1.28.2008
1.24.2008
Duty Days...
{Nicky}
...seem to be the perfect days to update.
Scott's officially in the shipyard, now, and has duty every 4th night. That's annoying, but he is not out at sea, and that's a trade off I'll happily take!
The weather has been cool and gloomy here, so it's hard to get the dogs outside to exercise. We try to make due by rough housing and playing ball in the house, but in some cases, they (jackson) take it upon themselves (himself) to create any form of amusement (digging in the mud) they can outside on a wet day, resulting in a bit of cleaning (mud off carpets and kitchen, vacuuming, washing floors) for me. Oh, to be a dog. Or to be Scott, at work, when this all seems to occur, leaving me with clean-up detail! Which leads me to this next statement:
Mom and Dad, feel free to come get the dogs at ANY TIME!
Ahem...anyway...moving on...Jackson and Dixie are dozing at my feet right now...an adorable nightly ritual that redeems all earlier daily mishaps that may have occurred.
Tomorrow should be the start of a nice weekend. Scott leaves work early for a doc. appt., and we have a few errands to run, but other than that, our plans are wide open! We went and saw "Cloverfield" last night, and that was pretty good. This Sunday, we're going to go catch "Atonement" with a couple of good friends. Scott has the whole weekend off for a change! Hurray!
So...an early Happy Friday!
...seem to be the perfect days to update.
Scott's officially in the shipyard, now, and has duty every 4th night. That's annoying, but he is not out at sea, and that's a trade off I'll happily take!
The weather has been cool and gloomy here, so it's hard to get the dogs outside to exercise. We try to make due by rough housing and playing ball in the house, but in some cases, they (jackson) take it upon themselves (himself) to create any form of amusement (digging in the mud) they can outside on a wet day, resulting in a bit of cleaning (mud off carpets and kitchen, vacuuming, washing floors) for me. Oh, to be a dog. Or to be Scott, at work, when this all seems to occur, leaving me with clean-up detail! Which leads me to this next statement:
Mom and Dad, feel free to come get the dogs at ANY TIME!
Ahem...anyway...moving on...Jackson and Dixie are dozing at my feet right now...an adorable nightly ritual that redeems all earlier daily mishaps that may have occurred.
Tomorrow should be the start of a nice weekend. Scott leaves work early for a doc. appt., and we have a few errands to run, but other than that, our plans are wide open! We went and saw "Cloverfield" last night, and that was pretty good. This Sunday, we're going to go catch "Atonement" with a couple of good friends. Scott has the whole weekend off for a change! Hurray!
So...an early Happy Friday!
1.20.2008
Details Now
{Nicky}
SO. Scott doesn't stink anymore, and that's good! He's back on duty tonight, so it's me and the puppies hanging out. I thought I'd take this opportunity to update my last post.
First of all--thank you to everyone who took the time to let us know that more than four people read this blog--some of you aren't even related by blood! It was nice to know!
Now here are the details:
*Visitors from The North-You'll note on our Flickr page, pictures of my folks with us, golfing, spending time at Colonial Williamsburg. We were lucky to have them down to visit in early January. It's the first time they've been down while Scott's been home the whole time! It was a lot of fun! They spent a lot of time loving up Dixie and getting to know (and spoil!) Jacky! And us. They spent a LOT of time spoiling us! We enjoyed playing games and seeing the sights with them. We just had a great time. Thanks, Mom and Dad--you've always got a room here with us, and Dad, there's still one of your beers here waiting for you!
*Puppies recovering from surgery-Whilst Mom and Dad were down, Jackson was on the tail end of getting over both his neutering and umbilical hernia surgeries. When I say "getting over," I mean only in the medical sense. He himself hardly ever knew he had surgery! The day he had surgery, after getting home and a three hour nap, he was up and ready to roll again! I don't think he knew anything more than he was away from Dixie for a whole day, and had to make up for lost time! It just made me shudder to watch him belly crawl under the coffee table to sneak up on Dixie--no regard whatsoever to the stitches and staple on his little tummy! He actually broke his first cone (worn to prevent over-attention to his surgical areas-should he happen to remember they were there) by catching it on my dad's foot while cruising the house at speeds resembling those of a cheetah! I hear from Dad and Scott that the cone cracked right down the center, and Jackson never even slowed down! So. Needless to say, when his stitches and staple were removed after two weeks, it was all just a minor hitch in his routine! He's the same crazy puppy, looking for adventure!
*A new clergy member in our family-It's Scott. Yes. You read correctly. My husband, always on the lookout for something off the cuff, found a website which would, in less than 10 minutes, ordain him as a member of the clergy! He did it at first simply because he could, but now is finding that it might come in handy (in more than just hospital parking!) He's already had 3 inquiries into his services! Who knows...Could be a lucrative vocation for the Right Reverend Scott Gifford!
