.  I wish them the best of luck on their new endeavors.  And I'd just like that say a big congrats to all the 2012 Commissionees.  You did it!

Campbell Battalion Military Ball 2012

So I had my military ball was yesterday.  I had a good time.  The All American Chorus performed for us and they did an amazing job.  They performed a neat demonstration of an airborne jump.  They also performed some great patriotic songs by Toby Keith including "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" as well as "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood.  The only thing that was missing was my husband but it was for the better.  He had a ton of work to do with his team and some of the guests in attendance at the ball put a bad taste in his mouth so we decided it would be best if I go alone this time.  He did comment on how beautiful I looked though before I headed out to my ball.  Hopefully next year this time, he won't be deployed or anything so he can join me.  =)

Anywho, I got a scholarship award of $850 while I was there.  I felt pretty darn proud of myself.  I was one out of six people I think that got the award from our Battalion of 200+ cadets.  Another cadet from UNCP got the same award too.  It was nice to be able to represent UNCP at the ball like that.  Another funny thing about the ball was that purple was the color of the night when it came to the ladies dresses.  Now I wasn't particular on the color of my dress when I picked it out.  It was just the one I liked best on me.  I was also shopping last minute so I only went to one store.  I picked up my dress at Ross for $40 and my shoes at Shoe Show for $10.  Talk about a deal!  My hair cut and style was $40.  My neighbor did my makeup and I painted my own nails so my expenses came out to less than $100 and I did everything within three days of the ball.  I call that skill lol.

Here are some pics of the night.  Enjoy!

All American Chorus

Here are some videos of the All American Chorus.  I was able to find one that shows part of the airborne demonstration and also one of the chorus singing "God Bless the USA".  I know its not the same as seeing them in person but even the videos give me goosebumps.  I love seeing our soldiers singing songs like these.  Just shows how talented our Americas soldiers are...that they would make time out of their regular MOS jobs to be apart of a chorus like this.  God Bless the USA =)

Officially Sworn In

So many of you have read about my struggles with retrieving a contract with the Army ROTC.  It has been a long and hard fought journey.  I started off doing Air Force ROTC in 2006.  I spent two years with them trying to get a scholarship.  I was getting ready for Field Training (30 day evaluation of officership) and I still hadn't gotten the scholarship, so I got out of the program and kept going to school.

My dreams of becoming an officer were a far off memory for a couple years until last summer.  We had just moved to NC and I talked to a friend who really sparked my interest in the program again so I signed up for ROTC my first semester at UNCP (Fall 2011).  I hit the ground running.  My motivation was at 200% and I performed everything to best of my ability last semester.  I started the contracting process in early September.  Lots of bad news came...first was around October, the Army was cutting officer slots for commissionees for the years 2012 through 2015.  My year was 2014 and our contracts got drastically cut.  Our battalion is made up of four universities and there were only 13 possible contracts to be split among 66 potential cadets.  Talk about slim to none.  The next bad news came in December, my medical examination came back as disqualified because of my history of psoriasis.  I thought my chances were done, but my cadre pulled together in February to send out a request to waive my disqualification.

Then the waiting began....the months dragged by as I waiting for the ultimate outcome but I continued to give my all...not just in ROTC but my classes as well.  If the ROTC plan were to fall through, I wanted to make sure I continued to be efficient in my classes striving for As in all my classes.

This past Tuesday, my Captain came to me with the best news ever.  I was going to sign my contract and ASAP.  He wanted me to go up to Battalion right away to sign the paperwork and swear in.  I think my heart literally jumped out of my chest when he told me this lol.

So yesterday, I officially swore my life to the United States Army.  Next week, I get all my paperwork together to start the SMP and from there it's a rap!  Just keep trucking until May 2014.  I can't believe I've come this far.  It seemed like such a long road but in reality time has flown by me.  It was just around this time last year I was telling myself that I had three years until graduation.  I'm coming up to the end of this semester in less than 30 days, then I start my evaluation year for ROTC, next summer I'll be going to LDAC, and then the countdown begins to graduating and commissioning.  Wow how time flies!

