What a day!

Have you heard of Regis and Kelly? Well if you don't then that's cool because I have! Well, today I got a wild hair up my butt and decided to enter their Girls Night Out Vegas Getaway.

Never in a bizzilion years thought they'd care about my all too common entry; I never win anything. Well, within an hour an inter called me! I freaked out... but you know, played it all to cool. Basically she requested I send her additional pictures. So I did! We'll see where it goes!

My husband got our tickets today. We're officially leaving US soil on December 8th. The passport issue is currently being rectified and should be returned no later than November 10th, God willing. Hopefully things go smoothly.... hopefully!

We're booking our trips to visit family prior to leaving. Things are coming together.

Still no word from our sponsor though. Anything I absolutely need to know that my sponsor would normally tell me?? Do share.

OOO, the biggest news of today was Whoopi and Joy walking out on Mr. Bill O'Reilly! ooO-wee! It was great TV people! I couldn't believe Bill said Muslims kills us.... wow.. what a Pinhead.

Watch all the drama here!

In a League, all my own!

So here's the thing guys, once upon a time I was "Samantha, The ArmyWife" from A Day in This Army Wife's Life... but now I'm "Samantha, The Army Wife," from A League of Her Own! I appreciated all of the people who participated in the new-name-giveaway, but obviously I didn't go with one of the suggestions. But I will come back to that.
I Llluurve my new digs! I mean who wouldn't? Mrs. Muffins did a fantastic job. We worked together and i tried to convey what I wanted to her and she made it appear before my eyes! She's amazing. Please go check her out and take advantage of her 15% military discount!

Back to the giveaway business. I still have this $15 from CSNstores.com to giveaway.
Here's how you can enter:
1) Per Name-Change-Suggestion
2) Blog about this giveaway
3) Follow me on Twitter {SamS_live}
4) Tweet about this giveaway
5) Blog about this giveaway (you can incorporate into a blog post or post in your sidebar)

So there are {5} chances to enter.
*For those who entered the last "name-change-suggestion-giveaway" you will automatically be entered.
For all other entries you must leave a comment with a link to your Tweet, with your twitter account (for proof of Twitter following), or link to your Blog (for proof of post about this giveaway).
This giveaway will close at 12, midnight Monday, 2 August 2010.
(OMG, is it really August already... HOLY MoLY)
The winner will be chosen via Random.org.

It's BaaaaCCKk!

Hey MilSpouses, I received the following email from MYCAA this morning:

MyCAA Update

DoD will resume the MyCAA program. The Department of Defense has completed the program review and will be making the necessary adjustments to resume the MyCAA program beginning in October 2010.

Starting 8 a.m. (EDT) Monday October 25, 2010, Military OneSource career and education counselors will have a much more active role in supporting military spouses. In addition to understanding resources available via DoD's financial aid support, they will provide support and assistance to identify and gain access to other federal, state, and local programs. All military spouses of active duty service members will be eligible for career counseling and support.

New financial assistance guidelines. With a focus on the original intent of the program, the Defense Department's financial assistance program will:

Be available to spouses of active duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2

Offer a maximum financial benefit of $4,000 with a fiscal year cap of $2,000. Waivers will be available for spouses pursuing licensure or certification up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000

Require military spouses to finish their program of study within three years from the start date of the first course

Be limited to associate degrees, certifications, and licensures

These new guidelines reflect a return to the original purpose of the program - to assist spouses of service members in achieving portable careers. These changes also align the program with responsible fiscal planning by the Defense Department to help sustain the program. Additional program details will be posted on the Military OneSource Web site when they become available. We encourage you to check the site often.

Spouses who currently have an active account will be allowed to request financial assistance until Thursday, October 21, 2010. Beginning September 1, 2010, spouses may request financial assistance for classes that have a start date up to January 15, 2011. To ensure adequate time to plan for courses, no career plans will be accepted after August 31, 2010. All currently approved financial assistance documents will be honored.

Additionally, the review revealed that National Guard and Reserve members must be on active duty for their spouses to receive the MyCAA benefit. Spouses may no longer use the MyCAA benefit when the service member is in an alert or demobilization period. The new eligibility rule takes effect immediately.

The program will be closed from Friday, October 22 to Monday, October 25, 2010, so that we may ensure the infrastructure is in place to implement the new program.

