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Tom’s Surgery

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For those of you who weren’t up-to-date, Tom has had a bump on his wrist for some time now (I think it appeared after he broke his wrist) and it has recently become painful. He went to get it checked out (at my urging, of course, since he doesn’t like to admit to pain) and they said it was a ganglion cyst and should be removed.

So yesterday was the surgery. We had to drive to Wilmington (an hour away) so I had to take the day off. (I was actually looking forward to the waiting time, since I had postponed starting the new Harry Potter book for this occasion.) It was a loooong day for him—he had duty the night before, so he came home at 8 and we left by 8:30. He didn’t have to be there until 10:30, but I wasn’t taking any chances of being late since you never know about traffic or weather (it’s been stormy here lately). So we got there about 10 and after he was prepped for surgery I got called back to sit with him…for an hour and a half (12:30). Such a waste of time, the waiting. There was no need for it. (I guess we were there early in case the doc was ready earlier?) The doctor was’t sure whether the cyst was attached to the bone or nerve (I think) so depending on which it was, they may have had to scope the rest of the wrist. Anyway, he got out of surgery at 2, and I sat with him while he woke up. I never got to talk to the doctor again, so I have no idea what actually happened—where the cyst was connected and/or if they had to scope the wrist. So, either the doctor came out and just talked to Tom (which I doubt) or he forgot to come talk to us at all. And I was too into making sure he ate his crackers and drank his Coke…and forgot all about asking for the doctor!

At one point shortly after, the nurse came over and asked him “So, how’s the pain?” and he said “Not bad.” She asked, on a scale of 1 (no pain) to 10 (extreme pain) what level it was and he said, “Oh….7.” She laughed and said “Seven? Not bad is seven?” I said “He’s a marine.” 🙂 He felt really groggy and sick (said it felt like the worst hangover ever) and easily took the pain meds offered. We tried to leave about 3:30 but he wasn’t too steady on his feet and he turned green (or so they told me—I had gone to get the car) so they hooked him up to get more fluids and I got to read more Harry Potter!

We ended up leaving about 4 and we were both starving (I hadn’t eaten since 7:30 and he hadn’t eaten since midnight the night before) so I asked if he felt okay enough to go sit down and eat somewhere (he was still quite drowsy from the drugs). He said he was, so we stopped at Macaroni Grill. He looked and felt much better after eating a good meal. So good, in fact, that he suggested going to World Market (in the same plaza) to see if they had any islands for our kitchen…and they did, so we ended up buying it. (It’s not the perfect size, but it was close enough and we were able to see it in person, which was what Tom really wanted. We had found a bunch online that we liked, but he was afraid the quality wouldn’t be good.) So he slept on the way home and didn’t want to take any drugs when we got home. He said he didn’t like taking drugs and didn’t want to be foggy…but come this morning, he was taking the pills!

So he’s home from work for (I think) ten days or two weeks. If I remember right, they wanted him to take off some insane amount like 30 days to recoup but he can’t do that. For the next week, he just can’t lift anything heavier than a can of pop, but it hasn’t stopped him from doing stuff around the house already! He put together the island (he assured me he only used one arm to get it into the house) and he’s unpacking boxes!

What a trouper!

Wow. Just, wow!

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Long story short, we’re moved in to the new house. Long story long, it wasn’t without some annoyances and trauma. As you know, it started with our power being turned off Friday morning and it only got better from there.

Not house-related, but we had an appointment at lunch Friday to go visit a cat that we were considering adopting…a fully declawed Tabby that we were REALLY excited about (I really really want a Tabby). However, he is almost 20# (not a problem) and unfortunately as we discovered while visiting him, a nipper (a problem). We did not want to bring home an alpha male that bites/nips. So that was disappointing—it’s rare to find a fully declawed cat. Now on to house stuff.

I had called last week to find out about switching our water service. They told me it had to be done in person. Fine. Annoying to have to make the trip, but fine. So Tom had been meaning to get to it while he was home packing and moving, but never made it. So Friday afternoon, after closing (4pm), I went. So I get there and wait in line for about 15 minutes, and…they tell me they don’t service the new address (ARGH!) so I had to go halfway across town at 4:30 on a Friday to start service! (Yes, it was my fault for not asking and merely assuming the new house TWO miles away would be the same water…but annoying.) Anyway, before I left, I asked for a letter of recommendation for the new water place so I could hopefully avoid a deposit. She said “just have them call us” — okay. So I get to the new place and ask about avoiding the deposit and she said they need a letter. I said “They said just to call them to get the reference” and she said “Yeah, we don’t do that. We need a letter. And they will charge you $5 for it.” I said “You have GOT to be kidding me.” She assured me she wasn’t. I told them “You two water companies should really talk to each other. I can’t be the only one this happens to.” Then I wrote out a $45 deposit check. ARGH. (I will be getting the other water deposit back, but still.) Oh, and I asked about when I might be able to get my deposit back… “Once you have lived here for five years…” OMG! FIVE YEARS!? I was not a happy camper. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but stuff like this just rattles my cage.

