Pride and punishment.

For the past few months Swiss has been in charge of planning, organizing and running his battalion's Expert Infantryman Badge testing. It's been countless weeks of late hours, planning and prepping for a week's worth of testing... brutal testing and brutal hours and brutal standards, all in the name of the coveted EIB.

This morning was the final test... after over 300 started, there were less than 40 something soldiers embarking on the 12 mile road march in full battle rattle. Three hours of marching, running, slugging it out to make this week's worth of punishment worth it. And you know what? By the time they were coming on into the homestretch? It was already 82 degrees.

I drove Swiss in to work not a half hour ago, and when I dropped him off, I was held at the intersection by a guard to let these EIB soldiers cross the road on their way to the finish. The driver's seat in our sedan suddenly became a front row seat to one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever witnessed.

To my right, near headquarters, every unit was in formation in their PTs, with flags flying, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the EIB soldiers from their unit. They were joined by the proud wives and kids of these troops... all waiting to see the familiar face they came to cheer on. And every time a new soldier crested the hill, bogged down by their helmet and body armor, hands tired from carrying their M4 for three hours, feet dragging from the relentless 12 mile march.... the crowds roared and that troop's unit broke formation. The cheers and clapping were almost deafening. Those soldiers ran, no, sprinted to their soldier and started running/marching with him shouting and clapping the entire way. They cheered him on, motivated him in those last brutal 200 yards, encouraged him and urged him on to the finish. You could literally see the candidate's morale soar, their cadence quicken, their shoulders straighten. You could see it working. It was beautiful and it made my heart soar. I wish you all could have seen it.

The pride and the Esprit de Corps was nearly overwhelming... the joy and exuberance these soldiers had when their soldier came into the home stretch was palpable and they weren't afraid to show it to anyone who was watching. It actually made me a bit misty, to see these battle-hardened men cheering and running like kids again, all to support a member of the unit in attaining the EIB.

There is no telling how many of these men made the required time. Im sure Swiss will have the update when he gets home. But I suppose, in this story and for me, that isn't the point. It was the unity and the pride and the unconditional, unabashed support. Really, truly, it was magical. And I feel so lucky to have seen it.

Here's hoping every last one of them passed. And to those who did? Congratulations... and enjoy the hell out of your weekend. Hooah.

Home sweet home...

So I've been thinking lately... we live on post, but most of my MilSpouse friends don't. Like I'd guess 90% don't. And that makes me curious.

We love living on post. Yes, Swiss's high rank allows for a larger house (though his BAH is also higher and could be used -perhaps- better off post), but we really like being close to everything here. Because we are so close to everything, it isn't an ordeal to run to the PX/Commissary/whatever and usually Swiss gets to come home for lunch. And the 'rush hours' (all 8 of them) on and off post here are RIDICULOUS so we figure it would be best to not have to mess with it. Plus we knew we wouldn't be here a whole year, so dealing with the housing office in regards to leases made a ton more sense than a landlord to us. Now, to be fair, I truly think that if we were staying in much longer or got Stop-Lossed we would still live on post. Swiss likes it and, oddly enough, so do I.

But. I know we aren't in the majority. Loads of folks live off post for a litany of reasons. Heck, most of the folks we know down here at Fort X live off post and, like I said before, most of my MilSpouse friends live off post too. So what gives?

I guess I am wondering why you choose to live off post... what is it that drives your decisions when you PCS somewhere new? Is it based on the deployment schedule, availability, location, intense desire to get away from the bugles and Humvees or do you love waking up to the sounds of Reveille and Apaches flying overhead? Does it very depending on the post you are at? Do you rent or buy if you live off post? I am super intrigued to hear your responses and reasoning!

So you tell me! You can choose multiple items in the poll... first choose where you live (one of the first 3 options) and then tell me why... either in the poll or the comments.

Home sweet home is... and why?
	On Post
	Off Post (own a home)
	Off Post (rental)
	Housing can be had for less than your BAH
	Need a break from all things Military
	Love the convenience of living near everything on Post
	Other, I'll tell you in the comments
pollcode.com free polls

Thanks for humoring me dear Readers! Hope your weeks are all off to a great start!

Lawns, watering & futility.

