Yesterday, E and the rest of his group got OC-sprayed.

the spray went from ear-to-ear, then they had to go through an obstacle course. They had to knee and punch some targets (30 seconds each), OC spray a target (but that was just water) and then arrest someone. Afterwards they went to the decon station.

I felt so bad for all of these soldiers because I can only imagine how much it must suck to get sprayed in the face like that. Getting gassed or tased is nothing compared to getting OC-sprayed. Gas is like 10 minutes of suck, tased is a few moments of suck but OC-spray is like over an hour of suck. I captured pictures of E going through the obstacle course and then followed him to the decon station where I helped him and the other soldiers. There wasn't much I could do, other than pouring water on them, offering them paper towels and getting them baby shampoo and telling them to face the wind to help with the burn. One of the soldiers said to me, "you know, you're a very nice person. thank you." That made me smile :) I told E to slather sour cream on his face after flushing with water because it will help neutralize the burn. A lot of the other guys laughed, but once they slathered some sour cream on their face they realized how much it helps :)

Now E can no longer make fun of me for slathering sour cream all over my fingers and hands one day. We made guacamole and added some finely-chopped jalapeno to the mix. I didn't wear gloves and failed to properly wash off those capsacein oils. I just used some soap and water. That didn't work. Later that night I took a shower and rubbed my eyes and they were burning and then my fingers and hands felt like they were on fire. It was miserable. There was nothing that really could be done because the pores in my skin were already open and the capsaceins have already penetrated into the skin, but sour cream and dairy provided temporary relief. Once some ibuprofen kicked in I felt a lot better. Now I'm NOT comparing the burning from the jalapeno to the burn in your face/eyes from the OC spray, but it really helps to neutralize that burn! Now every time I chop up jalapenos I rinse with sour cream/yogurt/milk and then soap & water. I haven't had a problem since :)

(click to see full pictures because of my stupid layout...)
































































Lol aww...so proud of him! His face is fine now :)

Last night we went to The Hub which is a German restaurant. I don't mind German food, but I've never been "blown away" by something by so much where I *HAVE* to have it. I got the zigeur schnitzel, which intrigued me because of the "jalapeno & mushroom sauce." when I got it, it just looked like a bunch of brown gravy...wasn't spicy at all. There was only like 1 little slice of jalapeno and that wasn't even hot. At least the pork was tender.

E got the kaiser schnitzel with spaetzle. The kaiser schnitzel had some sort of weird creamy sauce on it that tasted like it was mustard-based (and I hate mustard) but it had a really good flavor. E loved it. Everything was good, but I would rather go to Seoul Garden or El Jimador the next time I come here. Plus the service at The Hub was VERY slow. We waited over an hour just to get our food.

Tonight we're going to Saint Louis so that should be interesting :) We're going to an Arabic restaurant for dinner which I'm excited for! :)

Day 7!

Day 7: Post a picture of a wonderful friend you have made because of your s/o being in the military.

I haven't really met a lot of people since E commissioned (hopefully that will change once we PCS in May). Through ROTC I have met a lot of people, but more notably these two:

This is an older picture of him, but he still looks EXACTLY the same. He's one of our good friends and happens to be E's best man for our formal wedding in May :) He was formerly enlisted as an MP and was stationed in South Korea. Now he's finishing up ROTC and will commission in May as a 2LT. This time he's going MI.

Aaaaand:

Sorry Lauren, I totally yoinked this from your Facebook page :)

I wouldn't have met her if it weren't for the Army. Both of our boys lived together and we practically lived with them in that house together haha. She's very sweet :) She also has a blog, go follow her @ Killer Words From A Queen! :)

Edit: I hate my layout for not being able to display pictures properly, even though I choose them to be small! Oh well, click to view them better, I guess :)

Friday-Fill-In!

1. During military separations, how do you keep yourself positive and motivated?
I become a work-a-holic. I also have great family & friends who keep me busy :) We haven't been through a deployment yet, but we've been separated before and with the formal wedding coming up in like 2 months, that also keeps me busy!

2. What is your favorite concert you have been to?
It has been awhile since I've been to any concerts...but Taking Back Sunday :)

3. What do you miss about your hometown?
I consider two places my "hometown" - my home back in Ohio and Clearwater, FL, which is where I practically grew up. I miss the gorgeous weather and living only 20min from the beach...but moving to Texas in May will give me similar weather :) Back in Ohio I will always miss my friends and my family (even though everyone else lives in Connecticut) but I'm sure my mom and/or my brother will probably move close to where I will be just to get out of Ohio, even though they know we'll be there for 2, maybe 3 years maximum.