Weekend Ranger Challenge

So Saturday, I did a 6 mile road march with my Ranger Challenge team.  It was a lot of fun but hard work.  Friday, we went to the gym and worked out on our legs hard....I mean hard!  I got challenge by one of the other cadets to push my hardest and I ended up leg pressing 300 pounds.  Talk about beast! haha  Well I was hating life early Saturday morning when I woke up to screaming muscles.  I double checked my ruck to make sure it was ONLY 35 pounds so I wouldn't be killing myself too much.  Once I had that checked, I got dressed and headed out to Fort Bragg to meet up with my teammates.

I was hoping the rain would lighten up but....it didn't.  Then I hoped our team leader would cancel the road march but....he didn't! lol  So by a little after 7 am, we were on the trail starting what seemed as never-ending in the beginning.  I remember how I was thinking when we took off on the first mile, I have 5.8 miles to go and my legs are so sore!  And with the rain tolling down on us, our rucks and our clothes got heavier as we climbed up and down hills.

I was so happy to get to the 3 mile mark.  It meant I was half way to getting back in my car and relaxing my legs lol.  But it also meant I was trucking along great.  We made great timing the whole way.  By the 4th mile, we were 53 minutes in.   That's the same timing we did for our last 4 miler except this time we had extra variables weighing down on us, so I have definitely gotten faster.

As we neared our finish line, we slowed down a bit to finish with the team we started with.  Like our team leader says, we are only as strong as our weakest link.  But it felt good to finish out with them...as a TEAM.  :)

Tomorrow I have a special surprise for all your readers.  It's something I've been anticipating for a while, but I want to write about in detail later.  Stay tuned!

Three's a Charm

So yesterday was my wedding anniversary with my husband. It wasn't a big celebration...we both had school and work but we still made it memorable. Last year was the first one spent together and my husband went all out for me. You can read about it in my blog post from last year When First Comes Second.  He definitely outdid me.  I got him a pair of sneakers he wanted.  (I usually get him practical gifts...it's what he likes best.)  And if you read my blog post, you'll see that he threw out surprises all over.  It was a amazing day for me and him both but mostly for me of course lol.

Yesterday was just as amazing in its own way.  We got home around the same time and before I started on our nice dinner, we exchanged our cards and gifts.  Now mind you, we agreed on small gifts since our taxes hadn't come in and bills were due soon.  He opened his gift from me which was the play and charge batteries for his xbox controller.  (Practical as usual lol)  Since he has had his xbox, he keeps a large box of AA batteries next to him to quickly change them out once his controller dies as he's playing.  It's pretty comical to say the least lol.  So I thought I'd bring him current with the xbox rechargeable batteries that also charge as you play.  I opened my gift which was a beautifully handmade picture frame.  I absolutely loved it and rewarded him with a big kiss for his thoughtfulness.

 Sooo...I thought our gift exchanging was done BUT then he lures me into our bedroom to supposedly look at something the pups had done in our room and there on the floor was a big gift bag.  Ugh!  He outdid me again!  So what was my gift you ask?  Well I'm typing on it and I write this blog.  He bought me a MacBook Pro!   I was so shocked and definitely not expecting it.  We had talked about getting me my own since my Dell laptop died on me and I was always taking his MacBook to school.  So either he wanted to surprise me or he was tired of me stealing his LOL. Needless to say I'm satisfied either way.  =)

With that being said, I'm determined to outdo him next year.  I have a whole entire year to plan so we'll see what I come up with as our next anniversary comes closer.

Some more great news, my awesome SL got me out of taking the APFT this morning since I'm already #1 on the OML and just waiting to sign the paperwork.  So my next and last APFT until Fall semester will be on April 12th.  I'm preparing for a 300.  My last record APFT, got a 290.  I want to at least beat that score.

That's it for now.  Have a great day everyone!

Ohhhhh Positive

GREAT NEWS!!!  My contracting packet has officially been turned in.  It should be a matter of days before I'm a officially a contracted cadet.  I can't wait.  I've traveled a long road to get where I am but I'm proud of every minute spent working towards this.

