No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

But it sure has felt like it since I have been home! Although, I have been told that it can feel like that when you are busy trying to get your life back in order after a return from deployment. So here I am, a lazy day in Phoenix with the cats and a cup of coffee finally updating my blog, and Michael begrudgingly back to work after five wonderful days off.

Where to start... I guess my journey home is the most appropriate! Shayla and I left Basrah for Kuwait on the 9th of September, left Kuwait on the 12th of September and were Stateside in Atlanta on the 13th. Just like our trip to Iraq, we flew through Shannon, Ireland on the way home. Here I am with my 'golden ticket' to get back on the plane in Shannon. My friend Tas met us at the airfield at Ft. Benning right after the welcome home ceremony, and Leah made sure that I had my first beer the night I got home... It was so good to see friendly familiar faces! I tell you... There is nothing like walking around without a weapon and not worrying about who is watching you. Shayla and I were only at Ft. Benning for a few days before we headed back to El Paso. While waiting for our flight in Atlanta, we definitely indulged in some good food at Houlihan's, free and fast wi-fi, and had a drink (or two)... Shhhh! Man, we ate so much, we were stuffed to the gills, but it was the best meal we had consumed in six months, so we didn't care too much! Ha-ha. We got back to El Paso late on the 14th of September, signed back into the hospital on the 15th, and then it was back to the grind... I avoided the ER as long as I could, but eventually I had to get some signatures and see everyone. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to be back, but I just wasn't ready to be home... I really wanted to continue my deployment experience, especially since the FST Shayla and I were with had a mission change and went to Afghanistan to join a Spanish surgical element.

After a few painful days of inprocessing, I surprised Michael a little earlier that he expected at his work, and began ten wonderful days of leave in Phoenix. Michael's bosses were great and allowed him to take a week off to spend with me, even though he just started working at Limelight. One of the first things Michael and I did was visit the most wonderful coffee shop near ASU... Cartel Coffee Lab. It is the best coffee/espresso that I have ever experienced... Truly coffee nirvana! They even have the chemical formula for caffeine painted on the bar. Every time I am in Phoenix, I stop at Cartel for a latte after dropping Michael off at work.

Anyhow, back to the story... Michael surprised me with a relaxing trip to Cottonwood and the Verde Canyon Railway. We stayed at the Annabel Inn, a wonderful bed and breakfast, with the most gracious host! Her breakfasts were to die for... I just wished that she would have cooked us dinners too. Ha-ha. We enjoyed spectacular views of the Verde Canyon during our four-hour ride with a mid-point in Perkinsville. While in the Cottonwood area, we visited Tuzigoot, an ancient village built by a people known as the Sinagua. The first buildings were built around A.D. 1000. The Sinagua were agriculturalists with trade connections that spanned hundreds of miles. The Sinagua either perished, or left the area around 1400, for unknown reasons. Along with Tuzigoot, we visited Montezuma Castle, a 20 room high-rise apartment, built into a limestone cliff, also by the Sinagua. At left is Michael with Montezuma Castle in the background. The last major visit in Cottonwood was Jerome, the largest ghost town in America. It was once the largest copper mine in Arizona, producing three million pounds of copper per month. All in all, Michael and I had a wonderful time reconnecting and being a couple in love... Unfortunately, the first thing I did on my birthday was kiss Michael goodbye at the airport and flew back to El Paso. But, a few friends from work took me to Carlos and Mickey's that night for a birthday dinner, so it ended up to be a pretty nice day nonetheless.

October came and went... Nothing too spectacular, other than getting back into the swing of things at work and trying to spend as much time with Michael as possible. I moved into my new apartment the first week of October... I have a great view of the common area from my living room. It will be nice to enjoy it once the weather warms up again... A barbeque with friends on a sunny afternoon sounds so nice!

November started off with a bang... I received some great news that I had been waiting weeks for! I had been looking for a different opportunity at work other than floor nursing, and command gave me the honor of being the Head Nurse of the new Quick Care Clinic that opened in mid-November. It has been challenging to say the least, but I am enjoying it for the most part. I definitely learn more than one new thing a day... Ha-ha. Continuing on... I spent the first part of Thanksgiving week in Phoenix with my mom coming into town to help with some wedding planning. It was awesome to see her and we had a great time visiting the wedding venue, taste-testing cupcakes, and looking at various favors and invitations. On Wednesday night, we bid adieu to my mom at the airport, and Michael and I flew back to El Paso to spend our first Thanksgiving together. I have to say that our first meal turned out pretty tasty! We cooked cornish game hens, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a brussel sprout chiffonade with fried proscuitto.

And now, here we are in December... I am settling in to my new role as Head Nurse, getting accustomed to the late night crisis calls from staff, meetings, and responsibilities. A few weeks ago, Michael came out to El Paso for the WBAMC Holiday Ball. We had a great time, and he liked all of the military tradition associated with a 'Dining Out'. At the risk of sounding too modest... I have to say that Michael and I clean up pretty well! A few days before Christmas, I flew out to Phoenix for ten days of blissful leave... Michael and I just returned from Christmas at his parents house in Yuma, where we had an amazing time catching up with his parents and meeting several of Michael's childhood friends. I think I have now gained the approval of all of the key people in Michael's life... Not that I was too concerned, but it is nice to be accepted nonetheless! Ha-ha.

Anyhow, that brings us up to date! Now that I have gotten all of the key pieces in my life back together, I will keep my blog updated more regularly... Thank you to those that keep coming back!

66HM5 out...