4. If you could run in any race, what charity would you choose to support?
The American Cancer Society.

5. If you find out Willy Wonka is your father, what 3 course meal do you INSIST he create in that stick of gum?
Oh geez, I LOVE food! but let's see....I would love to start with some Korean banchan (side dishes)...some of my favorites include the radish with kimchi flavoring, steamed lotus root (it's sweet!), fish cake and bean sprouts. Then I would like some kimchi jjigae, or kimchi stew (it's very hot and spicy with kimchi, tofu, chunks of pork meat, green onion/onion) and then finish off with a taro bubble tea for dessert :)

Thursday Five & What's Your Song week 3!

Nicole over @ Flip Flops and Combat Boots is doing a link-up called Thursday Five. Here are this week's words:

Peaceful

Loved

Awesome

Lucky
Smart

1. The most Peaceful part of my day is in the morning - drinking coffee and getting my morning fix of Blogger, Twitter, Allnurses and Facebook!

2. E makes me feel Loved every day! The way he makes me feel and the way he treats me is exhilarating...no one else can compare! I feel so Lucky to have such a wonderful husband.

3. Although I haven't done a whole lot (because there isn't much to do here at Fort Leonard Wood lol), so far it has been Awesome because I get to spend quality time with E :) Unfortunately I have to go back home soon :( But I will be here again in about a month for E's military ball and MPBOLC graduation :D

4. Lately I've been feeling Smart...nursing school friends have been asking me a lot of nursing-related questions that I've been able to answer! I better be able to, I've got this NCLEX coming up lol.

And this week is also week 3 for What's Your Song, hosted by Goodnight Moon!

Another favorite song of mine happens to be called Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley. Above I was talking about how well E treats me and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband. Before I started dating E, I was dating this asshole named Greg. He was nice at first, and pretty attractive at that time. Then as time went on I guess he started to get "too comfortable" and started to treat me like crap. He would always check out other girls and say to me how pretty and hot and sexy they were and say "why don't you wear something like she is wearing?" One night we were sitting in his kitchen eating dinner and out of the blue told me, "you know, a little bit of makeup wouldn't hurt you." His mom was sitting right there and ridiculed him for what he said, saying it wasn't nice but he just shrugged and said "but it's true." It was just things like that. He also could NEVER admit when he was wrong. I was always wrong and he was always right. He wrestled in high school and thinks that is the "manliest" sport that exists.

I'm sorry, but honestly, I think wrestling is kind of gay haha. Nothing like having two guys rubbing up against each other. :X

Then he went to Florida for a week with some friends. The FIRST thing one of his friends told me was "don't worry, he didn't cheat on you." 8 months later (and by this time I moved on and was dating E) my friend Nicole found out that he did cheat on me. It pissed me off because I was still with him for 2 months after he got back from Florida, but oh well. He was really upset when I broke up with him, but whatever, it's his loss. Then he messaged me on Facebook saying I was dating an ugly guy and that the military is for pussies....later he messaged me telling me he was going to join the Marines and be "a real man." He never did.

E would NEVER say things like that me. He ALWAYS compliments me and tells me how pretty and beautiful I am. He always treats me with respect.

This song reminds me of my ex but also where I am today and that I have someone so much better. I was your silver lining, but now I'm gold.

Day 6 - Fort Leonard Wood

Day 6: Post a picture of the base your man is at and tell 5 cool things about the base.



Oh what to say about Fort Leonard Wood lol... (I'll try my best!)
1. Obviously, E is here! That is the BEST thing about this post ;)
2. It's warmer here than back home (OH-IO!)
3. It's got a cool MP memorial. I love the bronze crossed pistols statue:



Along with that memorial is also a chem and engineer memorial.

4. The post isn't overly huge which in a way is nice. I know when I move to Fort Hood in May it'll be a big change, but I'm ready for that (and nicer weather!! lol)
5. There is a really good Korean restaurant (Seoul Garden) and Mexican restaurant (El Jimador) off-post.

That's pretty much it lol.

such a sweet story.

Wish Comes True for Cancer-Stricken 10-year-old Inducted into Army

Most kids might hope to get an Xbox or an iPod Touch for their 10th birthday. Brennan Daigle got a reception from a formation of soldiers, a ride in a camouflaged National Guard Humvee--and induction as an honorary member of the Army.

Since October 2009, Brennan, from Sulphur, Louisiana, has been battling embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma--a rare form of cancer in which muscular tumors attach themselves to bones, reports the Fort Polk Guardian. Last month, doctors told his family there was nothing more they could do, and gave Brennan just weeks to live.

Brennan has always loved the Army. His mother had created a Facebook page--Brennan's Brigade--to keep family and friends informed of his condition. People from around the world, including soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, have left comments of encouragement and support. One group of soldiers in Afghanistan posted a picture of themselves holding an American flag, and told Brennan: "We're flying this flag in honor of you; we're here to back you. Stay Army strong."