The last thing needed was my blood type.  I got my results yesterday and come to find out I am O+.

Here are some facts about blood types:

• O positive blood type is the most common blood type in the world.
• 38% of the world's population is O positive. 
• Out of that 38%, 53% are of Hispanic decent.
• O blood types are universal donors meaning all other blood types can receive O blood type for transfusion purposes.
• One donation of blood can save up to 3 lives.
• If you are O positive, you can only receive red blood cells from O blood types. O negative can only receive from O negative blood type.  
• If you are O positive, you can receive plasma from all blood types.

It's nice to know I'm a universal donor but unfortunately I can't donate.  I tried once back in high school and I was deferred permanently because I lived in Germany during 1993.  According to the American Red Cross, "Persons who have spent long periods of time in countries where "mad cow disease" is found are not eligible to donate. "  So long story short, I can never give blood...bummer.  There isn't even a waiver that I know of that I can get so I can be able to give blood.  But there are other things permanently deferred people can do to help support the American Red Cross.

Send an eCard inviting friends and family to donate

Join us on Facebook, inviting friends to donate or support the cause.

Help host a blood drive.

Volunteer your time at a blood drive.

Make a financial donation to support the mission of the American Red Cross.

I plan on volunteering for a blood drive near me soon.  So do what you can readers to help contribute to your community.  Whether it be giving blood and volunteering your services.  =)



Today is my wedding anniversary with my husband.  I'm not sure what he has planned for me today.  I'm going to cook a nice healthy dinner tonight since my APFT suddenly got moved from Friday to tomorrow.  I also got him a gift which I can't say just yet.  He might check here to peek lol.  I'll give updates later this week.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

SMP vs. Army Scholarship & Tips to Road Marching

Tip of the Day:  Do not let friends abuse the relationship because at the end of the day...it was only a "thing" to them while you spent so much time and energy to help them.

One thing I've learned is that you can tell someone time and time again on how to be successful in life but in the end they will choose their own path...whether it is to destruction or just another emotional crutch.  And what have you done except waste your own breath?

This has happened to me several times with different people but I guess it took that many times to get it through my "thick skull"  (my Dad's old saying) for me to finally see the light.

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Anyways on to another note.  My contract for ROTC is finally unveiling a light at the end of the tunnel.  I never doubted that it would since I have been working hardcore towards getting it.  My medical waiver has finally been approved by Cadet Command.  It only took them almost 4 months! lol  But hey all good things come to those who wait.  =)  I have just one more thing to turn in which is my blood type.  I've gone my whole life without even wondering what my blood type was and now when I need it the most is when I don't have it lol.  Well I went this past week to get my blood taken so my results should be in sometime next week and then I'm done!

I've been researching lately on the Army scholarship vs. going SMP.  I've learned that you can't do both because the money paying for school comes from the same pocket.  After going through a couple forums I've decided to go with SMP.  I've been wanting the scholarship for a while because I thought I would be getting more money back into my pocket.  Instead, I would actually be double-dipping which is a negative with the Army.  SMP  gives more benefits as well.  Not only do I get tuition assistance (TA), but I get my weekend drill pay on top of the ROTC stipend.  If I did get the scholarship at the end of this semester, I would have to give up my weekend drills which is a good $200+ a month.  With that said, if they offer me the scholarship I will most likely decline it.  It sounds good but it actually limits me.

So if any of my readers are thinking about doing Army ROTC check out this site to see the differences:

SMP vs ROTC Scholarship

Another thing I've been doing lately.  I on a new team in ROTC called the Ranger Challenge.  It's a small group of us...only four.  But we've decided to push our limits on PT.  We meet separately from the other cadets to perform a more intense PT session.  The first week was a killer for me.  The three others in the group are PT studs (two guys and a female).  And me...we'll well I'm just average.  I do always score a 270+ on my PT exams but again I'm on a female scale which has different standards for running. So my 16:30 doesn't add up the same on a male scale.  Nevertheless, I'm glad I joined the team because I am getting better at PT...faster and stronger.  The first week, we did a 4 mile road march where I almost died and this past week I did the same road march just fine and even cut my time.

