it's just gotta feel like home

it is somewhat of a serendipitous situation we've found ourselves in. we received our household goods that were in boxes on monday, awesome right? well, all those things in boxes, for the most part, came out of pieces of furniture such as bureaus and desks, etcetera. we did about all we could by putting the boxes in their respective areas of the house, but then we hit a (dry)wall... we felt we had nothing to do. lucky for us (thick sarcasm), certain areas of the house need some lovin'. high traffic areas such as the bathroom and kitchen were a bit run down and in need of some Zack and Age restoration (paint of both the brush and spray varieties). I must say, I was a bit apprehensive when we began sprucing up a home that doesn't belong to us but... it's just gotta feel like home.

the pictures do not do it justice but bear with us. the bathroom was a certifiable train wreck. rust and straight up dingy walls surrounded one of the two areas of any home where it is socially acceptable to remove one's clothes... neither of us were willing to take that leap in the bathroom that we found. after a deeeeeeep clean, a fresh coat of paint on the walls/cabinets/window/hardware, and some handsome new accessories... it was squared away. ON TO THE KITCHEN!

we are having lots of fun and we plan to complete the dirty work this afternoon. when the miss

ion is complete, or we run out of motivation, we plan to dive headlong into the quite-hyped furniture capital of the United States of America... North Carolina. there are a few places around us and we are in search of a love seat. wish us luck. over.

hard to find the words. let's try a picture.

we're trying not to fall behind with our posts but there is an awful lot going on...yadda yadda yadda, we may have missed a day.

previously on same coast. different break:

WE NO LONGER LIVE IN A HOTEL!!!

such an amazing feeling of freshness and new life reminds me of another happy time... the honeymoon (as depicted). any further commentary would only muddy the waters of the raging sea that is our joy.over.

A. Pash here

I have not taken the opportunity to share my extremely profound thoughts on this here blog, so here they are. today, we will be officially moving into our new home. it is the most unreal feeling, we feel like newly weds again (I know, perhaps the most cliche thought ever). half of our household goods made it to the house and today is unpacking day! it is a cool 95 degrees today with 77% humidity, should be a vacation.

last night, we went to hugh macrae park to exhaust mamba. the beauty of that park never ceases to amaze me. mamba befriended a pitbull mix named pebbles who had just as much energy as her! they were perfect playmates. one quality of wilmington that i have noticed is just how dog friendly this town is. there are even restaurants and bars that you can bring your dog to, its pretty awesome. maybe once mamba learns how to make a good first impression and stops barking her head off at the sight of another canine, we will be able to take that plunge.

monday, june 21, was a big day: 1. first day of summer, 2. our two year anniversary. it was a great day. big things are happening in our lives so that in itself was a gift, a chaotic gift... but a gift none the less. I can say with confidence that our two years of marriage have prepared us for the adventure that we are currently in the midst of. we are so excited to see what God has in store for our next two years, especially since we are now a military family and have zero control over our whereabouts.

yesterday, while zack was reporting to his first day at his new unit, he gained a better idea of what his schedule on the ship will be like. it seems that after bringing the ship back to wilmington from baltimore, they may not be going out again until the beginning of october! we don't know this to be 100% truth, but even if they don't go underway until september, I will be a happy coastie wife.

chow is over, and now the fun begins. bring on the sweat. over

day late and a sixpence short. oh well, deal with it.

yeah, i'm that guy.

so i reported this morning. it just so happens that half of our things were scheduled to be delivered this morning to our new house... conflicting just so perfectly. the morning and time at the LORAN station was uneventful and strictly administrative, but it got a little more interesting when I had to request of my new shipmates a ride home... I just love being that guy on the first day. luckily they were eager to take a spin away from work. I go back on thursday for actual work.

our tiny little house looks much smaller now with boxes and items packed into the den all the way to the ceiling. we officially move in tomorrow morning and begin the enviable task of unpacking and sorting all of our things. it'll be fun but i'm pretty sure that the process of relocating is why God invented beer.

by the way, we went to greenfield lake and park yesterday with muttley. unfortunately we did not see any gators... and I was really excited to harass them too, total bummer. why the teasing of greenfield lake gators is prohibited I will never know, I always thought alligators had thick skin. over.