Okay, so Fort X is in the 'south'. It is hot here already. We've been in the 90s for about a month now. And it is only going to get worse. Summertime averages are hovering in the 100's. I'm not complaining about the temps though - at least not yet. But here IS my beef: the housing folks here insist on everyone having lush green lawns, and in order to make that happen in the face of 6 straight months of 80+ degree weather with peaks in the 110's, you have to water your lawn. HAVE TO. Its only the end of May and ours is already showing signs of brown crispiness. Tres unattractive.

But you know what? I loathe watering lawns. Loathe. Not only is it a huge (HUGE!) waste of water, but it actually makes the grass less strong, have weaker roots and more susceptible to drought. Once you start, you can't stop until fall or you decide you don't mind having a crunchy carpet of tan in the back yard. Its a vicious and unnecessary cycle I'd just rather not be a part of. But the housing folks here insist we water. So water we must. Against all my better judgement and all the numbers...

Dig this: the average 1,000 square foot lawn 'requires' 8 inches of water a month during the growing season (our state averages- using the high figures- 2.6" per month- its usually way less than that), that means over the course of one month, ONE family would use just shy of 5,000 gallons of water. That adds up to over 30,000 gallons JUST during spring and summer. THIRTY THOUSAND gallons of water. For just your lawn. Do the math, according to the post housing office, there are around 6,000 homes here. 6,000 x 30,0000 = 180 MILLION GALLONS. In six months. (For reference, that is about 272 Olympic sized pools) And Fort X claims to be all about the water conservation... tell them your toilet is running or your faucet is leaking? They'll be out ASAP on an emergency maintenance call, BUT... you still have to water your lawn daily.

Hunh?

I, for one, would have LOVED to see Fort X have nice, soft pea gravel back yards (my friend had one in Phoenix and it was perfectly lovely- though the pool did help), we wouldn't have to mow all the time (and therefore we wouldn't have to send out the neighborhood CO to shake his finger at the homes who aren't mowing frequently enough), they are virtually maintenance free, no bald spots from Spot running circles in the yard, and no watering. Now, I suppose there would be a milliondy high-maintenance families screeching about how there's no grass for their kidlets to frolic in. To which I would say, People, we practically live in the desert. Get over it. (Or, if you are nicer than I am, you could set aside a few lush grassy areas in each neighborhood to give the grass lovers their fix.)

Anyway, this is the bug that is in my craw. I am awaiting the nasty-gram stuck in our door because we aren't watering the lawn and it is slowly turning brown. But, deep down, I also don't want to get sacked with the fees for replacing an entire yard's worth of sod (not that it is a grassy yard, though, it is mostly weeds that we MUST water). So fight on I will, and try to get by on the bare minimum watering possibly allowed. May the force be with me!

My bad.

Ugh- so I promise I haven't gone AWOL. I mean, there are 4 unfinished blog posts in my queue as I type this. Somehow none of them ever got finished... some were too personal, some were too bitchy (re: family), and some I just couldn't get off the ground. Ah well, it happens to all of us I suppose!

Things here have been a not-so-wonderful shade of dramarific... things are swell with Swiss & I, but there have been family issues that have been of the "push my buttons" sort. But -I think- we have worked them all out and we leave tomorrow on a 2-ish week road trip of the south-eastern nether-regions of our country.  There will be beaches, the consumption of seafood and a couple of stops in places I've never been before (New Orleans! Charleston! Memphis!), as well as a few I've known and loved before (Pensacola! Savannah! The Smokey Mountains! Nashville!). I'm looking forward to getting away with the husband and the puppy and spend some time with his family. It will be interesting for sure.

And a side note to our trip and any future pet-assisted trips you might be planning: DO NOT let your more by-the-seat-of-your-pants travel planning hubby (even if he has been suspiciously successful with this method in the past) lovingly shame you out of planning 3+ weeks ahead. YOU HAVE NO IDEA how hard it was to find a hotel in some cities that a) took dogs and b) weren't already booked or ridonkulously expensive. Anal-retentitive always wins in these cases. ALWAYS. And you can cite me on that!

