swartz update - by leslie

Since Casey doesn't have internet, I thought I'd do a little update for her this week...although I'm sure she'll fill you in on all the details.

After a week at the Jersey Shore with Snooki and The Situation, she did the final packing in TX and got on the road with Matt and Sadie. They made the road trip to Pensacola and have been staying in a hotel on the base for the past week. Mostly they have been looking at houses to rent and getting a feel for their surroundings, but they've also had some fun too...she texted me a picture of herself with a cocktail in a mason jar which means she's loving FL, haha. The last time I talked to Case she told me they had found a house will be moving in this weekend! They were also looking at washer and dryers....big adult purchase.

Casey enjoying the jersey shore with friends

Our last days in Corpus...

You read that right – we are leaving Corpus Christi, Texas. Matt selected helicopters and in two weeks we will be living in Milton, Florida. YEA!!!!! Milton is outside of Pensacola, which suits me just fine, because we will still be living by the beach. Pensacola beaches are among the most beautiful in the world – if you don’t believe me – come and visit!

We spent the weekend trying to enjoy Texas – kayaking, tennis, barbecuing with friends. But now that the weekend has passed, we are in full moving mode. I am leaving on Thursday to travel to Philly to spend Thursday and Friday with my grandparents. Then on Saturday I head to Ocean City, Jersey.

This is one of my very favorite weeks of the year and I wouldn’t miss it for anything – not even moving. I spend the entire week with my mom’s whole side of the family – more than 20 family members. Every day is filled with the beach, shopping, great food, and games. I love every minute!

Unfortunately, Matt is not able to go this year because of the job change. He will be back here making sure that everything with the move goes smoothly. I will come back next Saturday and, hopefully, the movers would have already come. We will spend Sunday cleaning and seeing friends and then head out on Monday morning. The plan is to make the drive in one day – about 14 hours – with two cars and a dog! We do not have a place to live in Florida yet, but hope to find something when we get there. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be moving to another state without a forwarding address, I would have told you that you were crazy, now I know it is just part of the military life.

Since I am leaving tomorrow, today is filled with packing (for vacation and the move), so I have to be going. I will be MIA for awhile, but promise to update once we are in Florida.

So long Texas – it has been fun!

Kayaking on the Padre Island National Seashore

The kayaking place had signs to places all over the world - this was my favorite! Miss you, Les.

"WE'RE MOVING TO FLORIDA!!!!" celebration dinner

I won the first game, Matt the second - tiebreaker still to come...

It is exhausting being the ball girl...

Peace out, Texas

It's a hurricane (sans vodka)!!!

Hurricane Alex has hit! We might not be getting the eye of the storm, but we are definitely seeing some action here in Corpus. I walked to the beach yesterday to take some pictures and there were already signs of the hurricane. The beach was practically non-existent. The water was all the way up to the dunes and had started crawling up roadways. The surfers were out with hopes of bigger waves. Everyone was out enjoying the last day of their vacations before the storm hit. We made sure to buy lots of water, canned foods, and MREs (not sure what these are, but Matt thought that we needed them – I will eat dry mac and cheese before I touch these MREs!) We watched the news and saw that the hurricane would not hit us directly, but that we would get the outskirts (major wind and rain).

We woke up this morning and it was definitely windy, but no rain. Matt left for work and I went to the gym – still no rain. As I got back and started to take Sadie for a walk, I looked up and the sky had gone black. All of a sudden – torrential downpour and crazy wind! Of course I would get caught in the middle of the storm with my dog, half of a mile from my house. As Sadie and I ran back to the apartment the storm intensified and palm tree branches started flying around us, which made it even harder to run back because Sadie was running after every branch that went flying through the air. We made it back and now I am nice and dry and enjoying some chai tea and the new Jodi Picoult novel, while Sadie runs around the apartment going crazy because she missed out on her walk. Thank you, Alex.

We are currently under a tropical storm warning and tornado warning. This is just the beginning, so I am taking lots of pictures and I will be sure to post another update soon!

PS - Just lost power for the first time!

PPS - Can you tell I'm completely fascinated by this storm. First career choice - librarian, second - tornado chaser (bring it on, Helen Hunt!)

Where are all of the cars...

MREs - the colorful packaging really makes them seem more appetizing - don't you think

Taken from our porch last night, Alex was rolling in

Taken this morning, note the palm trees

Roxy the Wrangler getting pounded by rain

I was in a hurricane!

View from our balcony, 30 mins ago.