*Potential career changes-after two years of juggling Scott's ship schedule of long departures, random days off, days that suddenly turn into overnights, and needing to be picked up or dropped off at the base for underways, the Ike is finally FINALLY going into the yards! This means that we are able to create a routine of sorts for ourselves, and with that comes a new freedom! I have the privilege of beginning a job at a children's learning center called Creative World. I'll be working part time, and am really excited to get back into that environment. I'll be working mornings, and that will be perfect, as it will leave my afternoons open to spend much-deserved time with Scott. Also, it will leave afternoons open for spending time with any visitors that may shoot down our way!
Hopefully, you'll have had time to peruse our Flickr page and check it out. We'll keep it updated as we get pictures to put up there. We'll have to throw pictures up of Jackson again--he's all legs!
**Before I sign off, Scott and I just want to thank our loved ones for the support they've given us this past week, through prayers and kind words, and optimism, as we embark on new paths and phases for what we know will soon end happily. Thank you. We love you.**
SO. Scott doesn't stink anymore, and that's good! He's back on duty tonight, so it's me and the puppies hanging out. I thought I'd take this opportunity to update my last post.
First of all--thank you to everyone who took the time to let us know that more than four people read this blog--some of you aren't even related by blood! It was nice to know!
Now here are the details:
*Visitors from The North-You'll note on our Flickr page, pictures of my folks with us, golfing, spending time at Colonial Williamsburg. We were lucky to have them down to visit in early January. It's the first time they've been down while Scott's been home the whole time! It was a lot of fun! They spent a lot of time loving up Dixie and getting to know (and spoil!) Jacky! And us. They spent a LOT of time spoiling us! We enjoyed playing games and seeing the sights with them. We just had a great time. Thanks, Mom and Dad--you've always got a room here with us, and Dad, there's still one of your beers here waiting for you!
*Puppies recovering from surgery-Whilst Mom and Dad were down, Jackson was on the tail end of getting over both his neutering and umbilical hernia surgeries. When I say "getting over," I mean only in the medical sense. He himself hardly ever knew he had surgery! The day he had surgery, after getting home and a three hour nap, he was up and ready to roll again! I don't think he knew anything more than he was away from Dixie for a whole day, and had to make up for lost time! It just made me shudder to watch him belly crawl under the coffee table to sneak up on Dixie--no regard whatsoever to the stitches and staple on his little tummy! He actually broke his first cone (worn to prevent over-attention to his surgical areas-should he happen to remember they were there) by catching it on my dad's foot while cruising the house at speeds resembling those of a cheetah! I hear from Dad and Scott that the cone cracked right down the center, and Jackson never even slowed down! So. Needless to say, when his stitches and staple were removed after two weeks, it was all just a minor hitch in his routine! He's the same crazy puppy, looking for adventure!
*A new clergy member in our family-It's Scott. Yes. You read correctly. My husband, always on the lookout for something off the cuff, found a website which would, in less than 10 minutes, ordain him as a member of the clergy! He did it at first simply because he could, but now is finding that it might come in handy (in more than just hospital parking!) He's already had 3 inquiries into his services! Who knows...Could be a lucrative vocation for the Right Reverend Scott Gifford!
*Potential career changes-after two years of juggling Scott's ship schedule of long departures, random days off, days that suddenly turn into overnights, and needing to be picked up or dropped off at the base for underways, the Ike is finally FINALLY going into the yards! This means that we are able to create a routine of sorts for ourselves, and with that comes a new freedom! I have the privilege of beginning a job at a children's learning center called Creative World. I'll be working part time, and am really excited to get back into that environment. I'll be working mornings, and that will be perfect, as it will leave my afternoons open to spend much-deserved time with Scott. Also, it will leave afternoons open for spending time with any visitors that may shoot down our way!
Hopefully, you'll have had time to peruse our Flickr page and check it out. We'll keep it updated as we get pictures to put up there. We'll have to throw pictures up of Jackson again--he's all legs!
**Before I sign off, Scott and I just want to thank our loved ones for the support they've given us this past week, through prayers and kind words, and optimism, as we embark on new paths and phases for what we know will soon end happily. Thank you. We love you.**
1.18.2008
Not Fulfilling All The Previews, But...
{Scott}
Okay, not everything that was promised in the last post will be in this one, but I figure, I'm posting, and how often does that happen?