Otherwise we've been moving along on the USS Reintegration. Sure, we have our small hiccups, but mostly things have been good. We talk, we have our few spats, and then we are back to normal. It is swell. Though it has been an adjustment (as I knew it would) from the blissful, bicker-free existence we had post-wedding/honeymoon and pre-deployment. I think that, more than anything, has been the readjustment for us... in a good way. We are normal and we aren't living in a fairy tale (close, though!) and we have normal couple things to work through. Happily, the most stressful part of our relationship is when Fletcher wants/needs to get up every morning and neither of us want to do it. And that ain't too shabby!

Today we got to spend the day at the nice outdoor recreation area on post for a Battalion Organizational Day. Rumor has it there will be a mechanical bull and free food. Now, if there was free beer I would easily be able to say our 'work' Friday is better than yours. Followed with a "nana-nana-boo-boo!" because deep down I'm an 8 year old. But I digress. Sometimes it still trips me out, living on post... yesterday I dropped Swiss off (and picked him up) at a Dining In event and 4 times drove past a unit getting combat equipment handed out to them. I forget that even though Swiss's unit is home, other units are still leaving nearly daily. I forget that there are spouses here gearing up for what we just finished. I hate that I forget that. I hate how insular life can be even on an Army post. You know... it isn't our unit...

But I will write more about that later. Perhaps from a beach somewhere in South Carolina? I have loads I want to say, I just need to get myself in the right head-space to do it. Anyway, there's your update and a real-live blog post not advocating the culling of dumb Americans. Happy Friday Everyone! :)

Odds and ends.

1. The house is sooooo close to being done. And it feels amazing. Seriously, I could not have done this without help. My Mom rocks, big time. There is so little left to be done, so little that I could finish it all in a day or two, but I won't, because I need things to occupy my brain, time and energy until Swiss comes home.

2. Dealing with the pseudo-step kid who doesn't like me isn't fun at all. I never know what to do or say to avoid living up to my (I think) unearned Wicked Stepmother moniker. He's 21 and has 3 kids of his own (if you do the math here, you'll find that yes, in fact, I am a Step-grandmother as well. Laugh all you want, but if you are going to make a crack about it- make it a good one!) and has held onto the idea that "I'm not going to call her Mom" ever since Swiss and I got serious... even though I've never asked or wanted him to do so.

He wants the lowdown on when Swiss gets home (which of course I have shared with him, even though we have a window 2 weeks wide), but he won't call me to ask, or e-mail me, he uses his wife via Facebook to communicate with me. Blech. But anyway, I invited him and his family down for the homecoming or to visit shortly after Swiss gets home because I know if I didn't, it would be because I don't want them to be a part of our life. Even though that couldn't be further from the truth. I suppose I just keep on doing the best I can and maybe some day he and I will be on better terms... meaning he won't see me as an intruder into his family anymore. *sigh*

3. Dude, it is 61 degrees out. And sunny! And it is fabulous! The windows are open and the sun is shining in and the grass is greening up and it makes me happy. Plus, you should see the beautiful light that my studio room gets!

4. I am mostly completely in love with our Commissary. (I say mostly because there are minor annoyances, like no fresh seafood, a sort of paltry health food section, and inconsistent brands stocking- like having a certain brand's organic mustard but not ketchup for instance) The avocados are like 79 cents a pound. And limes are 3 for 33 cents. And the chicken is dirt cheap. And the cheeses! The ice creams (though no sorbets)! The German foods isle and the Hispanic foods and the Asian foods and the specialty items! It is wonderful... and juuuust down the street. I foresee much cooking and much deliciousness coming from our kitchen. Hooray!

5. This house is pretty great, I love the floor-plan and the rooms are all super spacious (except the bathroom which are, ummm, let's call them efficient). But the one thing I don't love? There are only 8 drawers in the entire place. Eight. And they are all in the kitchen. Dudes! Where do I put my makeup??? My hairbrushes? My STUFF? Very perplexing. Who makes bathrooms these days without a single functioning drawer I ask you??? The Army!!! That's who!

6. The hubs got word that he'll be getting a promotion of sorts upon redeployment stateside. He'll actually get frocked, but it is a job he will be great at. The only down side? He's gonna be in charge of A LOT of guys and a lot of things... so that invariably means longer work days, late nights, weekends, the works. I want to be peeved about it, but seeing as how I'll be at home for breakfasts and lunches and, well ALL the time, I'm thinking we will make it work and things will be fine. More importantly, Swiss will be happy because he is finally getting the respect and responsibility he deserves. Yay Swiss!