Caught in the rain...

We're getting closer...

Well, it is a big week in Texas, possibly our biggest! Matt had his last two flights yesterday. This afternoon he selects (makes his wish list). There are four options. First, we could stay here and Matt would train to fly P3s. Second, we could move to Milton, Florida (outside of Pensacola) and Matt would train to fly helicopters. Third, we could move to Kingsville, Texas (about 40 minutes south of Corpus) and Matt would train for tail hook (jets, E2, c2s). Fourth, we could move to Meridian, Mississippi and Matt would train for tail hook. We know that we will be happy with whatever he gets. It is up to the Navy and we are ready and excited!

The crazy part is that we will probably be moving in the next two weeks, but we don’t know where we are going yet. For someone that loves to plan, it is kind of driving me crazy. Luckily, I have been filling my time with books, scrapbooking (Sadie currently has 16 pages), eating/drinking, and sunbathing. What a great summer. Basically, I know that the second that we find out, along with the excitement comes the stress. We will have to figure out a place to live. I will start the job search. We will have to plan our vacation (I have been trying to plan a trip home for months, but need to wait until we hear about where we will be living and when we will be moving). And finally, we will have to move.

To add to the excitement, Hurricane Alex is headed our way. We have been tracking the potential path of the hurricane and it is projected to hit below us in Mexico and southern Texas. However, according to the forecast we are slated to get 90 mph winds and heavy rain. We live on North Padre Island, key word being ISLAND, so this could be a problem. Needless to say, the next couple of days are sure to be memorable.

For now – back to watching the forecast and then headed out to buy water, batteries, and flashlights. I will keep you updated on the weather and, more importantly, our next moveJ

Here is how we have been spending our last couple of days...

Sadie taking a dip - she LOVES the water


Last Friday was the first time that we had dinner together in over a month - Matt has been flying nearly every day!


Matt is finally done with primary - let the celebration begin!!!!


What I woke up to this morning - Hurricane Alex - here he comes!


Our hurricane watchdog...

Welcome Home, Toph

My little brother, Chris, is coming home tomorrow. He has spent the last year in Iraq serving in the US Army. I cannot believe that it has been a full year since he has left. He sacrificed a lot to serve our country – his sister’s wedding, holidays with family, time with friends, vacations, beer, Starbucks, and so much more. Anyways, just wanted to say WELCOME HOME, CHRIS! I love you and am so proud of you! God bless those still over there and currently serving in our Armed Forces. Chris, I owe you a dinner and will pay up soon! Have a safe trip!!!

This picture was taken the night that Chris left for Iraq last year

All dressed up and twenty years ago...

Leslie and Nick Got Married!!!

Leslie and Nick got married! It was a perfect wedding! And now I am going to make an attempt to describe their beautiful wedding for you.

Stunning – This is how Leslie looked on her wedding day. Everything was perfect, from the dress to the hair.

Handsome – If you mention the bride looks stunning, something has to be said for the groom and his groomsmen. They looked very handsome and it probably took about one fourth of the time to get ready as the bridesmaids.

Unpredictable – The weather on their wedding day. The day started out sunny and clear. As we made our way to the ceremony/reception site, it started clouding up a little. As Leslie was walking down the aisle, there were a couple of thunderclaps. A few rain drops were falling by the sermon. At the exchange of rings, there was rain and lots of wind. Leslie and Nick got to walk down the aisle and then came the monsoon. Luckily, it was a summer storm and only lasted about 20 minutes. It made for great pictures and Leslie made the decision to get a second tent ( ;) ) so everyone was dry.

Tear-jerker – Leslie and Nick’s vows. They wrote their own vows – my first “vow written” ceremony. I won’t even go into how many tears I saw as they were reading. Very impressive…

Idyllic – Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. If I had to picture somewhere for Leslie to get married, this would be the place. Words do not do it justice. There were flowers blooming everywhere, little secret paths through the gardens, bubbling brooks (I kid you not), and so much more.

Delic – What other word can describe amazing crabcakes, beef-something mouthwatering, Greek bean bake (I swear, more people talked about this dish than anything else…), and (my favorite) mashed potatoes!!!

Yummy - What I heard many people say about the wedding cake. My streak continues of never tasting a wedding cake. Apparently I can’t be pulled from the dance floor long enough to enjoy the vanilla/chocolate concoction.