So I get home, still fuming, and run into Tom on the road, taking a trailer of stuff to the new house. I tell him what happened with the water. So I was getting dinner ready and Tom seemed to be taking forever but I really didn’t think much about it. He finally comes in and says “I can top your water story” and proceeds to hold up the plastic tray from our grill and says “This is all that’s left of the grill.” Our $600 grill. I literally said (pardon my French): “You are fucking kidding me.” Apparently the strap broke and the grill went FLYING off the trailer doing 40mph. Luckily no one was in the opposite lane where it landed (although he did have to stop traffic to gather the pieces). And of course we can’t afford another $600 grill and I don’t want a cheapie grill now that we’ve had the best. UGH. We’re laughing about it now, but man, that just sucked hard core. (Actually, the grill really isn’t in pieces…but the smokestacks are crushed, the lid is buckled so it doesn’t close, and the knobs and such are missing. Apparently the gas line survived, along with the gas tank, so Tom and Roger think they can try fixing it.)

More utility fun. Tom called LAST WEEK to switch cable service (internet/tv). It was supposed to be turned off on Saturday at the old house and ON on Friday at the new house. Saturday morning…neither had happened. I called and…oh, wait, I didn’t call from our home phone because they turned that off Saturday morning, apparently at the crack of dawn (I scheduled it for Saturday, and they tell you “sometime Saturday” but it’s apparently first thing). So I had to waste my TracFone minutes ON HOLD forever while they told me…they didn’t have a disconnect order OR a connect order for either residence! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. And it gets better. Apparently the lines haven’t even been run to the house yet (“Are there painted lines on your lawn? No?? Hmmm.”), so it could be UP TO TWO WEEKS to get service. No one told Tom this when he called to switch service A WEEK AGO. ARGH!!!!

And did I mention that the A/C was NOT WORKING at all on the second floor (we have two units, one for each floor)? We discovered this Friday after closing when Tom first walked in, about 5pm. Like you could get anyone to come fix A/C at all this time of year, let alone a Friday afternoon! But Roger came to the rescue and managed to find our contractor (who he happened to see in the neighborhood) who called the A/C guy…who, of course, happened to show up Saturday morning WHILE WE WERE GONE. Another call and the guy was scheduled to come back out Sunday! Phew! (So, this is jumping ahead, but our first night in the new house was spent on the air matress on the first floor where the A/C was working.) Apparently what had happened was the builder had the A/C set SO low that it froze the line.

Then we had been running late on packing, what with the 4-hour Friday power outage when Tom couldn’t get into the house (no keys, garage door opener didn’t work), but we were still aiming on being done by 3pm when the carpet guy came. But in the meantime, we were still loading stuff into the new house. (Actually, Roger and Tom were loading and hauling stuff to the new house, Dick [my bosses partner/myold Staples manager] and I were hauling boxes into the new house.) Anyway, around 2 we went back to the old house to get the last of the little things, still trying to beat the carpet cleaner and, of course…he was EARLY! In retrospect, we should have said “Sorry, you’re going to have to wait until 3!” But instead, we just piled all that was left into the garage, kitchen, and back porch (all areas he didn’t need to clean). Technically the house was ours until midnight, but we wanted to be DONE by 3. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out quite like that. Anyway, by this time we’re just exhausted but we have to finish. So it was power washing the garage floor and loading last-minute outside stuff like hose reels and hanging plants.

So around 5:30 we were back at the new house to shower to go have dinner at Roger and Ursula’s (which was fine, since we didn’t have much food available). So I have to find the shower curtain and liner and I get it all together and hang it up and…it’s too short. There was a good 6″ of space between the bottom of the curtain and the bottom of the shower. (We have a shower now, with just a little lip on the bottom.) I was about ready to cry. Not that it was a big deal…I was just exhausted and my entire body hurt and we were upstairs without A/C and all I wanted was a simple shower! Luckily the rod wasn’t screwed in—it was just a tension mount—so we could move it. Well, actually it wasn’t a tension mount because we couldn’t change the width—all we could do was slide it down the wall…which worked, but now it’s out about 4″ too far so the curtains are at an angle. And I still managed to get a huge puddle of water on the floor. And we had the crappy showerhead because we didn’t have the plumber’s tape to install our own showerhead. OH YEAH—I forgot—we also didn’t have hot water since no one had turned the hot water heater on—but luckily it was SO hot upstairs that we didn’t want a hot shower—cool was just fine.