7. My Mom was sufficiently amazed by IKEA. And I bought soooo much stuff! But it all looks 84 shades of awesome in the house and I had delicious Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry jam. YUM. And it is just 55 minutes down the road. Wheee!

8. The Class Six here has 7 (SEVEN!) kinds of hard cider. Swiss and I luuuurve hard cider. Aaand, 3 of them are kinds I've never had... one of which is local! Squee!

9. The painting/creativity bug has bit me again. All I have to do is get the studio prepped and I can starting painting away. Plus, I bought myself a ton of new high-quality acrylic paints with my birfday money from my parents. I. Can't. Wait!

10. Fletcher has finally started to settle in to life on a military post. "Taps" doesn't bother him like it used to and he's less threatened by all the other bugle calls. The neighbor's car doors though? Not cool. Ha.

Okay- that is all. That got waaaaay long than I intended it to be, but there you have it.

The new digs.

Ah, on-post housing. First off, let me say that I am grateful to have a nice big house that doesn't require a lease or us actually cutting a rent check every month, for having a house that doesn't involve any of the 6-8 rush hours there are getting on and off post, and for having a place big enough to hold all the stuff we procured over the years... its a lot.

BUT.

I'm only one week in and I've had a live-in "waterbug"... THEY ARE CALLED COCKROACHES PEOPLE!... a MP stationed outside our back yard every day to keep the hoodlum middle schoolers from kicking in, breaking, and otherwise defacing our housing and fence... and now my kitchen sinks are clogged. Like, straight up clogged. I was trying- obviously in vain- to clean our dishes as I took them out of their packing materials... that stuff has been in storage for 3 months with God-only-knows-what-else so I figured a good scrub was in order. And then the sinks stopped draining. Seriously. So Operation Kitchen Assembly is on hold for the next 24 hours. I swear to you, I'm going to be eating every meal for the next week in the PX food court. Ugh.

But on the plus side, I've enjoyed rediscovering all of our sweet stuff. And discovered that both Swiss and I are clothes horses. I've also discovered that much of our home furnishings were meant to go in a house with colored walls. Cause this stuff is BEIGE! Thankfully Swiss is 110% on board with doing a bit of painting in the digs... he even picked out appropriately bold colors from the ones I had picked out. We are going to have a "Marmalade Glaze" dining room (think pumpkiny orange) and a "Spiced Plum" (eggplanty purple) living room. God, I love that man!

Also, not having a basement sort of sucks... how do you southerners do it???? Us Mid-westerners all have basements. You put all your stuff that you don't know what else to do with there... you store your holiday decorations there... you keep all your STUFF there. We have no basement. So where does this stuff go? And don't say the garage!!! We don't have one of those either! Ha!

Anyway, until the plumber comes (within 24 hours hopefully) I will have to shelve Operation Kitchen Assembly for the most part and get on with Operation Stock That Closet! Wish me luck and have a stellar day... there will be another post forthcoming about the strangeness that is being a SAHW... which is either a Stay At Home Wife or Snarky Ass Hillbilly Wanker. You decide!

Serendipity or stupid coincidence?

So any of you who have been reading this blog for a while now know that I had no intentions of working after we PCS to Fort X (at least until Swiss retires, then back to work!). Most of this decision was based on the following facts: 1) My career isn't common, so jobs are hard to come by, 2) I'm an Army spouse who will only be in town for about a year, who would hire me? (and I'd hate to contribute to any negative MilSpouse connotations for employers), and 3) I'm not at all sure I want to continue with this job course when Swiss retires and we move someplace new and fabulous. So yeah, that was settled. No work for me, just walks with the dog, cooking great meals and loads of time to paint or practice my photography skillz.

Then I stumbled across something strange today: An opening at Fort X's Medical Center for exactly what I do. And the pay is gooood.

So what is a gal to do? I mean, this feels like a bit of a coup, I have 5+ years of experience (which legally speaking is a big deal for my career) and spousal preference, it is a job I should easily (knock on wood) land. It is an employer that certainly understands the Army lifestyle and won't hold it against me if I have to leave in a year. And it is super close to home. I'd be able to come home every day for lunch with Swiss. I'd be able to contribute a sizable sum of money to our savings. Gaw, just a year of working and saving it all would be at least a 20% deposit on a sweet ass house with land. Or three new cars. Or two new cars and a fat trip to Europe. Do you see where I am going here?

