Thursday, April 22, 2010

We've moved!

Mike and I have been SO busy lately! I mean really, things have gotten so hectic around here. Today is not only his 23rd birthday, but it's also the last day of our lease at our old apartment. Everything is 100% moved out and cleaned up over there... now the trick is to unpack and put away all the cardboard boxes in our new place! Literally there is less visible carpet space than there are boxes and furniture. As for how the move went... let's just say I told Mike that next time we'll be living on the first floor of a one-story building (or as my mom suggests, a town house)! Moving all that stuff from the 3rd floor into the moving truck and my van (especially that washing machine, UGH) was a pain. I forgot the advantages of the height though: the pretty view and the quiet. My neighbors upstairs have little kiddies who too aren't obnoxious or anything, but they SOUND like little kiddies lol. In fact there goes one stomping around as I type this! Oh well, I'm sure it'll be something I get used to, like train noise.

Outside of home, Mike has even more going on. He's trying to put together an application package to get into an officer program. He's doing well but there is a lot of work that has to go into it. If this succeeds he'll be being paid to go to school for a few years and then get to fulfill his dream of being a pilot! If anyone is curious, he wants to fly F-18s. Fortunately the CO also flew the same jets in his day so we're hoping he'll have some tips for Mike on how to get in. I'm so glad that his surgery is finally going to pay off!

As for me, I'm still working at McDonald's. I was "Crew Member of the Month" for February, which is kind of exciting. It was nice to get that kind of recognition. Ya'll may think I'm a huge slacker but here's proof that I work my butt off! However I obviously don't want to stay at that store forever. For one, it's now a much longer commute. I could transfer, but I do like the people I work with. When I leave my store it's going to be for a new job entirely. Besides, it's actually in a very nice (safe) area, unlike most of the rest of Jacksonville. It's really wonderful to always be living in apartment complexes full of other military and the sheriff's department. Well maybe not so much JSO as the Navy... sorry Emily but we really don't like the cops down here!

So let's see, I have a lot to catch up on. Easter was a few weeks ago. I bribed Mike to come to Mass with me Easter morning. I think it would have been better to go to the Vigil the night before, but too late to change it now. We colored Easter Eggs and I put together a basket of goodies. Over Christmas we got up that morning and shouted like idiots "Santa came Santa came!" Well Easter morning Mike was shook awake to "The Easter bunny came the Easter bunny came!" Haha I'm sure he appreciated that SO much. My mom sent me a great basket too... and then later we used the box it got sent it for moving. It was like two gifts in one!

There's a lot of traveling about to go on as well. This weekend Mike's mom comes down for a week-long visit. Hopefully we'll have a space for her to sleep by Saturday lol! Also, next month we're coming home for a weekend. It'll be right after my birthday, and we can't wait to spend time with friends and family. I especially can't wait to see my sisters (all three of you :P). Oh right, and go celebrate my 21st in style with my BFF Amanda. The Sifrig's and Hejna's can count on seeing us at the family BBQ.

Well Mike should be coming home soon, he had to stay late for more officer program (STA-21) stuff, and I've got a birthday cake to ice! We'll try to keep you all informed with more frequent updates.

Love,

Kathleen & Mike

P.S. For anyone who has yet to get our new address, just shoot him or me an email. I'd rather not post it online.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Mike and Kathleen!

Go Team Cleric

Hello family and friends!

First, I'm sure you're all wondering about the strange title of this blog. If you know Mike and I at all well, then you know we're crazy about video games! You also know that we both have a ridiculous sense of humor. I think we'll leave it at that.

We started this blog as a way to keep the ones we love (and the ones we annoy by our lack of communication) informed of our doings while we live so far away. For some reason I just can't seem to convince everyone how uneventful life in Florida is! However, a certain sister-in-law has assured me that there are many people who would like to hear about our everyday stuff we do. So Emily, this is for you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For everyone not in the loop right now, Mike is in the Navy and currently stationed at NAS Jacksonville in Florida. We live together in an apartment in Fleming Island with our roommate, Katie, who is also in the Navy (and so is her boyfriend). I'm currently working at McDonald's, but don't laugh! I know for a fact that Sifrig women who work at McDonald's when they're young will eventually move on to greatness :). Mike and I are both doing very well in our respective jobs; he was promoted to Petty Officer Third Class in November and I just got a raise last month. As far as our home goes, we won't be living here long. Our lease comes up in April and we have decided to look for an apartment closer to the base. As of this posting I'm pretty sure we've decided on a (cheaper) 2bed/2bath in Orange Park that we're going to be very happy with. Unless things change it looks like we'll be moving in April 10th. Katie won't be coming with us because she's going to be moving in with her boyfriend into a VERY cool condo.

Right now I'm mostly looking forward to the move in, and Katie's big going-away party for a lot of our Navy friends later this month. I think Mike's just looking forward to some new games that are coming out :P. Haha actually he could be more excited about the new place than me! I know a few people have been asking about something a little more near to the future: Valentine's Day. We don't have any big plans I think, except maybe to go to this sushi restaurant that's right down the road. I can't believe this is going to be our third Valentine's Day together! Well, I'm not sure if you can count last year since we just mailed our presents across the country and didn't get to see each other. That's what happens when you date a sailor. I'm not complaining though, we're both VERY happy right now. The main complaint we share is that we have to live in Florida where no one knows how to drive, and there isn't anywhere conveniently close to snowboard.

Ok, I think I've left you all with a nice big post to chew on for a while. I hope this blog works out to be something easy for us to use to mass communicate to everyone we love at once.

Signing off from my kitchen counter,

Kathleen