Rockin’ – This was the word Matt used to describe the band and I have to agree. They really got the stamp of approval with the last song choice. After claiming they stayed up all night writing an original song for Leslie and Nick (I was a little more than annoyed – who plays an original song at a wedding?), they broke out with “Don’t Stop Believing” to the screams of the crowd. It was a perfect way to end the reception (if you take away my moment of dropping a beer half way through the song and beer spraying all over everyone).

Jealous – How I felt when they left for 10 days in Hawaii;)

Overall, I can’t think of anything that could have been better. It was very Leslie and Nick and what more can you ask for.

Here are just a few (amateur) pictures from the Guptas big day.

Leslie's Bridesmaids...best ever!

The Guptas!!!!!!!!!!!

Vaca buds...where are we going next?

Why can't we live closer...

It's wedding time!!!

Okay, I lied. I promised that I would spend the last couple of days updating you on the happenings in my life here in Texas. But life got in the way and I haven’t had too much time to write. But that all changes after tomorrow because tomorrow is my last day of school! I didn’t think that I would ever see the day. But more on that next week because this weekend is even more exciting!!!! It is Leslie and Nick’s wedding!!!! She is on her way to Richmond right now and I leave for San Antonio tomorrow to catch a flight on Thursday. I am so excited to see Leslie and Nick and all of our friends and celebrate their big day.

Unfortunately there is not much time to write now because I am packing, but I promise lots of updates and pictures from the wedding when I return next week.

Congrats to the Guptas!!!!

Wastin’ Away in Margaritaville

I know, I know. It is inexcusable that we have not written in so long. In our defense, Leslie has a wedding in two weeks and I have my last days of school (7 days and counting…) So much has happened over the last month and I am going to try to catch you up over the next few days.

First, and most important, was Leslie’s bachelorette party in Key West. In one word…AMAZING! 

It was a blast. I had never been to Key West and once I got there I did not want to leave. In fact, I volunteered (with Shannon, Leslie’s sister-in-law) to be bumped from my return flight if they were overbooked. I held out hope until the flight attendant gave her safety spiel.

I left early (and when I say early – I mean 4:00 a.m.) on Friday morning from Houston. I had stayed at my Aunt Bobbie’s house in the Woodlands because flights out of Corpus are ridiculously expensive. I landed in Miami and went to greet Leslie off of her New York flight. Two Bloody Mary’s later and we were ready for Key West.

***I won’t even get into the travel ordeal, but let’s just say that eight out of ten girls were able to board the flight. On the way home, every single flight was delayed out of Key West and the majority missed their connecting flights and did not get home until after midnight or in Shannon’s case – the next day (lucky!!!) Take my advice, if you are traveling to Key West, make sure that you have A LOT of time in between your flights because they WILL NOT hold the plane and there are more delays than you can imagine.***

We stayed at the Westin in Key West and it was unbelievable! The location was ridiculous. It is right next to Duval Street (where all of the bars and restaurants are located) and has a beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico. They were so great and even upgraded our rooms so that we had another bed and an extra bathroom (with 11 showering girls - this is a huuuuuuge deal). We dropped our bags and started the party.

We were able to do so much over the weekend that it would take forever to write it all down for you. Plus what happens on the rocks, stays on the rocks;) Here are a few highlights from our trip.

• Restaurants: Mangoes, Grand Café Key West, Blue Heaven (love love love Blue Heaven – most amazing brunch – plus what can beat roosters strolling around your feet)
• Bars: Sloppy Joe's – This was our go-to bar. They had an awesome band (yeah – Naked Eskimos) who played all of our special requests and let us get on stage to lead the dancing (or jumping if Enter Sandman was requested). Fat Tuesday - like Natalie’s dad said – can’t leave Key West without drinking a Rum Runner. Rick’s - aka the Tot’s of Key West. Cowboy Bill’s Honky Tonk Saloon – only bar with a mechanical bull and, yes, Leslie did ride it. And I’m sure there were more, but let’s be honest, after Rum Rummers and rounds of BLLs, I don’t remember.
• Extras: La Te Da - Cabaret Drag Show. I had never been to a drag show and it was definitely different than I expected. At least I can cross that off the list of things to do in this lifetime. Fort Zachary Taylor beach – We actually made it to the beach on Sunday. If you have feet of steel you would love this beach, the rest of us had to brave crossing over rows of rocks to get to the water. However, the water was so beautiful that it was worth the pain. Rum Barrel – This is the southernmost Philly fan bar. Even though the group didn’t make it there over the weekend – I made a special trip for my Southernmost Phillies Fan Bar t-shirt.

