2.20.2010

Honest scrap....and other stuff.

Ha haaaaaaa...finally. A picture of me and the top of my dress.

Hello all,
I have recieved the honest scrap award before...but never from Sue so It's special.
lol.
I decided to combine my honest scrap thing with an idea I got from my husband...so here goes..

TEN BEST:

The ten best list...
These will be things I deem important lol.

Okay...

1.) Best Meal ever:

The red coachmen In Niagara falls.
My husband and I went there on our move from Massachusetts to Colorado.
Tim had an aged prime rib...I had trout stuffed with sage.
IT was the best everything...best food, best bread best atmosphere...best meal ever. IT was also the priciest meal ever...180 dollars for two meals.
Worth every bite. Sometimes the experience means more than the money.

2.) Okay...Best sleep ever...

My best sleep comes courtesy once again, of the military.
I got out of basic training and Ait...(I didn't do the break in the middle...)
I had gotten practically no sleep for about 3 and a half months.
I got home to Michigan. I went to bed on friday night and woke up Sunday at around 10 am.
My mom said she kept checking on me to see if I was breathing lol.
Well, I woke up and couldn't believe where I was...because I had a dream in basic while I was on guard duty while on ftx in the woods...I was laying in a prone position..(those former army people will understand) I had blanks and I was supposed to be 'guarding' our camp.
well, while in prone I went to sleep...those in the army will understand that as well..you get to the point you can sleep standing up, upside down or on your head.
In my dream, I dreampt I was back home in my bed with the autumn leaves fluttering outside the windows.
Well, when I actually woke up back in Michigan..I had a thought like "uh oh...I am in basic, I am dreaming and I had better wake up before I get nailed for sleeping while on guard duty.
very confusing...but the best sleep of my life.

3.) best cup of coffee....
When my husband and I were dating...we went to a restaurant called Mom's place in myrtle beach.
The food was craptastic. But the coffee was so awesome I will never forget it.
Tim and I joked that they spent all their money on the coffee.
If I remember correctly it was a columbian italian blend that they roasted and ground themselves.
so, worst food..best coffee...myrtle beach.

4.) Best romantic moment made for a movie
You see, I know how you all work.
I want the hands down....no holds barred...most romantic thing that has ever happened to you. Don't try to come up with the one thing your wonderful but not so romantic spouse did....we all know he/she is the love of your life....having a wonderfully outside of time romantic moment does not detract from that...
I don't care if it was a three eyed sloth from uzbekistan. The sheer romanticalness of the moment is what I am looking for.

So, Best romantic moment made for a movie...
After Ait on the way back to Michigan (before I ever met my husband ) I caught a cab with five other recruits back to St. Louis Missouri so we wouldn't have to take a bus trip.
When we got to ST. Louis, the guy I was kind of seeing, kind of just friends with (Brian Mcelroy) and I went to a little restaurant to have some dinner.
We were having a really good time talking...We must have been there for over an hour. There was us and a few other couples in the small diner.
They had a jukebox in the corner. Without telling me what he was doing... He got up, walked over to the jukebox....found a song he liked and put it on...to tell the truth, I can't remember what it was....something about texas. He moved four or five tables out of the way, then held his hand out and asked me to dance with him, (there was no dance floor) When I said..."everyone is staring"....he said "That's because your the most beautiful girl in the room"
holy toledo...
everyone should have a moment like that.
lol.

Okay.
5.) Best return to childhood moment....
Okay, now....why I love my husband so much.
I had a crap childhood.
I never flew a kite.
When Tim found out I had never flown a kite...he took me down to topsail beach in North carolina and taught me how to fly a kite.
It was beautiful and I can still remember the sea and the seagulls...we were completely alone.
It filled a hole I didn't know I had.

6.) Best moment of your life (apart from having your children or getting married)
Hands down, these are the best moment of everyone's life...and so to avoid a litany of the same answers....I want the best moment of your life apart from that.

Mine....Going to paris and standing on top of the arche de triomphe on the champs de elysee at night and looking out in all directions and saying to myself over and over..remember this...remember this...remember this.
Just beautiful, I can still see the sacre coeur in the distance....white and beautiful.
I couldn't believe I was there.

Okay,
7.) Best moment of revenge.
I was in the army...I was six months pregnant and was still a truck driver.
I was picking up spec ops students from a land navigation course...they had to pick up garbage that day. So I asked them to take it with them when they got out of the truck. You see, that weekend was a four day weekend...and I was heading to massachussets to see Tim (we had been seperated for a few months cause he got sent to his permanant party ahead of me) So I was going to drive drive drive to spend just two days with him and then drive like a demon back to be there in time for formation on Tuesday.
So, I get back to the motorpool...and look in the back of the truck...not only did they not take their garbage with them...they had ripped the bags open and kicked the garbage everywhere.
I don't think there has been but one time since that I have been that angry.
I still remember Sergeant Kelly telling me "Carpenter, I will help you pick it all up..." (It was one in the morning)
I said "That's okay, SGt. Kelly, you go on home and be with your wife...." (He never got time off..and she was pregnant...besides that, I had a little something planned)
He said "Your not going to do anything are you?"
I said, "What would I do...."
He just looked at me and then left.
It took me two hours to package all that crap back up into garbage bags.
When I did...I pulled my ford explorer into the motor pool parking lot.
I filled it up with- oh about 35 bags of garbage.
It was in the front seat, back seat...piled to the cielings.
I drove back out to Camp McCall, where I had dropped those little pigs earlier.
I took out every bag of garbage, kicked it open and made the biggest mess you can imagine.
I went home, caught a few hours of sleep...went and saw Tim. It was the fourth of July Weekend.
On Tuesday, I got called into the first seargents office.
He was all "Carpenter, did you take that garbage back out to Camp McCall...
I say, "Yes."
He is all "Didn't you tell Sgt. Kelley that you weren't contemplating anything when he left?"
I say "I didn't want Sgt. Kelley to get in trouble."
He says "Are you sorry for what you did?"
I say "NO, and I would do it again."
He laughed. Then he dismissed me.
Those little pigs spent the rest of their time during selection doing trash detail.
Granted, our ford explorer always whiffed of garbage after that...but to me it was the smell of victory.