My boots were a major issue on the first road march.  It caused major blisters on my ankles which stopped me from being able to run to catch up to the group after the third mile.  For the next one, I took everyones' suggestions and combined them.  I'm happy to stay I did amazing on my second road march and I didn't get any blisters but I can't tell you what worked the best.  Here's everything I did to help prevent getting blisters.

• Buy comfortable boots:  The boots I was using were S.I. summer combat boots.  My husband bought me some new boots though, the Nike Special Field Boots (SFB).  They fit like a sneaker but still have the combat boot appearance.  They are also a lot lighter than S.I. boots.

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• Change the insoles:  not all insoles fit perfectly on everyone's feet.  Even though the Nike SFBs were light and had a nice sneaker fit, the soles were hard on my feet.  I didn't have time to go to the store and buy some new insoles so I grabbed my most comfortable sneakers, took the insoles out and put them in my boots.  What a difference it made!
• Put Vaseline on your feet: One of my girls was in the Army for 5 years and told me she would always put Vaseline on her feet before a road march and she never got blisters.  I didn't have any Vaseline but Neosporin works the same way so I put that on my hotspots.  (Hotspots are the places where you are more likely to get blisters)
• Wear a thin second layer of socks: I didn't feel comfortable with another pair of socks because my feet felt too constricted.  Instead I grabbed a pair of nylon knee-highs and put those on under my socks.  They worked great and helped lessen the friction.
• Get good road marching socks: The thicker the socks, the better.  Most places that sell military clothing will have these type of socks.  They cost about $10+ a pair but I promise, they are definitely worth the buy when it comes to road marching.  I have Fox River socks.  You can buy them straight from their website.  Click here

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I know this all sounds like a lot of things to do but when it comes to your feet, it's all worth it.  Pain is going to happen regardless but at least you can alleviate some of it.


I hope you enjoyed my tips!  Have a great rest of the weekend!  =)

EST, Armory training, and new guns

So this past week I had my first refresher with M16s, M4s, and SAWs.  It's been about 5 years since I've even shot an automatic rifle so I was pretty nervous.

On Tuesday we went to Fort Bragg for EST (Engagement Skills Training).  EST is a virtual weapons simulator.  They use real M16s but they have been rigged for electronic use.  So no rounds just an empty magazine in the rifle and you lay out in front of a huge screen.  It was a bit awkward for me.  You don't zero your weapon during this exercise so I was having a hard time centering my targets through my sights and also concentrating on a screen was making my eyes twitch.  Needless to say I didn't pass but I hope I will do better when we go live to do the actual qualifying next weekend.

On Thursday, we went to Lumberton's National Guard Armory.  We practiced zeroing weapons, clearing them, taking them apart, and doing a weapons check after it's been put back together.  Nothing too bad...we do all of this (except zeroing) when we use weapons with blanks during our FTXs.

I hope to get some more shooting time in this weekend.  My husband bought us a new shotgun this past week as well.  My neighbors and I are planning to go shooting sometime this week so I figure we'll trade off on our shotgun and their M4.  Sounds like a plan to me! :)

giving the specs about the SAW

working with the rifles

having some fun too!

make sure to look hardcore lol

the newest addition to our family :P

New Job

This week has been a rough week for me for various reasons but I'm pulling through.  I'm not going to lie, this semester's class load has been difficult.  Not necessarily more work than last semester but more complex.  I've been keeping up just barely since the semester started but this weekend I'm going to dedicate some extra hours to studying and starting on my projects early on in case I need to get help from my professor. 
There is some good news this week.  I got the BraveTech position at my school! It's great because I work part-time and it works with my school schedule.  I start Monday.  I'm a little nervous about getting back into the IT work field but I'm excited too.  It's going to be great to get my feet back in the water again.  I've forgotten a few things being outside the IT work field for about a year but it's like riding a bike...you never truly forget. 
PT has been awesome this week.  I haven't been running everyday but on the days we do run, I do great.  I can tell that my body didn't really get too out of shape during the break and two months of no PT.  Like my friend says, good muscle memory.  =)  Next weekend, I'll be in the field.  I'm not really looking forward to sleeping in the woods in the cold but hey it's part of playing soldier girl. 
Superbowl is this weekend!  I'm gonna go for the Giants since my Cowboys didn't make it anywhere lol.  Who are you rooting for?  Are you rooting at all or just watching for the funny commercials?  Be safe ya'll.  (NC is rubbing off a lil lol)