Military spouses are the backbone for military families, displaying strength of character to be admired by this nation. The Department of Defense remains committed to investing in military families, and appreciates the sacrifice of those who also serve.

~~~

So, it's less than it once was, but it's progress and a step in the right direction. Lets just try to see the best in it before we all go off and tear "them" (the decision makers and such) to shreds. Let us also remember we do have the Post 9-11 GI Bill as an option also!

 

Thanks to everyone who entered my GIVEAWAY so far. I love all the ideas!

Anyone who is still interested in $15 gift card to CSN Stores please pop over and enter!

Free Stuff

I love free stuff.

Do you love free stuff?

If you don't, that's just strange and you should!

For those who do,  you should read on:

As previously mentioned I won a bloggy make-over from Mrs. Muffins. We should be getting started very soon and I'm very excited!! I've been wanting to change the name of my blog for quite some time now, but I can't come up with anything clever and fun and interesting, that describes me and that I like! I've come up with things that are clever but don't describe me. And things that I like but aren't so clever. So this is where the give away comes in people. I've been blogging for 1 year and 5 months and some of you know me pretty well. So I want to you're help with my new blog title!

Here's how it works:

Entries:

You can have as many entries as your little heart desires.

But keep the goal in mind:

1 brand-spanking new Blog Title for lil' ol' me which must be clever, fun, interesting and most importantly describe me and what my readers will find here!

Winner:

If I choose your suggestion as my new blog title you will be the winner.

(nope nothing from random.org today people)

The lucky person out there will receive a $15 gift certificate to CSN Stores. You will be able to choose anything from any of their 200+ shopping sites which include home decor, electronics, kitchen accessories, bedroom vanity, furniture for you home and many, many more.

This give away will close next Friday, 23 July 2010 at Midnight (MST) and winner will be announced Saturday the 24th!

Good luck and I can't wait to hear all of your suggestions!

We've Arrived

Today we've officially arrived.

In I think, every way.

Kevin and I chose to fly out of Denver versus the Colorado Springs airport. Usually the savings doesn't warrant the trip to Denver but in this case it saved us $130 PER TICKET! Which you can bet your sweet ass warranted the trip to Denver. It was also nice to not have to switch planes. Only get on and off once! Thank the lord.

I was slightly nervous when we arrived later than planned to the airport. I should have listened to Kevin when he said that everything would be fine, instead of becoming just more and more nervous and anxious about the time. When he would say, "Calm down. We'll make it. Don't worry." I'd roll my eyes and count the open check-in kiosks and wonder pissily why the folks at the front of the line wouldn't occupy them.

Then I thought to myself, "Why on earth is the broad over there sporting 6" stilettos to fly?"

Just defied all sense of logic that I have. You see I'm one who dresses down to fly.

Might as well make as much effort to be comfortable as possible!

Speaking of comfort. Frontier is now my new favorite airline.

"Why?" you ask.

Well, because the lack of fees for checked bags extended to active duty military and the free DirecTV on the flight make up for the fact that we didn't (initially) have seats together on the plane and the rude BROAD at counter.

Usually airlines wave the fees for military only while on orders. Well not Frontier!

They allowed us to check-in two bags without any fees.

Once we were in the air and the beverage service was being served the nice flight attendant nicely asks Kevin if he was active duty, to which he replies yes. She then swipes her magic card and activates the DirecTV for both me and my hubby!

How sweet! That was awesome, I flipped between HGTV and TBS! Really made my experience a 1000 times more enjoyable.

Anywho, I'm off to spend time with the family and take my bra off contacts out.

If I'm not back before then, I hope you all have great 4th of July's!

Be safe.

The one where I land a J.O.B!!

Yes, you heard me right! After almost two years and countless companies toying with my emotions I officially have a job! I start on MONDAY!!!! I think this job is really perfect for where I'm at right now. Being in school and pursuing my degree is my main priority so this Receptionist job will go a long way to ensure our bills are paid (important) and allow me the flexibility to study and successfully complete my classes! It may not be filled with glory or loads of fun, but for now it's absolutely PERFECT!

I gotta say I'm going to really miss Thursday morning coffee with my girls! 

{major sad face}

=(

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about friends (both past and present) lately. I find myself beginning stories with "this girl I used to be friends with..." a lot. So I started reminiscing about friends I've loved and lost. There are a few. I can't possibly imagine why someone wouldn't want to be friends with me until the end of time. But evidently I manage to turn people off (you know, from time to time). 

To those that I've lost:

I do miss you. I do think of you often. 

I was just at a friends house the other night and we got to talking about how great it is to have milspouse friends close by (that completely friggin ROCK). I went on to say how losing friends, is a lot like a romantic breakup, at least for me. That I do personally have to mourn those relationships. Especially of the people that I've let into my heart and life. I believe that good friends become family. Truly family. So when I've made up my mind and set certain expectations of friends and they "breakup" with me, it's truly heartbreaking. 

Do you feel this way?

To those that I've found:

I love you!!!!! 

Thanks for putting up with me and loving me in return. Thanks for being there for me and accepting me into your world, as I have shared and embraced you (and yours) into my mine. 

Here's to the future and many, many fits of laughter and bottles of wine!

~

PS: I simply adore Brandi @Excess Baggage! 

please, check her out, BE NICE, and ENTER her giveaway for a free copy of DEAR JOHN!

P.S.A.

Public Service Announcements to follow. Just some info I thought everything would have some interest in:

I was contacted by someone from the CareMeridian Nursing and Rehab Facility and asked to post the following article. I'll comment on why afterwards. Please take the time and read:

Traumatic Brain Injuries and the Military

Military men and women are continually involved situations where risk of injury is high. One silent war wound that can often go unnoticed is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) . A TBI damages the brain that can often cause life-altering wounds, which can result in changes in personality, behavior, and even the brain functions of the victim. Some of these conditions are not just life-altering, but can be life threatening and are often partnered with rehabilitation from special care facilities like CareMeridian Las Vegas nursing home.

According to the Veterans Health Initiative, active male members of the military were hospitalized due to TBI related injuries at a rate of 231 per 100,000. The rate for female members of the military was 150 per 100,000. Based on these statistics over 4,000 military personnel are hospitalized on average each year for traumatic brain injuries. Some are as mild as a concussion, while others can be severe and have life altering effects.

The best way to prevent TBI is through awareness. Recognizing and responding to the symptoms of a TBI can often aid in the preventing further damage caused by the injury. Dizziness, headaches, changes in personality or sleep patterns, and memory loss are clear signs of TBI. Unfortunately these symptoms can sometimes be ignored or discarded as minor pains during times of conflict and even once the solider returns home. This sets up a dangerous precedent for a war wound that may never heal, so it is vital that serviceman and their families are aware of TBI, so that they can recognize and help treat it if symptoms are present.

Has your soldier or a soldier that you know come back with these symptoms? I know guys that have these symptoms. Maybe it's worth looking into. I posted this not as an advertisement for this facility but because I felt the information within this article would be beneficial to my readers. Now you have more information. I find it interesting that through all the conversations and briefings I've been partied to I haven't received this basic information of TBI.

Happier news:

Jim Beam (yea you know it) has teamed up with Operation Homefront to give a lucky service member a once in a lifetime opportunity. Visit Jim Beam and nominate your soldier for one of the following prizes!

The final two days of a major golf championship at Pebble Beach on 19 and 20 June 2010.

A home game for a professional baseball team on Chicago's South Side on 10 July.

A Kid Rock concert and the opportunity to meet Kid Rock in 2010.

Even though I'm hoping mine'll win! woot woot!

:)

A big thanks to Jim Beam and Operation Homefront for their support and recognition of our military and their families.

Just Friggin' Amazing! and a GIVEAWAY!

Lets just dive right in, shall we?

Recently I've been nominated for 3 awards! :) Aren't I popular!!!

Thanks to Katie! I am beautiful... and so are you my dear!

Thanks to Teri!

I have to admit I haven't checked out your blog yet. But I'll be sure to do it VERY soon!

A big thanks to ExPat Girl!

Teri and Katie please don't be offended but I'm not going to be following the rules, because the people have seen it from me before! I will however proceed with the rules from ExPat's Award:

The rules for the award are to blog about a woman (real life, celebrity or fictional) that you think is fabulous and explain why you think she rocks.

You then need to pass the award onto 5 other bloggers that you think are deserving.

FIRST: I think my sister is fabulous because she is on her FOURTH deployment in just 7 years of marriage. (You do the math... PPPSSHhh 12 months dwell-time my foot!)

She's 30 weeks pregnant and has a monstrous adorably-sassy three-year-old.

I know that my sister is just one of many. She isn't the exception, she's the rule. It's because of women who've come before me that I know I can survive my deployments. And one day (God help me) be strong enough for me and my future spawn babies.

I think she's fabulous, because she inspires me.

Love you sis!