Becky Prejean, who runs a charity for sick kids called Dreams Come True of Louisiana, heard about Brennan's illness, and got in touch with his mother, Kristy Daigle. Brennan's greatest wish, Daigle told Prejean, was to meet some soldiers in person, before his illness worsened. So the two women contacted the Fort Polk Community Relations Office, which put out a call for a few soldiers to attend Brennan's tenth birthday on Feb. 26.

Forty showed up.

Brennan had been told he was going fishing with his father. But when he got out of his dad's truck, he was greeted by a formation of 1st MEB soldiers, standing at attention in front of a National Guard Humvee. After a moment, they all shouted "Happy Birthday, Brennan!," and broke into applause.

Brennan was speechless, according to his mother. "All he could do was giggle," she said.

Brennan and his best friend Kaleb were invited to check out the Humvee, and Brennan sat behind the wheel. Then soldiers took the two boys out for a spin. Afterward, Brennan and Kaleb put their heads out the hatch on the vehicle's roof, while the crowd snapped pictures.

But it wasn't over. Brennan got out of the Humvee and was led to the front of the formation, where he shook hands with each soldier. He was inducted into the Army as an honorary member, then given a coin symbolizing merit and excellence, as well as a military jacket with his name on the pocket, and other Army-themed gifts.

"Brennan, you exemplify what personal courage means," Pfc. Kamesha Starkey, 1st MEB, told him.

Finally, the mayor of Sulphur, La., gave Brennan a key to the city, and the title of Honorary Mayor of the Day.

"Words can never express what I felt seeing all those soldiers there, knowing some of them had just come back from Iraq and still took time out for just one little boy," Kristy Daigle said. "Just to know that they care enough to give their all, to give their love and support to a little boy is phenomenal. It says so much about our men and women who serve our country in the armed forces."

Some of the soldiers said the event helped put things in perspective for them. "It was good to be able to give back," Pfc. Kyle Frederick said. "It opened my eyes to a lot of things: How I take my kids for granted, how lucky we are, how we complain on a day-to-day basis and we really have it good compared to others."

As for Brennan, it took a while for his new honor to sink in. The next day, he asked his mother, "Am I really in the Army?"

"You most certainly are," she answered. "They don't swear in just anyone."

"That's awesome," said Brennan.

Facebook page for Brennan's Brigade is HERE.

Getting to know each other.

Lou @ Guinn & Bare It is doing a link-up to get to know her new followers. Check out her blog to link up!

Getting to know me: Melissa!

1. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
Laundry, because between my husband & I it's a lot of loads. I blame him though lol. He waits until ALL of his clothes are dirty and I don't. I also hate doing dishes because it's very gross...and my husband will just leave dirty dishes in the sink at times and sometimes I really have to scrub to get some of that shiz off!

2. What is your favorite body part?
I guess my eyes.

3. What celebrity do you get mistaken for?
I have never gotten mistaken for a celebrity, but I've been told that I look a lot like Jessica Alba, just a slighly more Asian version of her lol. And sure enough, I took one of those celebrity look-a-like tests and I got 70% Jessica Alba as a result lol.

4. What was the last movie, TV show or book that made you cry or tear up?
I watched Restrepo a couple of days ago with E. It's a documentary of 2nd Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team who all go on a 15-month deployment to the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. The Korengal Valley was considered to be one of the deadliest deployment areas for soldiers to go to. The platoon was under fire every day. It was good considering this was all real footage. So far 50 American soldiers have died in the Korengal Valley, including some members of this platoon. Afghan civilians and soldiers have lost their lives here, too. Some parts were very sad...but that's with any war movie or documentary. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I find war films/documentaries to be so interesting but at the same time they make me so sad because I think of all of those men and women in uniform who have lost their lives and it is mind boggling to think of what these servicemen and women have to go through every day. It also makes me think of E and what he will have to endure once he deploys.

5. What story does your family always tell about you?
I will actually have to come back to this one. There are stories but for some reason my mind is blank at the moment!

6. What do you love about blogging?
I can share my feelings and have met a lot of online bloggers through the MilSpouse blogging community which is such a plus!

7. What are your passions?
Nursing and helping people, supporting and respect for our troops (obviously! I really really REALLY hate those WBCers!!) and cancer awareness/fund raisers/etc, especially for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is one of those silent killers because you don't know you have it until it is very advanced. The chance of surviving when diagnosed as a stage IV is 4%. I lost my father at 51 to pancreatic cancer 4 years ago (it will be 5 years this October). I really hope we can find a cure or at least a way to catch this early.