January Opportunities

So this week started off pretty interesting.  It started out pretty hectic and I was truly hyperventilating but things are starting to calm down.  Slowly I'm getting my thoughts and emotions and life in general in somewhat of an order.  A lot of things have happened today some good some bad.

I have received three job interviews.  One for Buckle at the Cross Creek Mall.  I'm not too excited about that one.  I wouldn't mind working weekends and getting the 40% discount but there is no way I'm driving over an hour from Pembroke to Fayetteville during the week to work.  The next two job interviews are at my school.  One is to be a Technician at our Performing Arts Center.  The other is to be a BraveTech in our Information Technology department.  I'm shooting more for the BraveTech position since that's centered more towards my degree.  Either is fine with me though.  Operating hours for both are between 8-5 Monday through Friday and they are right at my school so no need for traveling far between school and work.  I could even work in between classes.  I really hope I get one of those jobs.

Some more good news is that today I finally signed my medical waiver for ROTC.  It shouldn't be much longer before I get contracted and hopefully I can still get the Airborne slot.  Time is cutting close though.  The school starts a month from Friday so they could've already selected someone to send without my knowledge.  I'll have to check on that tomorrow.

Bad news...I've been procrastinating.  Yes, I'm getting my assignments done on time but I'm waiting until the last minute.  If I do, by miracle, get a chance to go to Airborne school, I'm going to have to be way ahead on my assignments.  I have a homework assignment due this Friday, two quizzes, and an essay due next Tuesday.  I definitely gotta get ahead so I'm not drowning later.  The other bad news is that my student that I started tutoring last week bailed on me.  Apparently I wasn't good enough for her.  It kind of hurt me because I think I do a pretty good job of explaining things but she was an older student who looked like she was just coming back to school after several years out of school.  And jumping right into Calculus is not really the best choice in that kind of situation.  But who am I to judge?  She ended up getting matched up with the Math tutor guru whose been tutoring for over 8 years so I hope she gets the help she needs from that tutor.  For now, I'm in limbo with no student to tutor until I get called upon...meaning jobless once again.  =/  But even though I'm not getting paid to tutor, I'm volunteering my "tutoring" skills at home.  My neighbor is studying to retake the ASVAB and he asked me for help in the math sections.  I'm also helping my husband learn how to write essays for his Expository Writing class.  So all in all, I do feel like I'm being helpful even though I'm not being paid for it.  And to me...you can't put a price helping someone understand how to do things on their own.  That satisfaction is the best form of payment I can get.

Good news!!! And a great message...

I'm mid-week through the first week of this semester and things are going great.  I'm enjoying all my classes and I had my first day back to PT yesterday.  I won't lie...I am a little sore lol.  We did a bunch of cross-fit type workouts.  No word yet on my contract.  We are sending up an appeal on DODMERB decision.  Some good news to look forward to is that I might have a chance to go to Airborne School next month.  If my contract goes through as planned than I will most definitely be going.  I'm so excited and scared at the same time.  My husband and all my friends are happy that I will be joining the "cool" club haha.  The great thing is that my professors have already approved of my absence in class (I didn't waste time lol) so if all works out in my favor I will be a paratrooper come the end of March.  =) My older sister asked my why in the world would I want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?!?  I asked her, how many people do you know that are crazy enough to jump out of one?  Haha...we'll now she'll know two!  (Me and my husband =P)

On another note, I saw this today and thought I would share.  It sparked my interest because in my Religion class, we have been posed with the question, "What is religion?".  Well it's too early in the semester to give my scholarly opinion on the  matter but if I were to put my "believer's hat" on, I would agree with this guy and how he thinks.  Enjoy and have a great rest of the week!

