USCGC MIDGETT (WHEC-726)

Out of Seattle, Washington!!! WOOOO-HOOOOO!!!!!

One of the Chiefs there told the girls before everyone stood up and made their choices that this would probley be their one and only shot at a cutter to make rank and they needed to think things thru. Ash said that clinched it in her mind that she had to pick it.

She's nervous and excited!

Her Daddy is worried.

I am SOOO happy for her because I want her to see as much of the world as she can before she settles down someday to raise a family. We're always gonna be here, so she will have a home to come to and we have web cams, cell phones, email, texting and BLACKBERRYS! It don't get better than that!!!

More later!

Joan

It's 4pm and still no word...

waiting...and shopping!

Onward we go!

THANK GOODNESS last week is over. I had to work extra, including Thanksgiving eve and Thanksgiving and all weekend...AND, me and Courtney got up and Black Friday shopped till we literally dropped! BUT, I SAVED $150. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would say what on, but one of my daughters may get a wild hair and read this thing and find out what I'm getting her. The last time I did that, not DREAMING Ashley ever read this thing, she read it and saw the picture of her Valentine box I mailed her out with all the goodies! NOT AGAIN, SISTER!

ANYways, I'm off today and tomorrow, so more shopping, cleaning, practicing my guitar etc...

The girls have been busy being themselves. Ash has been busy socializing and shopping. THAT'S my girl!

She sent me this picture of herself going to her buddy's house in her new dress she bought.

Here she is with two of her friend-girls..

They're at some NAVY guys apt., he is the boyfriend of the middle girl in this picture. Complicated, but I pretend to know what's going on.

I asked her what she ate for Thanksgiving Day and I THINK she said they went to Subway and got a Turkey sub. I do know she was homesick because she kept texting me telling me so! OR...maybe she WANTED me to think she was homesick so I would get her a bigger present! HA

OHHHH...she will be calling us with big BIG BIGGGG news today. She got her "pick" list last week of where she can choose to be stationed. In order of class standing, they will make their pick official today and choose where they will be stationed at next. Ash, being a female Coastie, was somewhat limited on her choices. They only have one cutter for the females open for them to get and there are 7 other girls trying for it. The guys have loads of cutters to choose from. Her land stations aren't great either. She wants a cutter first, and a station that does LOADS of Search and Rescue's and a very active station with a good command secondly. There are not alot of them on her list. She wants opportunity for advancement and needs a good, working station so she can qualify on more "stuff" and keep moving up.

I think, no, I KNOW, she has nearly made herself sick worrying about all that. After her Daddy and I talked to her all last week to calm down...my "Ash" finally kicked in and she called us Wednesday and said she just can't continue worrying about something she has no control over and she wasn't going to worry/think about it anymore and what ever happens today, happens. SO...since that call, she has been back to herself again....enjoying life! I will post on here when I get the call, where she will be going.

As I said, her choices aren't great and she had no control of that. but wherever she goes, they will be very, VERY lucky to get her.

Back to Thanksgiving...Ma and Pa went to my Aunt Aurelia's house for dinner and my whole family was there MINUS my herd and a few others.

Here is my gorgeous niece, Lauren, my brother (glasses on his head), sister-in-law and cousin and his baby daughter.

There is my brother taking pics with his cell phone...he's SUCH the techy! It's genetic!

Here is Dad and his sister, my FAVORITE Aunt Aurelia!

There are loads more pics here..http://picasaweb.google.com/larrychanda/Thanksgiving2009AtAureliaS#

Well, that's about it for the moment! Everyone is doing great and eager for CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joan

Courtney- AKA Simon Cowell- Arnold

Yes, Simon...I mean, COURTNEY was a judge at a talent competition for her very first time! She did great! I was under STRICT orders to NOT take any pictures of her while she was judging. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....right!

I took this picture during intermission time..

she nearly died! BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Actually, I did ask before I quickly took these pics...notice the poor quality? I was under STRICTER orders to NOT USE THE FLASH.

I was FORBIDDEN to use the flash. period.

SO, I dialed my aperture in and snapped away. They're still blurry, but whatev. I got pics of my baby judging!

Here is the last one..

I'm SURE ya'll photographers out there are squirming in your seats yelling at your monitors that I should have done this or that to have taken better pics, but, I did better than I thought and I didn't embarrass Court too badly! ha

She did great! The top prize in this was $400. and 2nd place was $200., so there was some competition going on.

This morning, Court and I went to see New Moon!

I used that pic instead of one with Edward because New Moon wasn't about Edward.

Anyways, Court and I were IN the theater at 10:30am! I told her on the way there that we'd be the only stupid ones out that early in the COLD, RAIN going to see a movie...WRONG! It was PACKED with other Mom's/daughters doing the same thing! I only saw 2 Dad's there! DEFINITE Chick Flick.!

Well, that's it...I have a big fire going in the fireplace and Court just started a movie up. Mike and Britt are working the Cirque de Soleil show.

OH....my big news...

HARLEY IS GETTING FIXED ON TUESDAY!

WOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

HAPPY DANCE!!!!

Have a great day!

Joan

Big week!

Not so much for us, but for Ashley. She has her big Coast Guard test this Friday. I forget what it's called, but it is an extremely difficult exam and important to do well so she stays up there in her class ranking. ALSO...her class gets their choices on Friday from the boats they will have to choose from...where they will be stationed at next. She is SOOOOO nervous and excited. Ya'll be thinking about her on Friday!!