I hadn't planned on working. But this feels like a giant sign from the Big Man upstairs saying, not so gently, "TAKE THIS JOB!" Am I going to miss all the planned free time? Absolutely. But will that extra sum of money in the bank make life post-Army all that much easier? Definitely. So I guess that's the verdict then. ...off to spend some quality time with the applications portion of USA Jobs!

UPDATE: Application successfully sent. And the USA Jobs/Army resume builder wasn't too cumbersome to use (thank you copy & paste!). I also felt like, for the first time, being a military spouse might actually get me something good other than a discount at a hotel. ha! Wish me luck folks! :)

Musings.

I miss hearing 'Retreat' every night at 5:00.

I miss seeing ACU's everywhere. I know that is odd, but somehow I found it very comforting. Maybe it was just being surrounded by folks like us. Folks who know.

I miss the weather down at Fort X. I know it was bi-polar but it is a helluva lot warmer than it is here.

I even miss the piles of dirty, sweaty, stinky PT's on the floor.

I guess, in short, I miss our Army life. I suppose that kind of goes along with missing Swiss... our time at Fort X was when we really got to be us. Married us. Together, happy, and well, together.

Trooper for a day.

Have any of you ladies participated in a "Trooper for a Day" event? Swiss's division held one last Saturday and I did it. I even earned my very own spurs. Sweet.

Other than being insanely cold and windy, we had fun and got to do PT, camo up our faces (thank you for the breakout), then throw some grenades, fire off some M4's, clear rooms and medevac out some dummies... and get reeeeeel close to a helicopter. It was pretty fun and I was so totally sore the next day (confirming that I really, really need to get back to the gym).

Tucker & Swiss

And then I chased a Dachshund.

No jokes. I dropped Swiss off at the office after lunch and a quick trip to the Uniform & Military Supply Store (no idea why, but we love that store... strange, I know), ran over to the Commissary to get some goodies for dinner and then came home, picked up the mail and watched a soldier sprint across the neighborhood in hot pursuit of a wiener dog.

You just don't see that every day.

In a flash they were gone, presumably to the next street over. But upon walking into the house, I could see out the back patio doors the same twee little Dachshund just past the fence in our back yard. Yeah, I totally snuck out the front and snatched up that wiener dog. Like a ninja. He didn't even know what got him. I dutifully returned the Dachshund to the winded soldier and went inside to unpack my groceries. Aaah, life on post.

The end.

Oddities.

Does anyone know why the ladies at the Commissary insist on putting your milk into a plastic bag? The big jug of orange juice too? I mean, they come with handles built in for a reason, no?

And does anyone know why there is such an over-abundance of German food products? I am definitely not complaining, just curious.

Also, what is it that makes cable so expensive? Why can't I only pay for the channels we watch? Seriously, there are only ever 12 channels in play at Casa de Tucker & Swiss. And we have like 300 channels.

Finally, why was there freezing rain and ice on the windshield of the truck today when we are in one of the southernmost states of this great union? I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WARM HERE!!!

The end.

Just the basics.

So yesterday, Swiss and I were sitting/laying on our couch/bed/air mattress and I was looking around at our sparse digs. We only have the all-purpose air mattress, a TV, and XBox 360, and our computer... and a couple of chairs too. That's it, other than the necessary kitchen goods. Its a far cry from the cozy comforts of our well stocked and furnished home. Dare I say it's even a little worse than dorm life.

But you know what? It doesn't matter. Not one bit. Because I am so freakin' happy.

Swiss and I are blissfully, disgustingly happy... and I realized, with great clarity, that we don't need any of the superficial stuff to be happy. Just each other. (Don't get me wrong, I like the superficial stuff... I adore my sofa, my KitchenAid mixer, my tchotchkies, all of it. I like my stuff!) Its just that when you boil it all down, all we really need are the basics, everything else is just details. Swiss is what makes my life good (along with a couple of really special folks like my parents), he is what makes it full of fun, comfort, safety, joy. Being together is all that really matters. And that is pretty cool.

Happy Monday internets... I hope your week is off to a good start!

Redemption.