Entering into the New Year

I've been at a loss for words lately.  Much has happened during this winter break...goods and bads.  It was really great to meet a side of my husband's family that I've never met before.  It was definitely much needed for the both of us and I know it meant a lot for him to be able to spend the holidays with them after so many years away.  I got to meet my mother-in-law's husband's side of the family as well.  There are ancient in their ways of living lol.  But they are all still very fun people to be around.  I did miss my family terribly though.  Especially during Christmas.  I think I cried about four or five times between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  But I sucked it up...I can't be so greedy all the time.  Although, having my dad read my Christmas message to the family on Christmas Eve meant the world to me.  I'm glad I could have a little part of me with them that night.

So on to my bad news...this past semester I trained and worked hard on getting my scholarship/contract with the Army.  I had to jump through many hoops to get where I am...between PT tests, FTX weekends, getting good grades in my classes, and medical exams...it's a circus really.  I passed with flying colors expect the one thing I had no control over...my medical exam.  Yep...I received my disqualification letter.  This made my heart drop...and yes I did shed a few tears of frustration.  I couldn't believe they could disqualify me over something so little as having a history of psoriasis.  It doesn't effect my ability to train or work hard but yet it's an automatic disqualification.  This really could be the end of my military career if I can't get a medical waiver.  I can only hope and pray that Cadet Command will approve my waiver.  Since the Army is cutting down on troops, they are weeding out people for the smallest things.

I will be able to continue in the program this semester so long as my waiver is still pending.  So my resolution for this year is to continue to work hard and prove that I deserve to be in this program despite my medical circumstances however small they may be.  I have other resolutions as well including getting straight As again this year, growing closer to my husband, and saving up for a nice vacation for the summer.

I hope everyone entered into the New Year with a bang.  My best advice is to hit the ground running as we start a new beginning.  It's weird how New Years always seems to set a restart button on our lives.  Most people look at it as a way to make up for mistakes from the last year or to start a completely new path from the last.  I'm not sure which one I'm doing yet....making up for past mistakes or starting a new path.  All I do know is that I've made up my mind to keep positive and make the best of everyday that passes me by.

Lots to be thankful for...

Last Wednesday I had my very important APFT.  I'm happy to say I did surprisingly well.  I didn't get a 300 but I was very close.  I ended up doing 52 pushups (I only needed 46 to max), 82 situps (80 is maxing), and I ran a 16:35 on my two miles (I needed a 15:36 to max).  My overall score was 290 out of 300.  I'm still extremely proud of myself.  My last APFT score was 255 so I improved by 35 points!

This past weekend was our last FTX for the semester.  It was very well.  I had a great time even with it being extremely busy and exhausting.  It really makes a difference when you are working with people you enjoy being around.  We slept out in the woods so I had to build my own hooch.  I wish I would have taken a picture of it.  It came out awesome.  I came prepared with stakes, bungie cords, and 550 cord.  Below is an illustration I found that is pretty close to how my hooch came out.  We use our ponchos to make them.  Basically what I did is used the bungie cords to attach my poncho to two trees.  I used two more bungie cords to go completely across the inside of the poncho to build a makeshift type roof.  I also used 550 cord to tie the poncho hood and tied the other end to the tree so no water would come through my hooch.  Then I used the stakes to hold the sides of the poncho to the ground.  After all that, I was able to put my sleeping mat down and then my sleeping bag inside.  I actually slept very well.  It was like a tiny little room...only big enough to sleep in haha.

This week has been good too.  Today was my last day of school before Thanksgiving break.  I'll be heading down to Orlando tomorrow so see my family.  I can't wait to see them even though it's been only a month since I saw them last.  It's never a dull moment with them. 