It was such a great weekend to celebrate Leslie and spend time with some of our best friends. I will definitely never forget my first (not the last) trip to Key West. Since Leslie and I have both moved away from our friends, we don’t take weekends like this for granted. The only thing that made it easier to say good-bye was knowing that we would all see each other again in a couple of weeks for Leslie and Nick’s wedding. So until then…here are some G-rated pictures to enjoyJ

What could be better than best friends and Bloody Mary'sThe whole gang at Mangoes
Slop Slop Sloppy Joe'sLove this pic!And she's ready...Best brunch ever - Blue HeavenEnded it the way we began - drinks in the airport

Giddy Up!

While in Texas, we are really trying to take advantage of the Texas culture. We are eating barbecue and Mexican, visiting ranches, traveling to San Antonio and Austin, attending local sporting events and festivals, even wearing cowboy boots and belt buckles. This past Friday we really experienced Texas by going to the Corpus Christi Rodeo, Buc Days! Since moving here I have learned that I LOVE rodeos (and I’m not even the least embarrassed to admit it!) I love the idea of country music, rodeo clowns, horses, beer, fried food, and cowboy boots. Needless to say, I had been looking forward to this event for months.

We went to the rodeo with three other friends (Kyle, Amy, and Adam – all students with Matt). With admission to the rodeo, we also got free tickets to the carnival. We enjoyed funnel cake, rides, and barbecue until late into the night. However, the best part was definitely seeing the cowboys and their events. Here is my novice description of the rodeo events that we saw at Buc Days.

Bareback Riding:

This is pretty self explanatory. Contestants ride the horses bareback, only allowed to hold on with one hand.

Barrel Racing:

The contestants race their horses around three barrels set up in various locations around the arena. This is a timed event – fastest time – wins!

Bull Riding:

This is one of the most dangerous rodeo events, where the contestants must ride the bucking bull for at least eight seconds. Sounds easy enough, huh.

Team Roping:

This was my least favorite event, because even though they assured us that it wasn’t cruel, I certainly wouldn’t want to be the calf. The two contestants ride their horses while trying to rope in a racing calf. One team member must rope the horn, head, or neck of the calf, while the other ropes the back legs.

Tie-Down Roping

This was another one of my least favorite events. The contestant and calf are let into the arena. The contestant is chasing the calf and once he ropes him, he jumps off his horse and throws the calf to the ground and proceeds to tie three of the calf’s legs together. Yes, throws the calf to the ground...

Mutton Busting:

This was my favorite event! It is meant for young kids – I’m sure as an introduction into big-time rodeo events. The child is put in a riding position on a sheep, the sheep is let go, and the child must hold on as long as possible before falling to the ground (no worries, the children wear helmets).

Leslie mentioned in her last blog that there are more than a few differences between New York City and Corpus Christi. I would have to imagine that cowboys and rodeos would be one of the main ones! Still, I can’t help but think that I will miss these types of events when we move in a couple of months.

I wish that I had more pictures to share, but I was notified early on that picture-taking was prohibited (after I had already stolen a few pics, see below…)

Loving Buc Days!
Let the games begin...She thinks my tractor's sexyWouldn't be a carnival without funnel cakeTexas has done our bodies goodYum, yum - Texas BBQ

Funny...

Sometimes I really laugh about how different Casey and I's daily lives are...but at the same time very simliar. I love hearing her stories and it's fun to share mine.

Here's just an example of how different our locations are...and fyi, I saw my breath this morning...not cool!

New York:
Friday - sunny, avg temp 55
Saturday - mostly sunny, avg temp 57
Today - raining...pouring, actually, avg temp 50

in summary...cool and sunny, then freezing and rainy

Corpus Christi:
Friday - foggy and sunny, avg temp 82
Saturday - sunny, avg temp 76
Today - sunny, avg temp 77

in summary...sunny, sunny, sunny and waaaarm. (can you tell i'm jealous?!)

We're Hooked!

Summer is officially around the corner; tis the season of baseball, beer, and hot dogs.

We kicked off baseball season today at the Corpus Christi Hooks game. The Hooks are a Double A Astro’s farm league team. They have only been around since 2005, but have become a major part of the Corpus Christi sports scene. The games are full of minor league fun --- dizzy bat games, Kiss Cam, dance offs, and racing mascots; plus a few Texas extras, like a swimming pool in the outfield that can be reserved for parties.