This isn’t directly related to us, but just an update: we talked to the buyers on Saturday afternoon (they showed up while we were there), and he was asking us THEN where he had to go to turn on water and power. This was after I already told his agent THREE WEEKS AGO and she told him, plus I told him personally about the water because I had to give him directions, plus the messages she left about the power issue on Friday. He is a nice guy, but totally clueless.

So Sunday Tom had to go back again to take out the laundry sink…and stuff we forgot in the kitchen like my purse and the vacuum (I thought Tom was loading everything into the car and Tom thought I would at least grab my purse). Hoo boy. I’m glad we at least know the buyers a little and they’re nice enough to not destroy or steal anything!

The A/C guy came and fixed the A/C. Now it’s working like a charm. I painted the office…I didn’t really want to paint so soon, but we wanted to get that room set up, and once all the computer stuff is in and all the cords are all over, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to paint, and we didn’t want to have to set the room up twice…so I painted it. It wasn’t too bad—the painter’s tape I used this time did its job wonderfully…but we somehow ended up with a dime-sized blotch of paint on the carpet. OH MY GOD. I wanted to scream! I blame it on Tom, LOL, because I had everything covered with a drop cloth (because I was PARANOID about not getting paint on the carpet)…and at the very end, he came in to help fold up the tarp and… later when we’re setting up the office, I noticed the paint. Hoo boy. It never fails.

Sunday dinner I start making something…and realize the plastic utensils we’d been using are just not going to cut it for this meal…so we go on a 20-minute hunt for silverware. Of course it’s not with all the other kitchen stuff because I totally forgot about it, so it’s in an unlabeled “last-minute item” box. Or so I thought. Turns out it was in a “kitchen” box—actually in the kitchen that I’d already opened—I just hadn’t fully unpacked it.

Oh, and the cats. OH MY. They are soooooooo confused. They didn’t like being in the carriers of course, but we only let them out in one room (with their litterbox) while we went to dinner at Roger’s. We let them out when we came home and oh my, the crying and meowing… They freaked out whenever we left them and they couldn’t understand the upstairs and downstairs and got especially confused with the balcony. They would be downstairs crying and we’d call them from the balcony and they just meowed louder and louder, never looking up. It was like they were crying for us to come get them and lead the way. It was so funny. It’s better now after a day, but the first night, Fuzzy started crying in the middle of the night and Tom had to go find him and he carried him upstairs to the litterbox—that was what he wanted. He apparently got lost or couldn’t find it or didn’t remember… now, a day later, that’s been okay, too. It’s been an adventure.

So that’s where we are. Now we just have a ton of unpacking and painting to do….

Body Makeover Update

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Although meals at work went smashingly well, dinner was not enticing at all. AT ALL. Disheartening, if I was to pick a word. Fried potatoes, onions, and mushrooms SOUNDED good, but with no oil, salt, or butter, it was just BLAH (and I came to realize I don’t like fresh mushrooms AT ALL in that context). And the cooked broccoli was even worse—I couldn’t even eat it (granted, it was from frozen and not fresh, but still). It was one of those meals where in a normal world, you would eat, then 30 minutes later you’re prowling for something else to eat because you weren’t satisfied. The best part of the evening was the half of banana I had for my PM snack.

I know we still have more experimenting to do and recipes to try, but suffice it to say that overall I am disappointed thus far. And we’re already through one $14 bag of chicken and we’re only on Day 2. Hoo boy.

I will make it through the first week, then I will be adding SOME salt and SOME oil, otherwise this diet is DONE. I never thought food would be THIS unappetizing without the addition of some seasonings (okay, salt and fat). We have red pepper flakes and lemon juice and garlic powder and cumin and pepper and all that…but THEY’RE NOT SALT. Tom is picking up some salt substitute tonight, so hopefully that will change my perspective.

There is good news, though…I lost 2#. I know it’s mostly water, but still. It’s nice to see 2# less on the scale.