Being that Thanksgiving is around the corner, I've been thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for.  So here is my list of the top 10 things I'm thankful for:

1. God - If it wasn't for Him, I would even be here today.
2. My Family - They are what keep me together
3. School - What keeps my mind active and my way of staying independent
4. My Friends - I'm thankful for the friends I've kept throughout the years and also the ones I've made along the way.  They all have made a difference in my life.
5. Love - Being able to feel love and give love.  It brings both joy and sadness but I'm thankful to be able to feel both all the same.
6. My dogs - They keep me active and always bring me happiness when I'm around them.
7. ROTC - Yes, believe it not I'm thankful that.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to surround myself around great people.  People that are helping to mold me into the leader I'm becoming.  It's also going to provide me with my future career.  =)
8. My house - I love being able to come into a place and call it home...MY home.
9. My car - It's reliable, economical, and get's me where I need to go.
10. My health - I'm a healthy woman who likes to keep fit and cares about my appearance.  Today I received a lot of compliments by my ROTC classmates today since I came to class without my uniform today.  It's a nice reminder that I'm a pretty lady who is valued inside and out.  =)

Well I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving!  Stay safe everyone!

Scholarship Nominee!

So this week started off bad but it is definitely coming to a great end!  On Monday morning during our formation after PT, one of the Senior Military Instructors from Campbell Battalion came to talk to us about the downsizing that the Army is doing.  Campbell Battalion has been producing more officers than actually needed in the Army so they wanted to let us know that the contracts were going to be limited.  On Tuesday, our Captain came to brief the MSII class about the same thing except he had even more bad news.  Campbell Battalion was only going to contract 43 MSII cadets (class of 2014).  Let me explain this a little further...Campbell Battalion is made of four companies at four universities in this area: Campbell University, Fayetteville State University, Methodist University, and lastly University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  Our Battalion has to be at least 300 hundred strong and just at UNCP we have 24 MSIIs and we are one of smaller companies in our battalion.  This had me pretty nervous because liked I've said many times before, this is my dream.  I've planned the next three years of my life around this and now I was being told my chances were going to be slim to none.  About 15 of those 43 will be green-to-gold cadets (active duty enlisted transferring to become officers).  We have no say in how many we will actually get and there really isn't a limit.  Maybe another 10-14 who are on scholarship.  So for us who aren't contracted it's like having 40-50 dogs fighting for the same bone!  I was pretty depressed for most of this week.......UNTIL TODAY.

Today I came into the ROTC house to work on some homework for another class and our Msgt came up to me about the APFT coming up.  He asked if it was possible to make it to the APFT they were holding at Fort Bragg for the contracted cadets.  He told me that he knows I'm not contracted yet but since I have my packet already submitted he wanted me to take it with them anyways.  That was a pick-me-up!  About an hour later, our Captian comes into the house and asks to see me.  I was pretty nervous since he's been having people come see him about contracting and letting people know whether they might be able to contract or not.  I was pretty nervous I'm not gonna lie.  As I'm standing at parade rest he tells me "Here's the deal Gilfranzo" (Yes that's how he says my name lol) "There's only one MSII scholarship they are giving out this year and you've been nominated for it. You're competing against one girl from FSU and she's high speed like you.  So you better be at the APFT at Fort Bragg and score a frikin 300 on that PT test you hear me!"  I felt my body go numb....a scholarship!  I was freaking out about not getting contracted and now I'm up for a scholarship!!!!  I want to hug the crap out of him LOL.  I've never felt so nervous and so proud at the same time!

So for the next week and half I will be training hardcore for this PT test.  I need to be in the best shape of my life and run the fastest I've ever ran in my life if I want this scholarship.  Which I do!  I want it more than anything else!  I really do hope I get this, it would seriously make my year official. So I'm asking ALL my friends and family to keep me in your prayers while I train hard for this and the pray REALLY hard for me at 0600 on the 16th of November LOL.  Tomorrow is Friday! Yay!  Have a great weekend ya'll. =)

High speed short girl in the middle?  Yeah that's me lol

My Italian skills put to the test = Success!