mamba christened the new house... and we don't even live there yet

the hour of reckoning is almost upon us. waiting to report in to work has been kind of weird, especially being fresh out of basic... where every minute is brimming with seventy seconds of planned excitement. tomorrow is the day and with all the time we have had, a dry run to the LORAN station seemed like a responsible precaution to take, as to not be late in the AM and avoid confusion in those very comfortable tropical blues. our visit was successful and deserved a hang loose as we transited back to sunset park and our lovely new cottage.

mamba loved romping around in the backyard while we accompanied her, it was when we went indoors that she began to don her not-so-adorable, downright manic side. she fared just fine as we measured for furniture space until, of course, we were in the final compartment. according to the repair man, the shirtless fellow slaving away in the kitchen, mamba nudged the back door, whimpered, then sauntered back to the den. a nice steamy pile was waiting for the two of us as we headed for the front door. just as an expensive bottle of champagne is reduced to bubbles and shards as it collides with the hull of a vessel prior to its maiden voyage, that horrid mount of excrement definitely broke the flavor-lock seal that stood between us and our new canary-yellow ship. even though we still live in this hotel room, 2025 burnett boulevard officially became home this afternoon.

I never realized how hard it is to capture the interior of a home with a camera, you can never quite fit everything in the shot to make it look like a room; for all you people know, our new house could be like the set of a t.v. show, just three walls and an audience behind the camera... try to use your imagination. BETTER YET! come and visit. over.

we found the beach in a beach town. it's a christmas miracle

i can't believe it took us this long to find the beach but it was certainly worth the wait. absolutely gorgeous. light blue water, like a bathtub. its too late to write creatively. Johnnie Mercer's fishing pier was pretty cool as well, the underbelly had a cool design as it jetted out into the sea.

haven't found any waves yet but like all good things and those who wait... something happens.

big wednesday approaches. 23jun10, that is.

we finally got to visit our new home today with a functioning camera, but unfortunately could not gain access to the interior of our humble little riverside abode. the bow and stern are pictured, as well as the the backyard. we tried to give the trees a little dimension and relative size by staging adriana next to one, but she is pretty tiny... believe you me, they are large trees.

there is also so much room for mamba to run and play, it will be great. it is zero three bedrooms so if you are reading this, you have no excuse not to come and visit, after we move in (23jun10), of course. but beware... you may not want to leave.

home away from home

you can take the fans out of philly... but not the phillies from the fans. buffalo wild wings not only has the wings we crave... but our PHILLIES! it just keeps getting better. BWW, as I now call it, is truly a home away from home.

it is currently 1425 in wilmington. I knew it was going to be the same time zone as our place of origin, but when I tried to exchange our money for North Carolina money, our cover was blown in this new place we call home. wouldn't you think they'd use the ruble, or at least confederate gold?

we took mamba downtown last night for the first time, she loved it. the city was absolutely hopping and she took it all in very well. the river walk, which will be artfully depicted in future photos, was stunning. as it so happens, I will be working, when in port, right on the river walk in the heart of downtown wilmington. I can't wait. the one photo from last night is of our courthouse. there are so many historic buildings and landmarks that are just begging to be shot and posted. in due time relics, in due time.

hugh mcrae park exceeded our expectations as it is perhaps the most beautiful public park we've seen in person. with a zero three mile loop to walk and giant trees (of whose type we could not establish), and its relatively close proximity to where we will be moving to on wednesday, it is sure to be barrels of fun.

the wings were good, but not anglesea good. the beer was just as cold though... as it should be in ninety degree humid heat. it feels like jersey in august. it is apparently "unseasonably" hot and sticky for this area, thank goodness.

enjoy the pictures, please make comments and communicate with us. we miss you all. over. (<---- "over" is a military radio term that means I am done speaking, but i now require a response. hint hint)

happy father's day

feliz dia de los padres. we've been sitting in the lobby of our fantastic hotel all morning with hopes of starting a blog. mission complete. our hip new camera is up and running and we (zack) are super stoked. if you stay tuned you will see more than an empty page with zero one post. pics are coming and we are truly going to try and make daily updates. there is a lot to see down here in NC, so ya'll can live vicariously through the two of us as we experience the south.

cheers from sunny wilmington,

Zachary and Adriana