So, last night we had to go to a holiday party. A party hosted by the folks who weren't all that friendly the week before. Needless to say, Swiss and I weren't all that thrilled about going. We even had our escape planned should we need it. We were prepared for the worst.

You know what? It ended up being a lot of fun and it turns out that a few of the ladies that were so standoffish and cold last week are actually very fun, friendly and nice. I even got a few phone numbers and e-mails of these ladies because they want to stay in touch when I head back up north. And of course, there was some liquor involved so you never know how serious they are, but in the very least it made us feel more welcome and a part of the unit family. Most of the guys were still all Hooah, Hooah and Army this, Army that. But we met a few other who were at least willing to talk about something else, which was a nice surprise.

So all in all it was a good night and we are happy that we finally became insiders (kinda) rather than the ones on the outside looking in. And I think this is a good reminder that things aren't always what they seem... and that second chances can be worth it.

Happy weekend internets!

Musings.

Okay, first the good news. I e-mailed our FRG leader yesterday and introduced myself and gave her the lowdown on our situation. She e-mailed me back almost immediately and seemed super friendly... she invited me to the bake sale they are doing on Monday and I think I will go! I am hoping that the FRG group is waaaaay better than the unit wives. Fingers crossed!

Now, onto my musings. I have never lived on a military installation until now. So much of it is relatively normal. We live in a subdivision (I can hear my friends back home laughing now... I have a thing with subdivisions) and there are barking dogs and the occasional siren. Just like home. But then there are the Apache helicopters flying in formation and doing maneuvers, all of which you can see from our house. Not normal. And I drove past the Division HQ today to see the casing of the colors ceremony as it was happening. I don't get to see ponies or that many flags on a normal day. And I still haven't gotten used to the max 40 mph speed limit. That is SLOW. And the whole trumpets-playing-into-the-PA-system thing twice a day is definitely different too. Oh, yeah, and fumbling to get my ID out as I am approaching the Main Gate. I always seem to forget that I am going to need that!

But things here are good. I don't understand why it is so cold out... we are over 1,000 miles due South of where we live and one would think it would be significantly warmer here. I'm glad I packed a coat! And let me say this too: This is one windy place. Chicago's got nothing on this joint! Swiss and I are going to put up some twee Christmas decorations tonight because I just couldn't stand the bare walls and lack of holiday decor. I think there is some hot cocoa spiked with Bailey's in my future... hooray for that!

Anyway, happy Wednesday internets and thanks to all of you who knew just what to say to lift my spirits yesterday. Y'all did me a world of good! :)

Do better.

For those who know me outside of the blogosphere, they are familiar with my favorite go-to phrase for folks who are either lame, incompetent, greatly lacking in a trait deemed necessary or just plain stupid. That phrase is this: Do better. (Generally said in a defeated tone with loads of exasperation in your voice. It's more effective that way.)

It actually works in many situations. Someone cut you off? Do better. Incompetent co-worker? Do better. Get the wrong order from the drive-through? Do better. Dog has an accident in the house? Do better. It works for just about everything and I find it quite handy. Plus it helps me reign in my cursing.

I hear you asking why the dissertation on my catch-phrase of choice? Aaah, because we had our first unit event. It was a Hail and Farewell held at a very classy location. Think wings, cleavage and tight orange spandex shorts. Swiss and I get there early and meet the man of the hour who was more busy programming his new cell phone than talking to people. Do better. Then we meet the guy who Swiss is replacing in a few months. Now that is one squared away guy, he was cordial and inquisitive and very polite. 1-1. Not too bad so far.

Here's where it gets interesting. The fellows with wives start showing up. We all do our polite introductions and everyone knows that Swiss is the new guy, ergo I am the new girl. And you know what? Not a single wife came over to talk to me. Not one. There were 7 of them. Yes, in fact that would be 7 Do Betters. (1-8) Now I certainly wasn't looking for new best friends or even someone to have coffee with, but I did expect some amount of interaction. Maybe I put them off somehow, but honestly I think I am pretty approachable and rather friendly. There were even 2 moments when Swiss went to the restroom... and I sat there by myself and not a one took the opportunity to talk to me. Even the Senior guy's wife didn't even try to strike up a conversation... and she's been to school for this stuff... etiquette courses and all! But I digress.

