We have been back in Texas for close to two weeks now, and I dream about Hawaii every night. I miss it and being back home is bittersweet but I realized the other day that it's not like I really truly can never go back.
In Hawaii there was never any parking and everything was crowded. Crazy crowded. Drives were short in distance, but long on time due to constant traffic congestion. Back in Texas, everything is wide open, which feels great. There's plenty of parking and most places aren't crammed full of people (except the Olive Garden in Killeen...1 hour wait!).
In Hawaii they say they "drive with Aloha"...in reality there is no courtesy shown on the road. Everyone is looking out for number one, and often times they'd just as soon run you off the road than let you in their lane. In Texas strangers you see out on the highway will actually wave "howdy" at you.
When we were visiting my grandparents my mom watched the kids so Adrian and I could go on a date (first in such a long, long, long time!) and we went to the Texas Rose in Pampa, TX. Texas prices are AWESOME. I think the most expensive meal on the menu was around $15, and that was steak and shrimp. Free bread, inexpensive cheddar-filled jalapenos (which I LOVE and am discovering is a common appetizer here!), delicious entrees with steak cooked to perfection, and a FREE cinnamon roll at the end of the meal. I loved that the women's bathroom stall was wooden with antler for door handles. Texas!
Our hotel room here in Killeen is a great value. $70 a night for a HUGE suite with 2 beds, a couch with a fold out, a desk, a flat-screen TV, a big closet, dressers, a large bathroom, a sink, mini fridge and microwave, and free wi-fi. Free continental breakfast with every type of breakfast food you can imagine, including a make-your-own-waffle station. The hotels in Hawaii were more than twice as expensive, were tiny, were furnished kind of shabbily, and didn't include any perks like free breakfast or free wi-fi.
Being here in Killeen has been interesting.
Our Explorer is still in transit, so we borrowed a vehicle from Adrian's parents and one from my grandparents/mom. We got here just fine but Adrian soon discovered that he would not be allowed on base in either of our vehicles. His first day he parked at the post visitor's center and walked onto base. Later he had someone from Staff Duty shuttle him around. We had assumed (and you know what happens when you assume) that the proper documentation was in the vehicles, but NOPE! Apparently in Texas a registration sticker is sufficient and you don't need to keep the paperwork in the car. We had to have my grandpa fax a notarized POA for the car and the proof of registration to get a temporary pass to go on post. He did that and Adrian got home from work that day and looked over the papers only to discover that it was a POA and the TITLE. D'oh! Pa had to get a new copy of the registration printed out and fax that to us. He keeps the insurance current, but the proof of insurance we have in our possession expires today. Luckily Adrian was about to get a temporary (1 week) pass for the car. That's a start. At least he can go on base now.
His new job is a good one. It's not a cushy job, but I think it will be good for his career. He is NCOIC for a TMC (NCO In Charge...Troop Medical Clinic), and I think he will do great. It's an E-7 position without the E-7 pay, and he told me what that is called in the military but I can't remember, haha. The guy he's replacing told him about a house across the street from his own that was for rent and we are going to do a walk-through there tonight. Most of the houses we've called about either aren't' available for a while, or they have more than a dozen people interested in them. I'm not sure if there are more people looking at this one or not but unfortunately, I'm starting to get my little heart set on it. I hope I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. It's more than we wanted to spend, but I realized that it's more important to have a nice, safe home that we enjoy and have less spending money than to have a crap shack in a dangerous neighborhood with a crappy school district and have a little extra money to spend on things we don't need. Money is going to be tight though!
I am just ready to be out of the hotel and in a house. Even if I have to sleep on the floor.