8.) Best thing someone has ever done for you....
I had a colonel pull Tim out of Alabania during the Kosovo war so I wouldn't miss my non refundable flight back to Michigan. He got that call at 2 in the morning and by 7 the next day, he had fixed everything...it was the only time I had ever asked anyone for anything in that regard...and he made it happen.
I will never forget that.

9.) Best thing you have ever done for someone else.
I had a friend in ait named tony ( a girl) .
I have thought and thought...but this is really the only thing I could come up with...I mean, there are things you do money wise and then there are things you do time wise. The best use of my time to date was this.
She had been raped. I sat with her all night, just quiet in the barracks bathroom, while she cried. Cause I couldn't think of anything to say.
But I think it helped. Sometimes all you have is you. (For me, barring winning the lottery or some such thing...it's pretty much all I have)

10.) Best life changing moment;
Standing on a street corner in Ft. bragg, N.C, waiting for a cab to go on a date and seeing a tall, handsome man walking my way.....and asking him what he was doing.
That man became my husband...hence giving me two wonderful children and just about every other pretty good thing that has happened since.

Well,
I am tapping five other people with the honest scrap award....
Pick it up on the side of my blog.
Loretta
Amber
Kim
Melissa
and
Foodie Girl.

I want to see your answers.
Hugs to you all...
Your honest and scrappy blogger...
Chris

18 comments:

KrysTros said...

You look wonderful!!!

Christine said...

well, thanks!

paulawannacracker said...

I have to agree. You look absolutely amazing Chris. Also, wow, you were in the service. It doesn't suprise me. Just didn't realize.

I enjoyed reading those details of your life. Awards are a great way of sharing.

A

Kim said...

Your dress is very pretty. :) Now tell your hubby to take you on a date. lol. Thanks for the award...it's my first one EVER. :) Loved reading your "bests". I'm gonna go write mine now. Thanks for the encouragement...I really appreciate it...really kinda needed it more than I knew. Blessings to you.

Brenda said...

Great picture, Chris!
Those were all great, but #7 was a good one!

Anonymous said...

Awww, now see? This is why I wanted to read yours even if you had already gotten it. You made it authentically you. Love it.

And I will never EVER do something to make you seek revenge on me. Ever.

Alexia said...

You look fabulous! And what a great list!

Putz said...

comloooeur, i think i might have got overload on you, can someone know toooooo much about a person, it really honestly a good list and i do appreciate knowing a person i tease really weellppp.s did you know i was an army brat??????and also served in army 63 to 70 in eroupe

Tammy said...

Holy crap woman....you look great in that dress!!

Your list made me laugh my ass off and cry my eyes out....what an excellent, excellent list. It's truly the best one I've ever read....ever.

Learning to be Less said...

Holy crap you are looking hot!!! I know you are not at your goal size 10 yet but you look like a totally different person. You look younger and smokin' hot.

I bet your husband is loving it. Well, I bet you are too. It makes you feel like a different person doesn't it?

Your post was awesome but even after reading all the way through it I am still floored by the pictures at the top. AMAZING!!

Robin said...

Great picture. I am glad that you finally were able to post it. Loved all of your answers. I think that sometimes we all need to stop and think about those sorts of things because we forget; we get caught up in the drudgery of our lives and forget that we had INCREDIBLE moments. So glad you shared yours:-)

Boozy Tooth said...

Darling Chris... you totally rocked the Honest Scrap. Rocked it bigtime.

But you know what got me? The photo. You are turning into a glamorpuss before my very eyes. A hottie of epic proportions. A stunner. Eye Candy. A Goddess. Loveliness personified. A sex kitten.

What have I left out? Oh yes, FINE, FINE, FINE.

Retta said...

I enjoyed reading your Ten Best list!

I haven't been doing awards because they usually have too many time consuming and time wasting rules... but I like yours. So, thank you, and I'll work on it. A couple of the categories really touched me, and brought back warm memories.
Loretta
=^..^=

Melissa said...

This is going to be hard, but fun. I'm excited about getting my answers together. I loved reading yours!!

Unknown said...

YOU LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL. Calm. Confident.

Linda Pressman said...

Chris, beautiful, beautiful picture. And a lovely dress.

I just want to point out (and I'm sorry I'm ridiculously late in posting) that you do something great for people everytime you post about your weight loss journey. You tell it like it is, you give the "honest scrap," you motivate, and you accomplish. That may just be the most amazing thing you ever do for many, many people all at the same time.

Hallie said...

Nice answers. You really took me there.

Hanlie said...

I really enjoyed your version of this! You really took me along down Memory Lane.