We lasted all of about 2 hours (which was honestly about 1 1/2 hours too long) and only Swiss's replacement talked to us and seemed to be the only one capable of talking about anything other than riding motorcycles. We don't ride motorcycles and we don't have a Harley-Davidson so we weren't cool enough to participate in any conversations. I wish I was exaggerating. And heaven forbid we talk about anything else. In fact at one point, Swiss's replacement asked him why/how he got into writing. The senior guys says, "You're into riding!?!" Swiss says "No, writing." Response? "Oh, never mind, I don't want to talk about THAT." Do better.

Final tally? 15 Do betters. (out of 16 no less)

I think more than anything, I was a shocked at the complete lack of couth. The lack of social skills, the lack of friendliness, the lack of effort. Swiss and I left and on the way home we talked about how disappointing it all was and how un-welcome it made us feel. How am I supposed to count on these women during the deployment if they wouldn't even talk to me? How are we supposed to form a well-functioning unit at work and in the homes if people aren't even willing to extend basic politeness?

So yes, it looks like as far as an Army based support group for this deployment? I'm going it alone. Thank heavens for my friends, my family, this wonderful thing called the internets, and you dear readers. I know there aren't many of you, but you are very much appreciated!

The joy of cooking.

Since I am officially not working due to a sabbatical from BigHospital I have felt it necessary to stay relatively busy. And yes, "busy" does include time on the internet, reading home decor and cooking magazines, and most certainly includes quality time with the Food Network. Ina and Alton are my friends... only they don't know me...

Anyway, the best part of not working? The time and energy to cook real, tasty, big meals. I am loving it. And that is saying something since all we have is a tiny galley kitchen. We have an awesome gas range which I am loving and I packed just enough kitchen utensils, pots & pans to keep the dishes coming. It is gooood.

Last night? Killer enchiladas. I used an Emeril recipe but boiled chicken instead of roasting a pork butt. (I said butt.) The night before? Garlic herb pork tenderloin with roasted veggies and quinoa (our new favorite grain- try it, you'll dig it). Next week, my intention is to roll on over to The Pioneer Woman and steal a bunch of recipes for dinner.

Anyway, I've never had so much fun cooking and it's been the second best part of this time off. Of course the first is getting oodles of extra time to hang out with that handsome soldier of mine. Did I mention that said handsome solider has one heck of an appetite? That helps too!

Anyway, have a splendid weekend Internets! Go eat some quinoa!

Life on Post.

HOORAY! I am finally down south with Swiss after two pseudo-Thanksgivings with the families and a real Thanksgiving at a Cracker Barrel somewhere in middle-America.

Life on post is good. Our digs are fine... lots of white walls and odd brown carpeting but they are clean and cozy and life is good with our new HDTV and air mattress bed. It's like posh camping or something. And as you can see... we FINALLY have internet. Double Hooray!

It's been a bit of a trip getting used to living on post. Something I suspect most of you are already familiar with. But it is good. The PX is swell and the Commissary is good too... so many groceries so little time! The things I haven't gotten used to yet? Max speed limits on post of 40 mph. Hundreds of people that look just like Swiss from a distance (ha!). The blaring of "Reveille" throughout the PA systems at 6:30 sharp every weekday and "Retreat" at 5pm sharp every weeknight.

But I will say that I am LOVING all the extra time with Swiss. We get a nice breakfast together after morning PT... generally get to eat lunch together and then all night just hanging out like the normal folks. It is grand.

We got word about the deployment and that is good. Not good that he has to go, but good that we now know details and can make arrangements. His new unit is interesting to say the least and I am sure, like every deployment story I've ever heard, things will change. But I digress, life is good and I'm really liking being a housewife!

Until later... Happy Holiday Season Internets!

Anticipation.

Today is the day.
Today is the day we find everything out... the Army is going to stop keeping secrets from us for just a little while and the anticipation is killing me!
Am I anxious? Yes. Am I nervous? Heck yes. Am I scared? A little. Am I excited to get word so I can finally go see Swiss? Hell-to-the-yeah!

So, wish us luck... keep your fingers crossed, send a shout-out the to Man Upstairs and hope for a safe assignment (as safe as one could be) and for good news.

Happy Wednesday Internets!

UPDATE: We have housing! Hooray! We got us some on post housing and that is stellar. They totally came through for us and I am relieved that this portion of the equation is completed. Now we wait for the big stuff...