Six week body makeover

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Tom and I are starting a new “diet” today…it’s called the 6 Week Body Makeover (this is the guy who Extreme Makeover uses). Let’s just say it’s going to be interesting. We’re used to low-carb…as much red meat, cheese, butter, bacon, olive oil, etc. as you want. Now we’re switching to NO red meat, NO cheese, NO butter, NO bacon, NO olive oil, and NO salt…but we do get rice, potatoes, and quite a variety of fruit. Hoo boy. The plan is quite regimented, but you’re supposed to lose up to 30# in the six weeks—in addition to reshaping your body (you have a personalized 18-minute workout twice a week). If anything, it can’t hurt us.

Before we ordered it, I read the reviews of it, and of course there were pros and cons. The biggest con (which I already agree with) is that it takes quite a bit of time preparing to eat since you need to eat six small meals a day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack). And it’s not like oh, grab a chicken breast and a banana for lunch—it’s 2oz of protein (chicken), 1/2 cup of fruit (pineapple), and 1 cup vegetables (green beans)…so everything needs to be premeasured and put in containers. And since we eat three of those meals/snacks at work, we have to have lots of little containers. For both of us. That’s a lot of little containers. (Have I mentioned that’s lots of little containers?) Last night we grilled about 5# of chicken breast, made a huge batch of rice, baked 6 small potatoes, and fried up some bell peppers—just so we can cut out some food prep time for our breakfast and at-work meals.

We were both a little afraid of being hungry. I mean, we’re used to pretty much eating however much we want as long as it’s low-carb but now we’re restricted to very small portions. I estimate that I get the equivalent of a medium- to large- sized chicken breast over the entire day (I think it’s 8oz of protein). That’s quite a difference from having one chicken breast for lunch and one for dinner. I was especially worried about the two measly scrambled egg whites and pineapple I had for breakfast…but come 11:30 I was just starting to get hungry so I ate my snack and probably won’t eat lunch until 1:30 or 2:30, with another snack around 4:30. So…so far, so good. I can’t wait until we’re more comfortable with it and can experiment more. Right now, we’re more concerned with the basics, so it’s chicken three times a day, plain fruit twice a day, the same veggies twice a day, and a cup of rice a day. Boring, but hopefully effective.

The worst part is we have a pantry and freezer full of low-carb stuff we can no longer eat. (That’ll teach me to stock up.)

Wish us luck!

A Change of Plans: A Blog Exclusive

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We aren’t announcing this via email blast to the whole family yet, because all plans aren’t final. However, if you are one of the loyal readers of this blog, you will find out ahead of everyone else. See, there are benefits of reading my blog!

Long story short, we are going to be in Jacksonville another 2-3 years—and are in the process of selling our house and buying a new (larger) house. Wow, we know. It was a big shock to us, as well, since the last anyone knew, we were planning on coming home to Michigan within the next year or so.

Why did we perform a 180? Well, Tom had a talk with the head of the Business Technology Division and a prior colonel at 2MARDIV. He had no problem with Tom extending for one year here at base, but he thought it would be in Tom’s best interest to go for augmentation. Augmentation is a two-year commitment that changes his status from a reserve officer to an active duty officer and permits him to continue on in the Marine Corps if he decides he wants to go back into the Marines (I warned him that he might not like working in the real world!). If he were to decline his augmentation, he would be burning a more secure bridge than he expected.

When Tom told me about this we discussed it for a while and decided that a two-year commitment here at base would not kill either of us (although we really want to come home, we want to make sure we are in the best financial position to do so). Staying another few years will also allow Tom to go further in his masters work. Also, Tom has to figure out his schedule for getting his degree—there is only one class he can take this fall semester…so depending on the rest of the semesters he may need the entire three years to finish!

Another factor in our decision to stay is that Tom’s company commander said that he wouldn’t send him anywhere and that his company has too many officers that haven’t gone overseas yet. Of course, this isn’t a 100% guarantee (nothing is in the Corps), but we’re comfortable with it.

We also discussed our finances. Since I work for a real estate agent, we have been tracking the amounts that the houses in our area have been going for. The way we look at it, right now is probably the best time to get the best chunk of money out of our house. We could still get a little more if we waited another 2-3 years, but if we were to roll our money into a larger home in a more prestigous area, in 2-3 years we will be able to leave with a more substantial profit. We are just trying to leave Jacksonville with the most money possible and if we were to stay in the house we are at now, it wouldn’t be as advantageous as a new, larger home. As a positive, we’re fairly certain the new house will appraise for more than we’re paying, so we will actually start off ahead of the game. (Our neighbors, who moved into the same subdivision four or so months ago, have already had their house appraise for about 10k more than they paid). Of course, buying this new home is all depending on the sale and appraisal of our current house—and if we can’t get what we want (either sale- or appraisal-wise), then we can wait. The goal is to pay off the car (which payment will actually rollover into our new mortgage) and make a comfortable, yet dedicated, investment.

