I Got a New Car!

After the heartache of loosing my other, I've finally got myself in a new car. It's not my ol' beautiful Q7 but she is definitely a Q-t! (Lil inside joke)
Last night I got a 2010 Audi Q5 and I am so very happy! Here are some pictures:

My 8 Year Anniversary

8 years ago today, July 15th 2001, I signed over the responsibility of my life to the Army. I remember like it was yesterday sitting down in front of my recruiter (which after some time served realized was so full of shit it wasn't even funny), taking one last look at my mom (I was only 17, she had to approve of my enlistment), and signing my name as a now declared adult.

I signed only a few weeks after I graduated high school. My goal was to enlist as a military police officer and in turn get top of the line training and financial help with my college in order to one day be a DEA agent.

I was on a delayed program and wouldn't enter basic training and AIT (advanced individual training) until February 2002. In between the time I signed on the dotted line and my actual training, September 11th happened. I was so scared that I was going to be sent to war. I was still an untrained civilian only knowing that I belonged to the US government. Yet the scared girl turned into a determined pissed up soldier and when I stepped off that bus at Fort Leonardwood I was ready for whatever they could dish out at me.

Many soldiers I went to basic with had signed after Sept. 11th and that was their motivation. I remember the drill sergeants making comments about how they couldn't get troops signed and trained fast enough. The country had been so motivated to support and fight.

I graduated from basic and AIT at the end of June 2002 and reported to the head quarters of my assigned unit. My MP Company had been deployed to the defense language institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA. Being fresh out of training and in a active duty life style, I wanted to join them. I begged to go. I got the same answer over and over. They are due to come home next month, it would be a waste of time and paperwork to send you now. They didn't actually make it back until October 2002.

By then I had somewhat fitted back into the civilian lifestyle and had reconnected with my friends. I was happy being home and just in time for an upset. Orders had come down in December 2002 that we were being deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In February 2003 we found ourselves in Fort Lewis training and certifying and by May 2003 my platoon was in the heart of Iraq.

We finally made it home the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and after a short visit home for the holiday, spent another month in Fort Lewis turning in equipment and signing more paperwork.

Since then, the Army has given me the opportunity working with the Nevada Counterdrug Taskforce teaching young kids the dangers of drugs and eventually led me to my current occupation. I absolutely love my career and wake up every day feeling blessed.

So yes the Army challenged me in ways I never thought I possible and I didn't always like it BUT I am very very thankful for my journey.

I Finally Won!!

This was the second year I was able to attend the i2 conference in Washington DC. (i2 is a program we use at work) First of all, I LOVE DC and will jump at any opertunity to go there!!! Secondly, i2 puts on a hell of a conference and even hosts a casino night the second night of the conference. They give you $300 in fake money and then for every $100 you have left at the end of the night, you get a raffle ticket. They raffle off some really cool prizes. Last year a friend taught me how to play craps and we did very well but unfortunately we won nothing.

This year was a different story. I just needed a quick refresher course at the craps table and then it was all down hill from there. The table was HOT! and we were raking in the doe!! After 3 hours, a friend and I managed to turn $300 into about $8,000! (Now if only I could do that with real money here in Vegas!) So needless to say, I had a lot of raffle tickets!!! The prizes they were giving away this year were: 3 apple ipods, 3 apple itouches and 1 Wii (the grand prize). Now I have been thinking about getting a Wii for a while now. I was considering just caving and getting it for Chi's big Christmas present. However, this would be just too good. I honestly began to pray. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me win the Wii!!!
Well the ipods and itouches came and went and it was down to the grand prize. They pulled the ticket out of the bucket and called the number. Four of us frantically searched through all of my tickets to see if I had that number. One of the girls looks at me with complete disappointment and said, 'Nope Dallas, your tickets don't go that high.' Being the sore loser I am, I threw the remaining ones down. Then Perry says to me, 'No Dallas you have it!' and before I knew it I was being tossed on stage.
Now please keep in mind that the last paragraph happened in a matter of about 45 seconds. At this point all that was running through my mind was, 'Perry, you better not be making a complete ass of me by throwing me on stage and not having the ticket.' and then he gave me a ticket and I thought for sure it wasn't the one.
BUT BY GOLLY! IT WAS! I WON THE WII!!!!!
I was soooooo excited. I jumped up and down and even screamed! I looked like one of those annoying game show contestants that just won a new car on the price is right!! I was and still am sooooo HAPPY!!! Whoooo Hoooooo!!!!