So...what have I done this week, beside work, cook, clean and whatever else I did?

Britt and I pick a restaurant every week to eat out at. Some weeks we can't because of my work schedule or whatever, but we went to Hibachi Grille again.

That's our plates! YUMMMMMMM

Then, at some point, we all wound up at...YOU GUESS IT...Guadalajara's!

HOW many times can a person go there? I have to say that most everyone there knows everyone and the girls are definitely regulars.

Tonight is NCIS night, Dancing with the Stars result show (GO DONNY) and get ready for work tomorrow.

Have a good next couple of days everyone! Friday night, Dad and Mom, and all us MAY go to Pumpkintown for the pickin' and singin'. Not sure yet. My guitar lessons have progressed so well, I am in demand up there! My fans just WON'T let me REST! ha

later-

Joan

OFFFFFFFFFFF WORK!!!!

Need I say more! Headed to Wal-Mart (I refuse to call it 'Wally World' out of respect) to get some groceries!

One of my Facebook BFF's posted this on her Facebook page and I just HAVE to share it with ya'll but it is SOOOO FREAKING SAD, but wonderful.

More soon!

Joan

I'm still here

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I had two days off and we were busy and I just didn't have time to update on here as I wanted to.

Ash is sick with the flu! AND, she had the flu vaccines! She started feeling bad on Tuesday and by Wed. night, she was in bed in her barracks with a fever. Thurs. morning, she went to sick call and they have quarantined her and she has to stay in another barracks for 4 days and can't leave her room. NO T.V., NO radio, NO books...nothing. She did get her computer, but there's no internet access. Maybe she will read now!!!! She does have a mountain of homework to do and this is the perfect time to do it!

Courtney was asked to sing at a Veteran's ceremony at the hospital where I work...well, it's the BIG hospital, I work at smaller hospital that's part of that hospital.

Here's the lobby at the hospital...ain't it pretty?

Here she is singing..

There are more pictures, but of the same. Dad posted them on his web albums.

OH...a neighbor/friend of mine said she had lost her cat the other morning and could we keep an eye out for her. Well, I sent the girls out to look and looky what they came home with..

Does that look like a BLACK CAT TO YOU?

NOOOOOOOOOOoooooo, we're not keeping HER. I think some people at the bottom of our street own her and don't want her. She ALMOST got hit by a car.

FREEEE to good home!!!!!

Mike's Grandma is doing better..

The twins! Ha Court looks just like her! hee

Her knee is better. She is in a "Rehab Facility", but it's actually one wing of a nursing home which is for rehab people. NOW the nursing home doesn't want to let her leave and are wanting her to stay for the full 21 days that Medicare will pay for! She's wanting to go HOME. She's a very stubborn person and if she wants to go, she may just do that!

Gotta go get ready for work...have a great day everyone!

Joan

Veteran's Day Service

Greenville held another beautiful Veteran's Day service at the Bi-Lo center in our Downtown area. I, ONCE AGAIN, wasn't able to attend due to having to work, but Courtney was asked to sing in it and I heard, did a great job.

Dad took alot of pictures..

Ya'll don't get too carried away oohing and ahhing over his pics...mine would have been FAR superior.

Charlie Porter, President of our local chapter of the Veteran's Service Corp. introduced Court

Jim DeMint, one of our two Senators, was one of the speakers..

and there was alot of other ceremonial things going on...and Court met some of the Blue Star Moms..

anyways, it was a really good day and the weather was great too.

Dad took ALOT of average quality pictures that can be seen here...http://picasaweb.google.com/larrychanda/VeteranSDayService6November2009#

What was I doing during all the the patriotic happenings downtown?

YUP! That's 2 girls I work with...we all didn't want to be there.

Yesterday, I was off work, but came down with some sort of weird cold. I feel better this morning. I gotta work today but just from 3pm-7pm. I'll survive! hee

Have a great day!

Joan

Blondes

Being a true brunette...I always take great delight in blonde jokes. I ESPECIALLY love SHOWING my 2 blonde-headed daughters blonde jokes.

BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Couldn't resist!

**DISCLAIMER**It is not my intent to offend anyone of any hair color type, whether natural or boxed. It is not this bloggers intent to insinuate intellectual abilities of any hair color real or boxed.

Well...that's it for the moment. My guitar teacher says I'm awesome...it's getting harder and harder to remain humble!

Joan

Happy Tuesday!

After working the weekend, it's nice being NOT on the payroll at work! Mike's Grandma had knee replacement surgery yesterday, so we were all up at the hospital. I was there, but NOT being paid! I could actually act like a patient's family member! hee ! I actually behaved.

SO...Halloween was the other night. When I got off work, I got the see the girls in their costumes for 2.5 seconds before they ran off to Guadalajara's.

Courtney as Pokeyhauntis! (YES, I know I spelled that wrong!)

Here is Britt as HER version of a Brave..

Here my two Indians are together..

Awww....ain't they just precious?

Ashley ALSO went out Trick-or-Treating with her barracks-mates..

This was sent from her cell phone...Ash is in the front. She's a jogger being "scared" by a couple cats. How clever!

I have alot of other pics on here from Britt and Court's evening out, but they would NOT like it if I posted them on here. Mike was with them, so they all behaved and had a great time!

That's about it from here.

OHHH...I wanna say also, that

I HEART C.S.I. MIAMI

BYEEEEEEEE-

Joan