When I got home today, I stunk. I'm pretty sure even Jackson thought I stunk, and he's a 15 week old puppy who was sniffing around another dog's meadow muffin earlier this afternoon. It was not, however, my fault. This afternoon, at work, I was doing somesuch on the internet (I think looking for the best route to the shipyard? Maybe?), and ship's emergency bells ring. Usually, practically every afternoon, the ship runs a fire drill somewhere on the ship, so after all this time, I've learned to tune it out. So, I ignored it, except for a vague impression of the words, "fire, fire, fire".
Five or ten minutes later, one of the guys in my division sticks his head in the office and says, "did you know that that's in our berthing?" Funny, I said, but no.
On a ship, when there's a fire, the fire fighting powers that be set "smoke and fire boundaries", where doors are closed and security personnel is posted a certain distance forward and aft of the fire. Even if you work in that place, unless you're a fire fighter, you can't enter. (Incidentally, that's something interesting I've noticed about myself since I've been in the Navy; my natural thought is to go toward a fire.) Without the ability to go, I continued to search for the best route to the shipyard, and waited for the smoke to clear. Literally.
Rumors began to trickle in, as they usually do, on a ship. We have a capstan motor in our berthing, and for the uninitiated (I'm not really initiated myself, but I suppose I'm close enough), a capstan motor is used to tighten the big ropes that hold the ship to the pier. Rumor has it that it had been running for part of the day (can't say why), and it (it sounds like the brake), spontaneously began to smoke. Smoke spreads fast when there's an unlimited source, so when it filled berthing, the two people there called the fire fighters.
In the last few months, I've taken to wearing civilian clothes into work, and changing when I get there, so, my civilian clothes sat, defenseless, soaking up smoke for almost an hour. Not cigarette smoke, which, though not very pleasant, is at least familiar, and not campfire smoke. Had it been campfire smoke, I'm pretty sure Nicky would have stopped me from doing laundry. No, it was machinery smoke: burning brake pad and electrical insulation. And, since I had no idea what the weather was like when I was going to walk off the ship, I had to change into my civilian clothes to head home.
So, I stunk.
Okay, not everything that was promised in the last post will be in this one, but I figure, I'm posting, and how often does that happen?
When I got home today, I stunk. I'm pretty sure even Jackson thought I stunk, and he's a 15 week old puppy who was sniffing around another dog's meadow muffin earlier this afternoon. It was not, however, my fault. This afternoon, at work, I was doing somesuch on the internet (I think looking for the best route to the shipyard? Maybe?), and ship's emergency bells ring. Usually, practically every afternoon, the ship runs a fire drill somewhere on the ship, so after all this time, I've learned to tune it out. So, I ignored it, except for a vague impression of the words, "fire, fire, fire".
Five or ten minutes later, one of the guys in my division sticks his head in the office and says, "did you know that that's in our berthing?" Funny, I said, but no.
On a ship, when there's a fire, the fire fighting powers that be set "smoke and fire boundaries", where doors are closed and security personnel is posted a certain distance forward and aft of the fire. Even if you work in that place, unless you're a fire fighter, you can't enter. (Incidentally, that's something interesting I've noticed about myself since I've been in the Navy; my natural thought is to go toward a fire.) Without the ability to go, I continued to search for the best route to the shipyard, and waited for the smoke to clear. Literally.
Rumors began to trickle in, as they usually do, on a ship. We have a capstan motor in our berthing, and for the uninitiated (I'm not really initiated myself, but I suppose I'm close enough), a capstan motor is used to tighten the big ropes that hold the ship to the pier. Rumor has it that it had been running for part of the day (can't say why), and it (it sounds like the brake), spontaneously began to smoke. Smoke spreads fast when there's an unlimited source, so when it filled berthing, the two people there called the fire fighters.
In the last few months, I've taken to wearing civilian clothes into work, and changing when I get there, so, my civilian clothes sat, defenseless, soaking up smoke for almost an hour. Not cigarette smoke, which, though not very pleasant, is at least familiar, and not campfire smoke. Had it been campfire smoke, I'm pretty sure Nicky would have stopped me from doing laundry. No, it was machinery smoke: burning brake pad and electrical insulation. And, since I had no idea what the weather was like when I was going to walk off the ship, I had to change into my civilian clothes to head home.
So, I stunk.
1.12.2008
Lots Lots Lots!
{Nicky}
I'm not sure that anyone other than our parents reads this blog anymore, but just in case...we've had so much going on these past few weeks, that it's gonna take more time than I have now to detail it all! But rather than leave you with nothing, I've decided to put down some teasers, to encourage a return visit!
So stay tuned for more info on...
*Visitors from The North
*Puppies recovering from surgery
*A new clergy member in our family
*Potential career changes
*Pictures!
Okay. I'll let you in on the pictures: Check out the new link in our *Fav-o-rites* on the upper left of the screen. It's entitled "Photographing Giffords" and will take you automatically to our new Flickr web page. You can catch up with the latest visual happenings around here, as well as photographs we both have taken and just wanted to share.