Ultimately, it’s a huge step we’re both excited AND scared about. The prospect of a new, larger house is exhilarating…but the prospect of doubling our mortgage is frightening (even though it all logically figures out). We figure everything happens for a reason, so if it was meant to be, it will be.

WISH US LUCK!

Root Canal

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Tom has been having some tooth pain for about a week. At first he didn’t think much about it, but the pain got worse and worse. Today he called me about 9:30 and said “I’m going in for a root canal in 15 minutes.” Wow. Just—-wow. He’s already called me and he went back to work for a bit and now he’s at home. You gotta love Mondays!

“Woman survives crash with tractor-trailer”

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Woman survives crash with tractor-trailer
May 20,2005

CHRIS MAZZOLINI
DAILY NEWS STAFF

A tractor-trailer collided with a car Thursday morning on U.S. 258 near the Onslow County Multipurpose Complex, requiring rescuers to extract a woman from her vehicle.

Connie Dail McClain, 53, of Richlands Highway in Richlands, was driving her 1999 Chrysler 300 southbound on U.S. 258 around 6:30 a.m. when she drifted across the center lane and into the path of a 2003 Kenworth tractor-trailer driven by Phillip Smith Jr., 43, of Fayetteville, according to Highway Patrol Trooper R.E. Dudley. Smith was driving the tractor-trailer for Carolina Tank Lines, based in Burlington.

The front left of McClain’s vehicle struck the front left of the tractor-trailer near the fuel tank, Dudley said. The car spun around and came to rest on the roadway, he said.

Emergency rescuers extracted McClain from the vehicle, and she was taken to Onslow Memorial Hospital. She was later transferred to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, where she was listed in fair condition, according to the nursing coordinator.

Smith tried to avoid the collision, Dudley said. He swerved into the southbound lanes, then back to the right, and jack-knifed as the tractor-trailer went off the road and hit a utility pole, Dudley said.

Smith was uninjured, Dudley added.

“There was some fuel out of the tank on the ground,” he said. “It was not a major hazardous materials incident by any stretch.”

It is unclear why McClain drifted into oncoming traffic.

“The investigation is still ongoing; I haven’t had an opportunity to speak with her because of her physical condition,”

Traffic had to be rerouted until 10:30 a.m., said Onslow Sheriff Ed Brown. Deputies directed traffic up Hines Farm Road and into the Burton Industrial Park through a back entrance, and then back onto U.S. 258, he said.

“I cringe to think what the traffic would have been like this morning if it hadn’t been for the access (to the industrial park),” Brown said.

OMG. OMG. OMG! OMG!

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I had a detour on the way to work this morning so when I got in, I called Tom to see if he had the detour as well (usually an hour earlier than me) and there was no answer. I didn’t think anything about it. He called me about 20 minutes later…he was just getting to work…he had been the main witness to the accident (about 7am)! He said he came very close to being in the accident himself! As it was, he witnessed a woman cross over the center turn lane and run into a semi [just behind the cab]. The semi jackknifed and took out two telephone poles—one one EACH side of the highway and barely missed him. He said at one point, he and the semi driver were just staring at each other as the semi was rushing towards the car! He stopped and ran to a nearby house to have them call 911 and then had to keep the woman restrained, standing in a pool of gas, glass, and blood.

OMG. 88|

He is still shaken up about it, as should be expected. And he said that experience was MUCH WORSE than all the crap he experienced being in Iraq.

OMG. 88|

I asked what had happened to the woman…did she fall asleep? Have a stroke? Have a death wish? What? He said none of the above—-they weren’t sure…but the cop said that they had had two calls EARLIER THAT MORNING about two hit-and-runs she had been involved in! The woman was in bad shape, but expected to be okay.

OMG. 88| Not the way to start my morning…

Our grand plan…down the drain???

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So Tom and I have been getting REALLY excited because he found out (while in Iraq) that he can take college courses to finish his second degree—and the military would reimburse us for 75% of the costs. Excellent, no? That’s what we thought! We had it all planned out—he would extend his time by a year or two—just enough time to get his degree. He would take classes on Camp Lejeune or at the local community college. He’d graduate/have his degree just in time to get out and move home to Michigan (and be able to get a great job).

But. (There’s alway a but, right?)

