Adventure to Coex Mall

Jordan dressed & ready to go!

Joe and I were getting pretty sick of the same old, same old. So we decided (actually I decided, and Joe accomodated) that we needed to break out of our little circle of comfort. I had heard that there was a huge mall in Seoul that had an aquarium. I imagined the Aquarium of the Pacific, which is a huge beautiful aquarium on Long Beach and thought Jordan would love it. So I found the coordinates on Wikepedia, put those into the GPS, and off we went.

The entire trip should have taken about 45 minutes driving time, but in Korea there is always so much traffic, we were in the car for two hours on the way there. In fact the top speed we reached was 25! The traffic was so bad, there were actually people selling snacks in the middle of traffic! Shockingly, people were actually buying them!

The guy infront of our car was selling snacks in the middle of traffic!

We finally made it to the aquarium, and all my hopes of a relaxing day lazily walking along looking at fish were smashed to bits! The place was so crowded! There were people bumping in to us in all directions. We couldn't get near the aquariums, which were basically nothing more than an aquarium someone would have at their house. There were a few larger ones, but not anything like what I was expecting.

There are Joe and Jordy looking at fish. This is the best picture I could get of them! Notice the lovely couple in the foreground with no regard for some one trying to take a picture!

Eventually Joe and I could stand no more! The place was roasting hot and we were both sweating, Jordy was screaming from being constantly bumped into. He started to pull anyone's hair that got to close! We found an emergency exit and used it....


Only that emergency exit led to a stair well that had all doors locked...we had to climb 4 flights of stairs (with a stroller) to get out. We finally made it out to an exterior door that dumped us on the street. We had no idea where we were...

We wandered around until we found a convention center that we thought connected to the mall. Jordan wanted to go up this escalator, so Joe took him up, then right back down...


In the mall we ate at a Japanese resteraunt. Joe had sushi and I had some tempura. I tried the sushi, but it had so much wasabi I couldn't stand it!

By the time we made it back home (another 2 hours in traffic), I was exhausted! I got right into bed and stayed there!

Buy Nothing for Two Months- Conclusion

One of my goals in the 101 in 1001 was to buy nothing for myself for two months. The other day one of my friends as why I was doing this. My answer was gratitude.

I found myself constantly wanting more. More clothes, more scrapbooking supplies, more movies, more, more, more. It didn't matter that I have a closet stuffed full of clothes, tons of scrapbooking supplies, thousands of movies, it wasn't enough. My only past time was shopping. Whenever I leave the house I always return with more stuff. In fact buying stuff was the only thing I could think to do on my day off.

For two months I wanted to not buy anything for myself so that I would realize how good I have it. I wanted to be appreciate the things that I have. Just because I don't have all the latest designer clothes or top of the line things, Joe and I live pretty comfortably and at times
lavishly.

I just wanted to force myself to appreciate my life.

The media does such a good job of telling us that we need more and that our lives will be so much better if we just get the latest and greatest products. It can be really convincing. For two months I wanted to stage my own private strike against them by buying nothing. For two
months I lived without believing that I would be a better person, be happier, be loved more, be more popular, be more fulfilled, be a better parent, be a harder worker...if I only had _____ product.

So how did it go? To be honest, the first month was a little depressing. As sad as it sounds, I actually do get a little happier when I buy new things. I look forward to getting home and playing with my new purchase just like a kid would when they get a new toy. But that happiness never really lasts long. So for the first month there were no little happy moments as I brought nothing home. Instead my life seemed a little monotonous; go to work, come home, go to work, come home.

About midway through I started to pick up my hobbies again to fill in the time. I got all my scrapbooking stuff out and made a few layouts. I emailed more often. I cleaned. I cooked a lot. I went to the gym, but only once- I should have gone a lot more. I dug in the back of my closet to find clothes I hadn't worn in a long time. In fact I found two sweaters I forgot all about!

By the end of the second month there were actually things that I needed! I desperately needed to color my hair. One morning when I pulled my hair into a pony tail, there was a gray straggler sticking straight up along my part! So I did break down and buy some hair color b/c I didn't want to pay to have someone color it.

I did cheat twice, once I bought myself a People magazine and the other time I bought some lotion that I really didn't need. Old habits die hard...

Overall I am glad that I did it, but more glad it is over!

Jordan @ Bathtime

I just love this picture of Jordy. At bathtime he gets so excited and practically rips all his clothes off! He tries to climb into the tub by himself!

Jordan @ 18 months

Jordan is 18 months old! It is amazing how fast it has gone by! It seems like just yesterday he was a little fleshy blob that we brought home from the hospital, and now he is a big boy!