We had perfect baseball weather – 80s and partly cloudy. We sat on the Grass Berm where tickets were only $5.00 (bring your own blanket). What started off as cheap entertainment got a bit pricier when you add in the foot-long corn dog, Whataburger cheeseburger, two fries, two waters, soda, and Hooks gear. But as they say, the experience was priceless.

Looking forward to a season of Hooks baseball! GO HOOKS!

Whataburger, just like you like it

Let's play ball!

The cheap seats (the camera position makes those shorts seem muuuuch shorter;))

Festival of Sand

Even though the weather wasn’t great yesterday, Matt and I ventured out to Port Aransas for the day. Port Aransas is about 20 minutes away from North Padre Island (where we live – yes, we are “Islanders”) and is my favorite place here in Texas. It is a beach resort town filled with rental go-carts, surf shops, beachy restaurants, and gift shops. People come from all over Texas to visit Port Aransas. When we first moved here I asked Matt if he was willing to commute. It is about 40 minutes from the base, needless to say, I wasn’t able to convince him (maybe it was those 5:00 a.m. briefs…) They promote Port A as “Texas – Island Style” and have restaurants with names like Castaways, Fins, and Moby Dick's...what more do I need.

We started out at a little café, Island Cafe. Those who know us best know how much we LOVE hole-in-the-wall restaurants (what I would do for a taco from El Charrito’s on Washington Blvd. in Arlington). I think my appreciation for local hole-in-the-walls comes from my parents who love to discover unknown eateries in small towns. The food was great, service was fast, and the prices were CHEAP. After finishing up with brunch, we headed to the coffee shop for some more caffeine to get through the day. *Matt had two flights on Saturday and didn’t get home until midnight* The coffee shop was an awesome discovery; big leather couches inside and relaxing beach chairs outside. They served all the regular coffee, plus gelato (Matt had a Butterfinger and Andes mint double scoop)!

Next stop – Sand Fest 2010. I read about Sand Fest a couple of days ago and was expecting a simple sand sculpting contest. I figured we would park on the beach and see a few cool sand sculptures and then make our way back home. Little did I know, people come from all over the country to participate in Sand Fest. It was amazing! Not only were there sand sculptures, but it was a flea market on the beach. There were vendors from all over South Texas, plus live music, amazing Texas food like fried cheesecakes and fried pie, and a mechanical bull in the sand (only in Texas!) We spent an hour or so wandering around; upset that we had eaten our fill at the café and couldn’t make room for the potato on a stick. All I can say is that I was impressed with what one could do with a little creativity and a whole lot of sand.

One of the best parts of being a military family is the opportunity for new experiences. We have had so many down here and this was one of the best. What could be better than a morning that starts off with corned beef hash and ends with a flea market on the beach…

I look forward to sharing our next Texas adventure with you. Until then, love from Texas!

Our new hole-in-the-wall discovery

Local coffee shop - Coffee Waves

Sand Fest 2010

Note the concentration...

Wouldn't be a Texas event without a mechanical bull

Even though this wasn't in the finale, we definitely thought it was the shit;)

Congrats, it's a girl!

This morning I woke up with babies on the brain and could not go back to sleep. Not because I want a baby just yet, but because recently I seem to be surrounded by them. 
 

Here is a recap of my baby week…
 

Last Sunday, Matt and I went to a barbecue at a new friend’s house. Of the four girls there, two were pregnant. Both are due in the next couple months and needless to say, babies dominated the conversation.
 

On Wednesday, our Texas Hokie friends had a little baby girl (Natalie). She is already sporting a future Hokie onesie and will be ready for football season in no time.
 

On Thursday, our Marine friends had a little baby girl (Evelyn). She is beautiful and is our new favorite Ranger!
 

On Friday, Jacque came to visit! YEA!!! She is my first pregnant friend from home. Not only is she an adorable mom-to-be, but she is a wealth of knowledge. I would expect nothing less from my favorite book-loving English teacher. She has even become an expert on non-alcoholic beers (even though she can’t wait for the real thing…). Here we are enjoying our non-alcoholic Warsteiners on my porch.

Please don’t get the wrong idea; I am in no way complaining about my baby week; in fact, just the opposite. I have loved it. I love hearing the stories and hearing the excitement as my friends plan for their new families. I love hearing the new Dads talk about their little girls. I love buying the baby clothes and learning about their birth plans. But just because I love it, doesn’t mean I’m ready (Sadie is about all I can handle…) 
   

For now, I’m just baking casseroles (while drinking a nice big glass of red wine)…