Now he’s finding out more details. Of course, the people who told him about all this to begin with didn’t mention ONE THING about the caveat. Hoo boy. Oh, the military will pay for the classes…but you have to pay them back: you either stay in (I think it was) one extra year for every so many classes you took…or you have to pay EVERYTHING back. So, if you take any college classes, you’re automatically LOCKED into more time to pay it off. (I can’t recall the exact ratio, but I think it came out to us having to be here like four more years…which was NOT in our grand plan.)

The second problem, although not a military caveat, is that NONE of the classes Tom needs for the degree he wants are offered on Camp Lejeune. There wasn’t enough interest, so the classes have been cancelled. And as luck would have it, there are none at the community college, either. So, where ARE the classes? At MCAS Cherry Point, 1:30 away (oly 60 miles, but no highways). So, that totally sucks. If he wants to take classes, they have to be night classes, which puts him in the car a minimum of THREE HOURS A DAY and most likely puts him on the road late at night after having been up since 5 or 6. I am NOT happy about that. AT ALL. I got him home safe from Iraq—the last thing I need is for him to fall asleep at the wheel coming home from class.

So, for now, our grand plan has been flushed down the toilet. We have no idea what we’re going to do. He really wants to get his second degree (all the better to get a great job when we move home), but it’s going to be VERY hard with all the daily travel. We can’t afford to do it on our own financially (i.e. go back to school in Michigan), but in order for the military to pay for it, we have to stay in longer. His committment is offically up this August, so if he doesn’t extend (or doesn’t sign up for four more years), he’s done—and out!—in August. Worst case scenario, he’s done in August and then what??? Do we move home? Does he find a job as a civilian contractor for about the same money (more salary, but it evens out with the loss of the housing allotment)? EGADS. It seems nothing is ever cut and dried in the military!!

Homecoming Yesterday

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I woke up at about 6am and just could NOT fall back asleep…but I was happy that I slept the whole night (I had been afraid I wouldn’t sleep a wink). Tom called about 7am to let me know he was in Charlotte and was still expected in at 8:40. I left the house (in his car, per his request!) at 8:15 since the airport is literally only minutes away. As I drove by our friend’s house (Roger & Ursula), I saw they had hung a sheet/banner out saying WELCOME HOME TOM! I almost started crying right then! (I had wanted to do a banner, but long story short, it just didn’t happen and I knew he wouldn’t be heartbroken.) But it was SOOOO sweet that they put one up and I’m so glad they did!

So I made it to the airport, parked, and only had to wait about 10 minutes before he walked off the plane! I hadn’t really been emotional AT ALL up to that point, but as soon as I saw him, I started crying! After a few minutes of hugs and kisses, LOL, it was off to wait for the luggage (I swear, all 400# of it). Then he finally got to see his new car…and loved it! Of course, he drove home.

After unloading the car, saying hello to the kids, and eating our Cinnabons (that he brought from Charlotte), Tom took a two-hour nap. I know he could have slept a lot longer, but he wanted to start getting back on schedule. Then it was off to base so he could check in and return his weapon. Then we ran some errands (dreaming about DLP televisions at Best Buy, checking out replacement laptops at Staples, eating dinner at Texas Roadhouse—a new place that just opened but that’s one of our favorite restaurants from Lansing, and getting groceries at Sam’s Club). Then it was home, where we ran into some neighbors in the street. Then we watched some TV and were in bed by 10.

So how is it to have him home? Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Except for one thing. MAN, does he make a lot of noise when he sleeps! LOL! I mean, I know he snores, but let’s just say I didn’t get much sleep (hence my being up this early). My little prods that used to get him to flip over?? No more. Now I have to literally shove him to get him to move. I know it’s mainly because he’s STILL exhausted and because he’s not used to sleeping with anyone else…but if this is still a problem after a week, we’ll have to take drastic measures!!

We have a bonfire planned for this weekend so everyone can see him and we can hear all the stories…so we’re really looking forward to that and to seeing everyone. Poor Tom—after he left, two of our best friends moved from the neighborhood, one put their house on the market (and has two offers on it), and the last is just putting their house up for sale. We’re the only ones left!

Stay tuned for more post-deployment stories, I’m sure…

*Some details have been omitted due to my parents reading this blog, LOL…

WEDNESDAY MORNING!

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Tom just called and he will be flying into Jacksonville Wednesday morning about 8:30! 88| He said it was either that or 3:30am Tuesday—but he didn’t want me to have to be up that late. I said that would have been fine, for pete’s sake…like I will be able to sleep the night before anyway?!