At his well baby visit, he was at the 97th percentile for height, 60th for weight! I don't know how Joe and I produced such a tall little guy!

Jordy is so busy all the time. It seems like we spend our days chasing him around and cleaning up after him. Within minutes of stepping into a clean house Jordan will take all the pots out of the cupboard, roll the trash can across the room, throw all the pillows off the couch, dump water all over the floor, it goes on and on... Heaven forbid there is folded laundry nearby- it is instantly all over the floor, unfolded...

Right now Jordan is fascinated with the TV. He stands really close to it, then when something exciting happens he screams and hits the TV. It drives Joe nuts. He is sure that this will be the demise of the TV. So on the advice of Dr. Burns (pediatrician) we are trying to distract him. So as soon as he does it, we jump up, run and get him and go into another room. Once in the other room we say, "Don't hit". Then we wait 30 seconds, put him down in the other room, and move on.

A few times he has gone right back to the TV, reached out his hand while watching us to see our reaction. Then a few days ago, he hit the TV again! I pounced on him like a panther! Snatching him up and into the other room we went. I swatted his little butt, put him in his bed, and walked out of the room....then once out of sight , I burst into tears.

Joe came over and told me I did the right thing. If Jordan learns now that our rules mean nothing we will have hell to pay later, he told me.

I went back into the room and scooped him up. He sniffled as he hugged me. We came back out to the living room and sat down. He didn't go near the TV.

Taxes...

I hate taxes. For over a month I have been collecting forms and statements for taxes. I have reviewed bank statements for anything that could possibly considered tax deductible. Hours have been spent on the phone with student loan people to get info regarding interest paid...

Today I was on the phone trying to get the interest for Joe's student loan. Thank goodness the customer service rep was really nice. After a few minutes of taking Joe's info, he said, "Now you don't sound quite like the typical Joseph..."

I complimented on his keen wit. He laughed as I explained that I was Joe's wife and if it were up to Joe they would never see their money! He verified that the payments come from an account with both of our names on it.

Then very nicely he explained that because Joe had never sent them a power of attorney form he could not tell me that Joe had paid 284.30 in interest last year. If Joe had sent in that form than he would be legally allowed to tell me that a total of 284.30 had been paid, but until he received that form he could not tell me about the 284.30 of interest that he paid.

He was so nice! A rarity in todays world of rush, rush, rush to have someone who understands how it is to be a busy family. He could hear Jordy crying in the background and said, "I hope that little guy can still get some nice toys despite the 284.30 that Joe paid in interest."

I thanked him profusely and then hung up. I will eventually get that form done...

Where is your locus?

As I was talking with some friends today, I realized not everyone has an internal locus of control.

That is mumbo jumbo speak for where do you think control of your life is from. If you have an internal locus of control than you know that you are in charge of your life. You make the decisions, you call the shots, it is all about you.

A lot of people have an external locus of control. That means they feel like everything else controls their life. They are fat because their wife cooks fatty meals. They don't exercise because the kids won't let them. Basically everything wrong with their lives is someone else's fault.

It is usually easier to notice the faults in others than it is in yourself. As I sat listening to all the reasons my friend couldn't do something, I started to space out thinking about all the things I let control me.

I haven't been working out because I was worried Joe would be upset. I haven't been eating good because.... Basically, I was letting go of my locus. Letting other people and things control me.

Today I decided to take charge. Take back my locus!

Where are you letting other people control you? Do you naturally have an internal or external locus? How do you keep balance? How can you change it?

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who left such encouraging comments when I was feeling so down. I have decided to take action.

Yesterday was to be the first day of the new me...

I was scheduled to take a ACLS class up at the Army Hospital in Seoul. To get there I have to take a one hour bus ride. It was pouring rain the entire drive. Koreans like to blast the heaters, and I made the mistake of sitting right over the heater. I was seriously sweating by the time we got there.

Once on Yongsan, I got in a taxi to take me to the other side of the base near the hospital. In the hospital I had to ask for directions to another building. I braved the rain again to find the right building. I finally found the right building, right room, but no one was there. I waited about ten minutes and a lady showed up. I explained why I was there, and she explained that the class has been...CANCELLED!!

I showed her the email I had from just ten days ago telling me when and where the class would be. The email was from her. Apparently when it was cancelled one week ago, she didn't think it was necessary to email everyone on the class list.

Fuming mad, I left. Not before she gave me a list of next months classes.

