Sorry I have been lax on this blog, I will try to do better! I know my Dad is this blog's most devout reader, so Dad, if you have been checking this thing regularly, I will try and do better ;-) Alex successfully graduated basic training boot camp, yay! And for the last couple of weeks has been at Fort Rucker, just waiting to begin W.O.C.S (Warrant Officer Candidate School) It didn't work out for us to permanently move during the three weeks, so I am thankful to have a little more time with friends and family, although I am ready to be with Alex already, we both think it's for the best that I am able to stay in Oregon while he is in training for 7 weeks again with no phone, internet access for communication.
I was able this last week to visit Alex at our soon- to- be new home at Fort Rucker, Alabama. I flew into Panama City, Florida on Tuesday afternoon, which is about an hour and a half away from base, and was excited to see that we will live near an area with very nice white, sandy beaches with clear blue water!
I had never been to Alabama, nor had I really had the chance to explore what it is like on a military base before, so I was able to experience a bit of both while going to see Alex. One thing that struck me as being different at Fort Rucker from other military bases was how many helicopters and pilots there were EVERYWHERE. It really is amazing to see hundreds of helicopters, flying and grounded all the time. Everything was also aviation themed- museums, stores, diners, bars, bowling alleys, etc. so if you're a fan of aviation, you would love it!
(Alex with what he is hoping to get to fly- Blackhawks, although he would be happy with anything:)
During my visit, we were able to spend a good amount of time together. Alex's schedule right now and for the next week or so looks somewhat like this until he begins W.O.C training (warrant officer candidate):
Start out at 5:00 am PT, breakfast, then cleaning around base, scrubbing toilets, raking leaves, etc. then around 9:30 am he is released until about 1:30pm and reports back to more cleaning that ranges from about an hour to 3 hours. During my time there, I recieved my military I.D.,we visited the Aviation museum (pictured above) explored around base and we were able to tour a couple of the houses that will be available to us to live on base in. They are 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom model homes and very cute inside :) I already can't wait to start decorating and have lots of ideas for each of the rooms!
While driving and exploring around base, Alex and I came up with an impressive list of all the positive aspects of living on base and military life (I will not think on the negatives lol):
- Gated community with 24/7 guards
- Private lake for swimming, fishing, boating, etc.
- Access to helicopters and helicopter pads (Alex)
- Golfing
- Equestrian arena/area
- Private lake cabins
- No taxes on groceries, clothing, etc. at PX
- Lawn Care provided
- New home rent free with electric and utilities paid for
- Private pool access
- Fitness room/gym access
- Libraries (general and special aviation libraries)
- Movie theatres
- Bowling alleys
The list could go on and on, and I will try and focus on the good, rather than the bad, I'm sure I'll look to this list and add to it as I get better acquainted with the military lifestyle, and also when faced with frustrating circumstances it will serve as a reminder of how good we really do have it!
Here is a video one of the other candidates sent to Alex about one of the helicopters Alex may have the opportunity to fly, we went to go see the field area where the Apaches were, but it was restricted, so we were only able to see the tops of them, but they are VERY impressive!
One thing we both are extra anxious for (besides getting to live together again!!!) is eating home-cooked meals together, it's one of our very favorites. Since the motel I was staying at had no kitchen, we had to eat out every day, but boy oh boy do I have a lot of meal planned for us when we can be together again! A new recipe I cooked up was inspired by a recipe I found at Taste of Home. It was low fat, I fattened the recipe up a little (to make it more tasty of course) and added lots more seasoning and tastiness to it. I am proud of it :-) Plus, it's vegetarian.
Rice and Black Bean Enchiladas
Season 2 cups of water with chili powder and cayenne pepper. Add a little oil. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup brown rice to seasoned, boiling water water. Stir rice, turn heat to low then place lid over pot for 20 minutes.
Chop one medium onion and 1 tbs oil in pan. Add one small can of diced green chiles (mild) one can of black beans (rinsed and drained) and 2 cans of enchilada sauce. Add cilantro. Stir and simmer for about 20 minutes.preheat oven to 375. If needed, add sugar if mixture is too acidic.(I added 1 tsp of brown and 1 tsp of white sugar to cut down acidity) Add cooked, seasoned rice to mixture. Heat flour tortillas in microwave for about 30-40 seconds. Scoop enchilada/rice an bean mixture into tortilla, add generous amount of Mexican blend cheese. Roll and place in 9x13 pan. Repeat. When pan is filled, sprinkle more cheese over enchiladas and top with more cilantro. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Top with salsa, guacamole and/ or sour cream. (As an after thought, jalapenos would also be stupendous on this as well for extra, extra heat! Next time ;-)
P.S. Alabama is beautiful! I think we are going to love living there! The weather was warm, a little humid, and one day it was cloudy and rainy (and warm) but the best part was that we were together again! The 7 week count down has officially began again! May 2nd is Alex's graduation from Warrant Officer Candidate school. I will be flying down with Rob and Nancy to see the graduation this time, and Alex will be flying back May 3rd with us all, we will pack up our apartment, then we will be making our road trip back to Alabama to be permanently stationed for his 14-18 months of flight school!!!