California calling!

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Tom is in California! He landed about 2:30 EST and called me straightaway like a good husband! He just called again to say he’s at his hotel (the same one he stayed at on his way out) and trying to catch up on some sleep. He said the whole group of them (that came in today) are heading in tomorrow to see when they will be able to actually leave for their respective homes. He’s hoping this weekend…but with Easter and all, he’s guessing Monday at the earliest.

Germany calling!

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Tom called about midnight last night from Germany. He said they were way ahead of schedule, so if it continued, they’d also arrive in California early—by as much as a few hours. And even better news? There is no 96er this weekend, so he should be able to talk to someone about coming home ASAP! We’re still not sure how soon ASAP will be, but it’s possible it could be this weekend! Here’s hoping!

Closer….closer…

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It’s getting so close now I’m starting to go a little crazy. He should be in the air right now…having left three hours ago (2:30am Kuwait time). I’m half expecting a call in the middle of the night if he has the time when making a connection (I think he said Germany?)—since I got a similar call when he was on his way over. I’m still having a hard time believing he’s almost home!!

Tom’s in Kuwait

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After a very bumpy flight (he said there was about 20 minutes during which he thought the plane might actually crash), he arrived safely in Kuwait. He is still scheduled to leave tomorrow (actually 2:30am) and arrive in California at 11am on Thursday. After not talking or emailing with him for 3-4 days, I got to email him back and forth for about a half hour, plus he got to call me for a few minutes!

Ain’t that a kick in the pants?

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Tom called me earlier this morning to tell me…

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(I’m building the suspense!)

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He’s fully checked out and he can leave at any time!! Yea! Except, of course, that his flight doesn’t leave until March 19th and there are no flights before that! Boo! So, he has the next five or so days to just kick back and relax—since he’s checked out, that means he doesn’t have a job to do! He did say he’s really ready to come home—apparently things aren’t running quite as smoothly as they were when his group was in charge and it’s extremely frustrating to watch (as I can well imagine).

He’s still not sure how long he will have to be in California. He was going to call them later today to see if they could A) give him any idea and/or B) tell them he wants to leave as soon as possible, best case scenario the day he gets there!

Whatever the case, the final countdown is on!

Micsellaneous Updates

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I found my Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi last night!! I was getting gas last night and thought “Hey, I should check here!” Of course it wasn’t on sale like the Coke was, but I bought it anyway! You can tell I was desperate to have it, since I’ve NEVER IN MY LIFE paid $4.49 for a 12-pack of pop! (I rationalize it by saying it’s still only 37¢ a can.)

Tom should be heading home in two weeks!! Of course I’ve known that he’s coming home soon, but I was looking at the countdown clock last night and “14 days” just hit me like a ton of bricks! FOURTEEN DAYS! TWO WEEKS! Of course, he may not actually make it home for 3-4 weeks at most, but still… I’m getting excited!

It’s time to start seriously watching carbs again!! As most of you probably know, I’ve sort of given up on the whole STRICT no-carb thing since Tom’s been gone. (Well, I did okay for the first three months…but Christmas sucked me in and it’s been downhill ever since!) I had been thinking I would wait until Tom came home and then we’d both start again, but I HAVE to start now…a pair of khakis that used to be loose straight from the dryer are now just a bit tight (definitely still wearable, but definitely not loose). Uh oh. I’ve consciously known what I’ve been doing, though, so I only have myself to blame. So, it’s back to being strict again…which is good, since I’ve been feeling sluggish again. I just find it amazing that the food you eat can have SUCH an effect on your body and your outlook! So, I’m actually looking forward to starting!!

Six Months of…nothing?

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So I’m getting around to cleaning up the house for Tom’s arrival home. (I figure if I start a month ahead, I might actually get it done.) And it just hits me that nothing here has changed. Nothing. Not that I really expected it to or planned for anything to change, but you would think that after six months, something here should be different. Look different. Hell, even smell different! But it’s all the same! Tom has been in such a dramatically different environment that I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to just get back to normal, but I just feel like “What the hell have I been doing the past six months?” Sure, I got a new job, but big whoop: Tom has been in a new job…in Iraq! The only “new and different” things around the house are 1) a new car in the driveway, 2) I moved the kitchen table, 3) there are Christmas boxes in the living room, and 4) the Christmas lights are still up.

And then sometimes I think I think too much. And decide it’s time to go to bed.

Good news and bad news…

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I finally heard from Tom today.