I took another taxi back to the bus station. Got on the next bus, and back to Osan. I called my boss, and told him what had happened. He called me back in a few minutes to let me know that another doc from our hospital was there too. Somehow he got "squeezed into a 10 o'clock class". That lady didn't even tell me about the ten o'clock class. My boss wanted me to go to that one. By that time I was already on the bus, on the freeway coming back.

On the way back I was starving at ate two chocolate covered oreos. So much for the diet!

The rest of the day pretty much sucked too. I came home and wanted to take a nap, but ended up sleeping from 10 to 3pm.

I did manage to workout though. I did one of my DVDs. It is one of the Jillian Michaels (biggest loser trainer) ones. The workout is pretty good, but she really wears on my nerves. I just turn it on and mute her.

Today I am really sore. I think I overdid my first day. But it is a good kind of soreness. Today my eating was pretty good, but I don't think I drank enough water. Too many cokes...

Come on People!!

I think that the tv conversion fiasco is a social commentary
about the ability of Americans to plan.

For over a year we were told that the tv conversion would take place
early this year. An entire year of hearing commercials to get a
converter box, get a coupon for the converter box, buy a new tv...and so
on. But now the date has arrived and somehow after a year of warnings
the public is blindsided by the news that their analogue television set
will no longer work.

Then people are complaining about the money it will cost to buy a
converter box. Seriously?? The cheapest converter box I found was about
50 dollars. With the coupon you can get giving you 40 dollars off, the
box will cost you 10 bucks. Do you mean to tell me that in an entire
year, you can't scrape together 10 dollars?

What the hell is wrong with people. They are whining the government
needs to provide them with the converter box. Why doesn't the
government also step in and provide them with a 42" plasma tv and a 3
bedroom house to watch it in?

Disgusting...

It is late at night, I can't sleep...this is why.

I am so disgusted with myself.

I am so fat these days. I feel like a whale. Somehow I find some way to sabotage myself. Instead of going to the gym, I eat.

Part of it is guilt. I feel guilty that I work so much so I come rushing home trying to spend time with Jordy. I feel guilty that Joe is home alone with Jordy all day and want to come rushing home to help out. Joe never gets to get out of the house so it is so unfair that I would get gym time.

Then the diet thing is so rough. I want to eat 24 hours a day. Seriously I am a bottomless pit. It's not that I am eating like a horse, I am eating crap! The other day at work I ate pop tarts- one of the most unhealthy things on the planet. When I am at work I eat pretty much non stop.

The other thing that is really bothering me is that my skin is looking terrible. It is like a million wrinkles appeared overnight! Seriously where did they come from? It is like my face said one day- lets look like an 80 year old woman from now on! I don't know what to do! I take good care of my skin- washing, moisturizing, night cream....what else can I do? Perhaps I will just get into my time machine....

Another thing...I am turning into a troll! For several years I have had a "man hair" growing out of my scar on my chin. I was okay with that b/c I blamed it on the nature of the scar. Joe did a good job of plucking it for me for several years. But then at work the other day- I found another one!! Sweet merciful crap! Why is this happening to me!

Everyday I wake up and think, "This is the day. This is the day that I am gonna get on track and eat right and exercise." Then I eat like a pig, sit on the couch for hours, and feel like crap. Why do I do this to myself?

Is it just me or...?

Is it just me or is the media in love with Obama? I was too busy with school when George Bush took office, so I don't remember if he got the same amount of coverage during the first 100 days. Was it this insane though? And who knew that Obama was a smoker? Crazy!!

Seriously the news is acting like Brad Pitt took office. Every move is documented, every resteraunt they go to...insane.

I think that the media is only making this economic crisis worse- seriously after a hour of watching the news I never want to spend a cent again. I have been thinking about buying a chunk of land to build a fort on where we can grown our own food and self sustain. We will be a fully functioning society...

Did anyone see the octuplet mother? First, I want to know how much plastic surgery that woman has had. That is not her real nose or lips! She is seriously delusional if she thinks that people are judging her b/c she is a single mother! If a single woman wants to have a baby- that is just fine! But a single woman who decides to have 14 children and thinks, no believes, that she will be able to be a good mother to all of them is just plain stupid. I heard that her goal is to hold each of the newborns for 45 minutes a day- that would take 6 hours!! What about other kids? What about eating, showering, working? There is no way that one person could do this. Why should the taxpayers have to pay for her bad decisions while she plays the Old woman in the Shoe?

Remember me how I am...filled with Murderous Rage

It has not been a good week...