~~~

Yes you heard me right (in the title) today we are starting my first ever giveaway!!!

Not only is it my first but it's SPONSORED. Yes... that's right people. Strap in... and get ready for this one!

So the amazing people at Borders contacted me to participate in this giveaway. Earlier today I went down to the Borders and demo'd this bad boy. It's AWESOME. I have to admit I wasn't really drawn to these. Going into it I was concerned where one gets the e-books and how they are downloaded onto the device.

Well that's just too easy!

It comes with software that helps you download books.

The one feature I was extremely surprised by was the highlighting. You can "highlight" (obviously) quotes and sections from one of the THOUSANDS (1000's) of books this lil' beauty holds.

It's really pretty awesome. I was blown away.

Now to the free-stuff.

Thanks to Borders and their support for our military this give-away is restricted.

I know, {sad face}.

But the unique packing limitations our soldiers are faced with makes them perfect for this Sony Touch Reader!

Here are the rules for this Giveaway:

You or your spouse must CURRENTLY be active-duty.

*This will be verified, if you are chosen as the winner.

All entries must be received by NO LATER than this SATURDAY, 16 Jan!!

All those eligible can reveive a MAXIMUM of 3 entries (as follows):

1: answer this question:

Will e books and readers change the way you shop for books?

2: Let me know you follow my blog.

3: Re-posting about this giveaway on your blog.

*please give URL to your "repost".

Those entering will be entering for a chance to win a Sony Touch pre-loaded with 10 top titles (selected by Borders) for their full time active-duty spouse.

Lets get it going people. I will announce the winner First Thing Sunday AM.

Entries received after 12-midnight 1/16/10 will not be accepted.

Happy Tuesday!