Happy 235th Birthday, Marine Corps!

Our Ball was last night and before i get to the goods, let me just say Happy Birthday, Marines! I am not a "moto wife" typically but I am proud of all of you. I wont me making a purse of out your work clothes but I do love ya, and all that came before you.

Our Ball was at a casino on a reservation in the middle of nowhere. I get car sick pretty easily and this night was no different. It was up on a mountain, the roads were windy and narrow with rocks on one side and death drops on the other. When we got out of the truck I was thanking sweet baby Jesus for being alive. But then it occurred to me that we still had to go home. But I was thankful for that moment.

We were there a bit early so we got to sit in the bar area in comfy chairs and people watch. The highlight of my night was I could smoke inside a building in the state of California. And I did. I did a little happy dance as I smoked. It was fantastic. As I enjoyed my smoke I watched the hot mess parade of women walking in for the party. It was bad. It was so bad my husband commented on it. Some of these dresses we not even cocktail dresses. Some looked like they were part of a Dancing With The Stars giveaway. My husband said he saw ass cheek.

When we were seated it was a pleasant surprise. Generally we are seated by rank and it's boring and uncomfortable. We sit with other SNCOs and their spouses who I assume feel the same as I do, pretending to be all mature and restrained. But THIS year...this year we were seated with my husband's Marines. His shop. The Marines who work for him and with him. His Marines he lead in Iraq and KNOW my husband. It was fun. These kids are hilarious and know how to get to Mike. The one seated next to me..McKee. He was drunk when we sat down. He is signing out of the squadron this week so he could pretty much say and do what he wanted and he did.

The ceremony was given as it always is. The video played was interviews of Marines from the Korean War. I love the retelling of history from the people who lived it. I love that their words are more accurate/emotional/ telling than any history book. I really did enjoy the video. Our guest speaker was good. Ironically he told a story of giving an impromptu speech to Marines in Iwakuni, 1997 just months before he retired. Mike was in that theater in Japan all the years ago.

The oldest Marine in attendance was only ten years older than Mike and the youngest was born just months before Mike joined the Marines in 1992. I realized that we are on our way out. We have just two years left with the Marines. I got teary for a moment. What a ride, a fantastic exciting, thrill ride.

After the ceremony Mike and I went to the bar area to smoke. A Marine proposed to his lady. It was cute. The Marine's boss opened the bar to celebrate. Drinks on him. It was nice but Mike and I weren't drinking. I sat down at a slot machine and had my smoke and I felt someone fall into me. I turned around slowly and say a Warrant Officer I didn't know. He was trying to smoke a cigarette bent and broke in half. He was so trashed he couldn't speak. Mumbling something about his balls. At first I thought he was talking about THE Ball. But now. I told him "Dude no matter how much you puff on that thing it is not going to work." I broke the cigarette all the way and told him to try it now. He continued to ramble. I called Mike over and asked "do you speak this language?" The WO said "Fuck my life" and managed to get up and fall onto another group of Marines. He was no longer our problem.

Before we ate I stopped at the ladies room. When I walked in there was a young girl maybe 19. The back of her dress was corset style and the cinch string broke in the middle. It was the only thing holding her dress up. It was also strapless and the corseted gap started at her ass crack. Because I am a stylist and a woman I offered to help her try to fix it. When I started working on it she mentioned she made the gown herself. I could tell, the grommets were all falling off and the string used to cinch was the 50 cent ribbon at the craft store. The thin decor type. I was proud of her for trying but made a mental note to remind all of you ladies that this thin ribbon is like your parachute on Ball night. Don't use a paper bag. The one string means more than any other piece. Its the difference between just enjoying the ball or showing the entire squadron your Birthday Suit. Not entirely bad. She was a cute girl. Anyway, I got it fixed for her and said good luck. She thanked me. I didn't ask her name or tell her mine. I hope it worked out for her.

I went back in to eat and it was predictable. Hard rolls and salad. I taught the younger girls to rip open the rolls and pull out the soft part and dip the hard part in the dressing. Its the only way you can eat the things. I stole a basket of rolls from table number 4. They were all drunk and off doing whatever so I adopted them. Mike said if they didn't come back in the next few minutes he was going to steal their salad too. Sadly they did.

I mentioned Mikes shop sat with us. So, the little admirer was there too. The one who called him 77 times in four months. She was well behaved and at one point in the night gave me the cherries from her drink. I took her cherry. I noticed that the cherry had alcohol in it. Shes only 20. I kept my mouth shut. Although worried that if she did something stupid in the night Mike would be held responsible so I watcher her like a hawk. Her dates were two other Marines from the shop. It could be a good thing or bad.

After dessert Mike and I decided we were done and went to the car to change. He got out of our formals and into street clothes in the parking lot of the casino. It was funny. Its been many years since I found myself dressing or undressing in the back seat of a car. We headed back in to drop some cash in the slot machines. Penny slots are awesome by the way.

We were home before midnight.