So. With the promise of goodies to come, I leave you now to take my sleepy puppy and his equally sleepy sister upstairs to bed.
I'm not sure that anyone other than our parents reads this blog anymore, but just in case...we've had so much going on these past few weeks, that it's gonna take more time than I have now to detail it all! But rather than leave you with nothing, I've decided to put down some teasers, to encourage a return visit!
So stay tuned for more info on...
*Visitors from The North
*Puppies recovering from surgery
*A new clergy member in our family
*Potential career changes
*Pictures!
Okay. I'll let you in on the pictures: Check out the new link in our *Fav-o-rites* on the upper left of the screen. It's entitled "Photographing Giffords" and will take you automatically to our new Flickr web page. You can catch up with the latest visual happenings around here, as well as photographs we both have taken and just wanted to share.
So. With the promise of goodies to come, I leave you now to take my sleepy puppy and his equally sleepy sister upstairs to bed.
1.09.2008
New Stuff
{Nicky}
Check it out when you get a chance...Scott and I are creating a Flickr account in order to more easily share photos with our family and friends! Check back often for updates as we get this up and going!
.
Check it out when you get a chance...Scott and I are creating a Flickr account in order to more easily share photos with our family and friends! Check back often for updates as we get this up and going!
.
1.01.2008
Christmas Review - 2007
{Nicky}
Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday. We had a beautiful Christmas here at home, and it was perfect! We exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve, and then had stockings on Christmas morning. I had a headache that day, so I took a small nap, and when Scott woke me up, he had the most romantic surprise for me! He had moved our table from the kitchen to the dining room, put out our good china, and had totally made our Christmas dinner, so that all I had to do was sit down and enjoy! It was so special. Having him home this year, remembering how lonely we were last year, it made this holiday even more amazing for us.
Jackson has flourished through this season! Too many Christmas cookies, I guess!! ;-) Seriously, he is about 17 pounds now, and as happy as any puppy can be. The Friday after Christmas, he went in for neutering and his umbilical hernia repair. He was home by early evening, and after a brief nap, you would never know that he had ever had any kind of surgery done! They warned us that he could be groggy, or whiny, but we saw little of that--he was more chasing, and wrestling, and keeping up with his big sister as if to make up for a whole lost day! He has to wear a cone for a couple weeks, to keep him from picking at his hernia repair. He will get his staple removed in mid-January. As I type this, he's exchanging words with Hanna--he's doing just fine!
Tomorrow, my parents will be flying in for about a week and a half. They'll have a belated Christmas with us here, and spend time meeting their new grand-puppy, and catching up with us and old friends. We're really excited to have them back. Scott's never been home the whole time they've been here to visit, so we're looking forward to a lot of fun with the four of us!
Hoping that this finds all you avid readers as well and as happy into the New Year as we are! Check out the post before this one for Scott's year-end movie review--very informative!! Also, enjoy the pics from our holidays. As you can see, it took a little work to get a family photo done...oh well! Enjoy!
Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday. We had a beautiful Christmas here at home, and it was perfect! We exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve, and then had stockings on Christmas morning. I had a headache that day, so I took a small nap, and when Scott woke me up, he had the most romantic surprise for me! He had moved our table from the kitchen to the dining room, put out our good china, and had totally made our Christmas dinner, so that all I had to do was sit down and enjoy! It was so special. Having him home this year, remembering how lonely we were last year, it made this holiday even more amazing for us.
Jackson has flourished through this season! Too many Christmas cookies, I guess!! ;-) Seriously, he is about 17 pounds now, and as happy as any puppy can be. The Friday after Christmas, he went in for neutering and his umbilical hernia repair. He was home by early evening, and after a brief nap, you would never know that he had ever had any kind of surgery done! They warned us that he could be groggy, or whiny, but we saw little of that--he was more chasing, and wrestling, and keeping up with his big sister as if to make up for a whole lost day! He has to wear a cone for a couple weeks, to keep him from picking at his hernia repair. He will get his staple removed in mid-January. As I type this, he's exchanging words with Hanna--he's doing just fine!
Tomorrow, my parents will be flying in for about a week and a half. They'll have a belated Christmas with us here, and spend time meeting their new grand-puppy, and catching up with us and old friends. We're really excited to have them back. Scott's never been home the whole time they've been here to visit, so we're looking forward to a lot of fun with the four of us!
Hoping that this finds all you avid readers as well and as happy into the New Year as we are! Check out the post before this one for Scott's year-end movie review--very informative!! Also, enjoy the pics from our holidays. As you can see, it took a little work to get a family photo done...oh well! Enjoy!
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