The other morning I woke up at 2AM and couldn't get back to sleep. After laying there for two hours, I just got up and went to work- a whole hour early. At least at work I could get a few things done. My sleep cycle has been so messed up since switching back to days. By the time I get home I am exhausted. I have fallen asleep on the couch trying to talk to Joe.

So after getting to work a hour early, I took an Ambien and slept until 430 the next night. I got up, took a shower, and then read some email and drank coffee. It was an lovely morning, until I realized I couldn't find my wallet.

After a desperate search, no luck. Joe joined in the search, and nothing. So without my wallet, ID card, or cash...off to work I went. I had to stop at the security gate and explain to them what happened...anyways I was still on time for work thank goodness.

I walked in to the ER not realizing I didn't have my "cover" (hat to regular people) on. In the military a naked head is a no no.

Then I got into work and had no ID card to log in to the computers. I could do nothing.

Then their was some drama over a guy who had broken his wrist and I had the tech place a splint on him...drama drama drama. By the time it was said and done I wanted to run away from this base and hospital and never come back again.

So when they needed an extra body go navigate on an ambulance run to Ajou hospital, I jumped at the chance. The patient we were transporting was a man who I had seen about six weeks ago who had a raging case of gangrene (rotting flesh) on his toes. I explained to him six weeks ago that this needed to be taken care of immediately. Of course he followed none of my instructions, and came back with a progressive necrosis (rotting) of his foot. I think that they may amputate his foot. When he was here last time he said it was too expensive to get an off-base provider as a retiree. I asked him if he liked his leg and foot. I explained that it was a matter of time before he started losing pieces of his lower extremities. So when he came back I wanted to kill him myself.

I was so excited to be going to Ajou. At least I would get to be out and about for about three hours on the transport....then they found a driver who knew where the hospital was so they didn't need me anymore. I nearly cried. I just wanted out of there so badly.

Eventually the time did come that I got to go home. It was glorious. I had the next two days off...or so I thought- this is where the murderous rage comes in!

Yesterday I had to go to a two hour staff meeting for the ER in which no useful information was disseminated.

Then today I got to attend the most horrible lecture I have ever been too. It was six hours of "this is a material safety data sheet, in this square....blah...blah..."

It was painful. The sad part is the guy who gave the lecture was some big shot specialist who was flown over from the states to teach this info. He was awful! Mumbled, didn't use the microphone, rambled, read boring articles....AWFUL!!

So for my two "days off" I had to spend 8 hours at work. Wonderful....murderous rage building...

Direct TV Campaign of Terror

I regret to inform everyone that my "Campaign of Terror" against Direct TV has been shut down before it really got off the ground.

Why those bastards just don't know how to play hardball... After three measly little phone calls they actually send the check!

I know you are shocked as well as I was. But finally we got the check from those idiots.

Joe and I have vowed to never do business with them again. I would advise others to do the same.

Direct TV

Dear Direct TV:

While my husband and I lived in Nebraska, we enjoyed having your excellent satellite service. We always had a crystal clear signal and thousands of options of programs to watch. Unfortunately the Air Force decided to send us to South Korea, where you do not have service.

When we notified your company in August that we were moving due to a military move, you were so understanding. You assured us that we would not be billed the 150 dollar cancellation fee since we were cancelling due to a military move. When two weeks later we got a 150 dollar bill for cancelling our service, you only made us spend 3 hours on the phone talking with supervisor after supervisor. Eventually we were threatened with being sent to collections, so we paid it.

My husband was persistent and eventually talked with a customer service rep who reversed the charge in early September. She assured us that a check would be in the mail within two weeks. Alas, it has been nearly six months and no check.

Despite the "backup in you billing department" we have received 4 statements showing that we have a 150 dollar credit. After three phone calls to your representatives, we have been assured that the check is in the mail.

To make matters worse, almost every morning we receive a call from Direct TV trying to get us to come back. Everyday we explain that we do not live in the service area and are assured that we will be removed from the calling list.

I don't know what is more frustrating; your company holding 150 dollars of my money hostage or your company throwing it in our face that we don't have satellite television anymore.

Believe me, we would love to have your service again! We are being tortured with Korean television! It only infuriates us more to have constant calls trying to get us back when that is an impossibility at this point.

Please refund our money immediately. I think that six months is more than ample time to issue a check. In addition please stop calling us trying to get us to come back. If my husband receives one more of these calls, I fear his head may explode.

I will be sure to share with my other Air Force members the kindness and excellent service you have provided to the Airmen who are defending our country.

Sincerely,

Angry Airman Trapped in Korea