I know I am rather random about what's been going on and piecemeal my everyday goings on so I thought I would try to organize my thoughts a little and answer some questions I have had both on this blog and privately asked.

I'm married to Tony.
We have been married for sixteen years, seventeen in June.
We have four children 12, 10, 7 (8 in Feb) and four. My birthday baby is our only girl.

My background is in teaching and curriculum development. I did that until I was pregnant with my second child and then began a large event production company in Houston for about four years. After some burnout, I returned to teaching, became pregnant with my last child and returned home to raise my kiddos and homeschool.

For the next four years I ran a homeschool group, started a coupon group and supported jarheads in a nonprofit effort that my homeschool friends did much to support as well. Due to money concerns and I'm sure my own need to redefine somethings, (I suspect catalyzed by a car accident and a cancer scare), I returned to teaching and continued with milsupport last Fall.

A few months ago talks began with a military contact concerning my potential job in Iraq.
It entails training Iraqi Army officers at the Taji Training Depot, 3.5 billion dollar facility which the vocational institute is a part. It's Jordanian owned and they have hired ex-pats to run it. Most, including, my boss are former jarheads. My tasks involve evaluating instructors, essentially teaching them to teach, writing curriculum or overseeing others who will be writing it and various administrative duties related with the day to day operation of the institute. We teach everything from painting, to upholstery to how to recondition weapons. My quarters are near my office and my trailer is wet. Meaning I won't have to share a shower facility.

We live on the non-coalition side of Camp Taji which is about 45 miles from Baghdad in the Sunni Triangle. Security is managed by Nepalese Gurkha guard, an elite regiment of the British armed forces. On the compound and gates we have about 70 of these fighters--not as "tough as a Marine, but close" according to my own jarhead here at home.

I was having some passport trouble, but I think it's worked out now. I hope. I'm holding my breath and refusing to celebrate or exhale until I hear at ten am tomorrow when I can pick up my passport. Lisa, my friend going on the cruise with me, swears she's calling at 2:16 to make sure I am enroute after school dismissal (2:15) to get it. She said so after she came over tonight to help me pack. I'm glad. She made short order of it and my brain is grateful. I was fried.

The cruise is to Cozumel and Presidio and no, I have never been on this kind of a vacation. Usually they involve parents or reunions or a family function of some sort. The last real vacation I was on was my honeymoon in 1992 with Tony. So I am excited to go and wish my husband was more interested in the opportunity, but he's not crazy about traveling and I didn't want to MAKE him go so there you have it.

Now on Saturday my principal and I are going to interview a potential teacher right before we go to Galveston to board the ship. He really has been very good about the whole matter. I've been taking too many phone calls, and I left early yesterday to go to the State Department. I'm fairly certain we will be hiring this new man, if he's willing to accept the salary and if that is the case this week may be my last.

If Taji falls through for some reason and there is a small chance of that due to the lengthy hiring process, I will go to work with my father. He works as a land agent. I'm not as well versed in that field, but I'm a quick study and hope to catch on quickly. It is a lucrative situation as well and I would be in Denver or Pennsylvania most likely. Between you, me and the fence post, I think he is purposely beginning a new contract in order to entice me to stay in the States. Daddy's little girl and all that.

So I think I have covered everything. *soft smile.

I am looking forward to working hard and testing myself either in Iraq or here.
I'm looking forward to making a good living
and putting money away for our future as well
as using it to enhance our present.
This morning it took me a four point turn to make a parking slip.
I think the car got wind of the potential prosperity on the horizon
and got into line behind the sink.
I'll expect it has a big ass mouth
and this line will be even more populated in the next few weeks if the Universe is what it is.

In a couple weeks,
I will be meeting the director of the school in San Antonio
to continue the process
and awaiting a contract sometime after I return from vacation.

Thank you to everyone that reads this blog.
I never really post like this,
it seems like it would be boring,
but in any case I hope it clarifies things a bit.
I am touched by all the well wishes on blog and off.

Tomorrow I have some blogs to pimp
and hopefully some good passport news to post!
If I missed a question from comments in doing this post please let me know--
well in comments...lol and I'll do my best to answer.

I'm really surprised at how interested people have been.
Surprised and touched.
xox