Good news…. I am safe at Blue Diamond. I got here yesterday at 0830, but left at 10 pm the night before. I was stuck in a hummer for nearly 12 hours in 25 degree weather! I WAS FREEZING MY ASS OFF!

Better news…. I got in and my bed was filled with boxes! Not to mention the there were so many that they started putting them under my bed too!!!

Best news…. I am leaving Blue Diamond in 4 weeks and 1 day!!!!!!

Bad news…. As soon as I stepped foot in the COC yesterday, Maj Allison said “Tom, it is great to have you back! You had better get some sleep, we have another project for you to work on now!” Needless to say I didn’t get to sleep. I started planning in my head…. Ohhhhh boy!

This just means he is going back out into the field. He assured me it will be “by far less dangerous” than it was before. Then I asked if he finally got my Christmas presents that I sent [way back the first week of December]…

I opened it, but I have had to make so many reports and prepare for the upcoming project, I haven’t unwrapped the presents. I will tonight and will tell you tomorrow. I no shit had 20 boxes!!!

Waiting sucks!

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I haven’t heard from Tom in over two days…the last email I got was Wednesday afternoon. Now, I know two days is nothing…but when I’ve been spoiled by emails every day, two days gets me worrying. However, he was transitioning back to Ramadi from Fallujah, so I’m sure he’s extremely busy. I know he will contact me the first chance he gets, but in the meantime, waiting just sucks. It doesn’t help that I’m getting more and more paranoid as time goes on, either…it’s at times like these that the mind can be a terrible thing!

Termination of Mail Services

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Since Tom has been gone, I’ve been getting emails from Camp Pendleton with announcements related to the deployment (as well as related to spouse events in the Pendleton area—of which I have absolutely no use!—but most of the deployed marines were originally from the area, so it makes sense for them). However, once in awhile, I get one that I actually read! This week, they announced the Termination of Mail Services…because the guys are getting closer to coming home!! They make this request 45-60 days out (I’m guessing at the number of days, but it seems to fit with the timeline Tom has given me) so that there’s less chance of packages getting lost in the transition from Iraq to California (during which time the marines may be moving around frequently). Any mail sent after Feburary 15 will be held at Camp Pendleton, so there’s really no use in sending anything else unless you want him to receive it there. Personally, I would not take the chance!! If you want him to get something in California, I’d wait until he’s settled in to Cali and I can give you an address (most likely, he will be at a hotel again, as he was on his way out). Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Admin in Iraq

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I have had another stressful day. Admin up the wazoo! Maj Alison wants me there [Blue Diamond] as soon as the Marines leave, I have to do more work on this investigation,* I have to prepare fitreps and the best thing… I was asked by one of my marines to promote him! That I am geeked about, he wants me to do the swear in and to pin him!

* Tom has been working on an investigation of an incident that happened with another marine—doing interviews, taking statements, writing reports, etc. I originally thought it was a big deal that HE was assigned to it, but he assured me that ALL the lieutenants are blessed with the job! There’s just no JAG officers over there to handle all the incidents that need to be investigated, so it falls to the other officers.

Almost done…

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I was cleaning my office. Man, just getting everything in order. Getting convoys and flights ready for the 8 marines that have to leave…. I have also been getting equipment bake here and getting ready to send out new gear in two points… What a pain!!! News flash…. I just got off the phone with Maj Alison, looks like I will be leaving Fallujah in the next week or so. Since I will only have 9 marines, there is no need for me to be here, so I have to make sure that everything is set in place, get the Marines that are leaving out safely, and then I go back to BD [Camp Blue Diamond, where he was originally in Ramadi] and my house of packages! Maj Alison said I might be doing something else, but who knows what. I will put in my application for night watch officer though. 🙂

Being on the night shift again means he can call during more normal hours!

What does a March flight mean?

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I asked Tom… “When you say you have your flight for March, what exactly does that mean? Does it mean you have a specific date already? Does it mean you just know you will be leaving in March? Or only March unless something else comes up?

I have my ULN (U…… Line Number), which means that I basically have a “ticket” or a seat with my name on it, for a specific flight out of Kuwait in March, probably the 2nd or 3rd week to be more specific. I will be in Cali for awhile after that, but I have no idea as to when I can leave to actually come home. My orders say a month, but as we will see, I will not be here for as long as they say either.

A little longer…

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Bad news…. Looks like I will be down here [Fallujah] longer… A major sent me an email asking the BATs personnel requirements—apparently everybody down here thinks I am in charge of everything that is BATs and the ECPs [Entry Control Points]! I had to correct the Major. Hopefully we wont be here long…