Last week was a VERY busy week for me.  I had three midterms and I'm proud to say that I ACED all three.  Yep...100% on all three.  I'm so proud of myself. Especially the Calculus exam.  But I will admit I did study very hard.  I never thought I would be doing this great in college.  I guess my first experience in college helped me to learn not to waste my time and money all over again. This week I have two more and then I'm finito on midterms. =)

This weekend was great.  Saturday my husband and I woke up early and had breakfast and then went to see our neighbors' girls play soccer.  It was so cute.  The teams were made up of little boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 6.  The little 4 year old kids were so cute with their tiny soccer cleats and shin guards.  It really puts me in baby fever mode haha.  After the game I had to head out to Pembroke to do a color guard detail for UNCP's homecoming game.  When I got home my husband was gone (out to the mall).  I did some homework until he got home and I got a nice little surprise from him.  He bought me a cute dress and I must say he has great taste in clothes. LOL

Sunday we went to church (Rivers of Living Water).  We decided to check out their Sunday school classes.  A couple weeks ago, one of the ladies informed me of a marriage couples Sunday school class that Rivers has called Couples 4 Christ.  We actually enjoyed the class very much!  My husband and I are going to make it a point to get up a little earlier on Sundays so we can make it to this class from now on.  We also got to meet other couples through this class which is nice since we don't know very many people at the church.  For Sunday dinner I decided to try something new.  One of my aunt's has a lasagna recipe that is to die for.  It's very unique in the fact that no ricotta cheese is used in the recipe.  (I can't let out the secrets though!  It must stay in the family hehe)  So for dinner I decided to attempt to make it and I must say I did a great job!  My husband had three plates last night and we ate the leftovers for lunch today.  I guess this dish will be a regular in this house from now on.  A big thanks to my aunt for coming up with this recipe!  =)

The night ended with a movie and reading an entry of The Love Dare.  I had bought this book for us years ago when we first got married but being so far away for such a long time, we never got around to doing it.  We are on day 4 and I'm loving this book.  I truly believe that by the end of this 40-day challenge, my husband and I will have learned more and loved more of each other than we have in the almost 3 years we've been married.  I'm looking forward to finding out what our next dare will be.  =)

My first time making lasagna from scratch!

T.G.I.F

Gosh am I glad it's Friday!  It's been a long weekend for me even with having Monday off because of Labor Day.  PT has been pretty tough for me this week.  We've been running every day.  Between Tuesday through today, I've ran around 9-10 miles.  I strained my hamstring on Tuesday from sprints and it didn't help as we continued sprints on Wednesday.  I was able to get through by stretching my legs many times throughout the days. Stretching is one of the most important parts of exercise.  If you don't stretch right it could really ruin your whole workout.  Here are a few stretches that I used to get myself back to speed.  There are several different ways to stretch the hamstring but these are what I found that fits me best.

Standing Hamstring Stretch #1

This is a good one to do before doing any exercises.  What you do is bend over until you touch your toes. (You can bend you knees if you need to.)  Once you are touching your toes, try to straighten your legs.  You will feel that back muscle tighten a little but remember it shouldn't feel painful.  Stretching is suppose to help not hurt.  =)

Standing Hamstring #2

This is a good stretch to do after you exercise.  It is stretching the same muscle but you are keeping your head up and elevated.  The worst thing you could do is bring your head down after a hard workout and have all that blood rush to your head.  It could lead to lots of dizziness and it could make you feel even more faint.  For this stretch just extend one leg outwards points your toes up.  Then slowly bend the opposite leg and you should feel that hamstring tighten some.  Remember to always stretch twice as long after your workout.

Hamstring Stretch sitting

If you find it difficult to stay standing after your exercising, this is a good stretch to do as well.  You still have your head elevated to stop from getting very dizzy or faint and still stretching that same muscle.  For this stretch just bring one leg inwards with the other leg extended all the way out toes pointed upwards.  Then extend your arms all the way out as you try to reach your toes on your extended leg.  

I hope you enjoyed my little stretching brief.  =)  It really helped me a lot especially for today on our 3 mile run which turned to 4.  I feel real good though. I never thought I could improve so much physically in such a short time.  I think I'll be more than ready for the PT test on the 27th if I keep up like this.  

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Stay blessed ya'll!