A couple of times, I've tried to post to blogger and have had some trouble.. perhaps because of using a government computer on a government network with government settings and all. It took some work today, but here I am.

The great news is that I am now living off-base. I found this fabulous apartment similar in concept to all the historic apartments in VA made from historic houses, but even better than anything I'd personally seen there.

It's 1700 square feet, all hardwood floors except one tiny hallway (maybe 4 square feet or so) which is carpeted and the kitchen and one bathroom are tiled. It's got a fireplace, a sunroom, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen, lots of closet, counter, and cabinet space throughout. The ceilings are roughly ten feet high or so, with fans in several rooms and a chandellier in the living room. It's the first floor of the house, so there're front steps with a small front porch, and the best part is a big, fabulous garden area fully fenced in. It has two big trees in it (and the hooks for a hammock) and brick platforms and pathways. It had divided areas already, so I've started an herb garden, a veggie garden, some rose bushes, and am going to be planting wildflowers and lots of other beautiful flowers all over. The front has a garden area, too, which already had lots of very large aloe plants in it.

Fabulous.

And it's all for only $850 per month plus electricity. That's right, water (and hot water at that) are included in the rent price, and there's no gas in this place, and it's FL so trash is included, so I'm looking at spending maybe $1000 per month total. If I get a roommate (which I'm working on), that'll be maybe $500 or $600 (depending on who or how much they technically rent) for me and the remainder for them and then I'll have all that extra as pocket/savings money.

Fabulous.

I am SO excited. So, if you'd like my address, since I HAVE one now that's my very own, just email or call me. And if you'll be in the Jacksonville area, let me know.

I'm doing well in my petty officership, too. Plenty of people in my office and out of my regular contacts mentioned that they always thought of me as one anyway, and others have been very supportive about it. Officers in my command regularly come tell me they want to see me put in a commissioning packet to see about getting picked up for commissioning. That's very encouraging, too. So I'm working on said packet, including college applications (more of a process than it was last time in some ways, less in others) and that's going well so far. I took my SATs again since my old results had, for all intents and purposes, expired.. and got those results back already; somehow, I did BETTER than I'd done in high school! I didn't see that coming at all! Math was a lot lower, and interestingly enough it used to always be the highest section score on any test despite me not feeling like it was my strongest area. So this was the first time I did better in another section on a significant test. Anyway, that was really encouraging as well.

I'm on duty again today, and will be again in a couple of weeks. Then at the end of April, I should hopefully be able to visit Lynchburg (give me a yell if you're gonna be in town around the 23rd .. and get tickets for the Sedalia Center Celtic Fest, since that's the central reason for my visit being at that time!) and in May I may or may not be going either to New Orleans or Norfolk for a reserve-pay class since I'm being moved upstairs to the respay office. Either location would be fun and near friends.

That's the general update. Still not enough time to read other blogs or boards much, so I still miss ya'll and still can't catch up as much as I'd like to. But this is a start. Or a continuation, whatever.