Dear Army

Dear Army,

I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for taking care of my husband the last almost-5 weeks that he has been away from home. He has had the privilege of spending time in the lovely and scenic Fort Benning, GA.

Since he left home he has had:

• No heat
• No hot water
• No internet
• Nothing to do

He arrived at Benning to spend two weeks doing paperwork and having the usual in-processing-related appointments. He has remained for three extra weeks to do ... absolutely nothing. He is so mind-numbingly bored that there is a good chance he's losing brain cells. He spends all day, every day, watching movies and tv shows that his friend burned onto a hard drive for him to take with him. He watches said movies and tv shows on his computer in his barracks room. His computer that cannot connect to the internet.

I certainly would much rather have him spending 5 weeks doing absolutely nothing away from home, than spending 5 weeks doing nothing right here with me. So thanks for that.

Thanks for making sure his day of staring at the computer is broken up by useless formations every 3ish hours. And thanks for sending pretty much every other guy off to where they're supposed to be ... except for my husband. He loves slipping through the cracks...he loves it so much that he's been forced to contact his old commander, and his old first sergeant (who is currently in Korea) for help in speeding up his orders.

Thank you for letting him sit for so long that Redstone Arsenal, his next destination, had to call Benning to inquire as to where in the hell he is.

Thank you for treating him worse on American soil than he will be treated once he actually deploys. Thank you for making him so crazy that all he does is wish for the day he gets on that plane to Kuwait.

In conclusion ... thank you. Thank you for your fine treatment of our country's soldiers. I know that I am personally thankful that I don't have to spend any time worrying about him as long as he's on American soil.

A Decade in Review

Hi, friends! I'm home from my travels, and am just starting to sort through my photos/emails/Reader/aaaargh. So much to do. But I've noticed that a lot of you have posted a "decade in review" and I thought that sounded fun. So, here goes. We'll see how much I can really remember...

2000:

-Turned 18! I remember thinking that I was finally an adult. I was so wrong!

-Graduated from high school

-Moved to Ann Arbor and started my freshman year at the University of Michigan

2001:

-Turned 19, which I thought was so cool because I could legally drink in Canada. It wasn't.

-Took my first overseas trip to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe for an African safari with my aunt and uncle. Amazing!

-9/11 happened. I was a sophomore in college. I still remember how scared I was. I remember watching the news on TV that morning with my roommates. It was so confusing. I went to class, only to discover class had been canceled. Watched students everywhere wander around in a daze and try to make calls on their cell phones.

-Started dating my long-term college boyfriend.

2002:

-Studied abroad in Florence, Italy over the summer. Visited Rome, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Verona, Padua, Lucca, and countless other little Italian towns dotting the countryside of Tuscany. Fell in love with tomatoes and red wine, things I had previously hated. Fell in love with Italy!

-Started volunteering at a crisis phone line for runaway teens.

2003:

-Turned 21, which seemed like a big deal at the time. It wasn't. Went to London with my dad over spring break. Fell in love with London.

-Continued volunteering at the crisis phone line. Started thinking that this was something I might want to pursue as a career.

-Decided to go to graduate school for Social Work. Began applying for programs. Accepted at University of Michigan, USC, Case Western. Visited USC and seriously contemplated moving to California.

2004:

-Turned 22, which I specifically remember thinking was SO OLD. It wasn't.

-Decided to stay in Michigan for grad school and continue at the University of Michigan, which had the #1 social work program in the country.

-Graduated from college...and seriously felt like an adult. I wasn't.

-Moved into a new apartment and started grad school.

2005:

-College boyfriend and I broke up. Best thing that could have happened for my life.

-Met and made amazing friends in grad school who I am still close with to this day.

-Started my first grad school internship, working in pediatric oncology at U of M Hospital. Very difficult...decided working in pediatric healthcare was too emotionally taxing.

-Started my second grad school internship, working at an alternative high school. I did individual therapy and ran some groups - loved it.

-Had lasik surgery!

-Began to plan moving out of Michigan for the first time in my life...rather arbitrarily decided on Washington, DC and started applying for jobs.

-Was offered a job in DC doing multi-systemic in-home family therapy for court-ordered clients.

-December 2005: graduated from grad school. Feel OLD. I'm not.

-Move to DC right before the New Year...temporarily move in with my aunt and uncle.

2006:

-January: start my new job

-January: quit my new job three weeks later. Proceed to be semi-unemployed for the next 4 months while nannying and working at Anthropologie.

-March 7: Meet Matt on a blind date that lasts 4 hours. We start dating immediately.

-I move into a crappy apartment with a crazy roommate I found on Craigslist.

-Get a *real* job working as a therapeutic foster care social worker in NE DC. Become very attached to 11 difficult children, and spend lots of time in court and on call 24/7. Extremely difficult job...but I learned more than I could have ever imagined.

-Matt and I brought Oscar home!

-5 months later, I (thankfully) move out into a my very first apartment with no roommates.

-Matt and I celebrate our first Thanksgiving together with my parents, who travel to DC for the holiday because Matt is on call.

2007:

-Hmmm. For some reason the entire year of 2007 is kind of drawing a blank for me. Did I do anything?

-Oh yes, I remember. Get a new and better job working as a medical social worker at George Washington University Hospital. I work on the cardiology/cardiac surgery unit, and also moonlight in labor/delivery/NICU and the neurology/stroke unit. Meet some of the most amazing girls who end up being my coworkers. Make lasting friendships.

-And also, Matt formally moved in with me, despite the fact that he had basically been living with me since I moved into the apartment.

2008:

-March 7: Matt and I get engaged at the restaurant where we had our first date. Excitement ensues. Set wedding date for November 8.

-April 12: Celebrate the wedding of our good friends Jenn and Ryan, who introduced us.

-Start thinking about what Matt is going to do when he gets out of the Army in September.

-Matt decides on grad school at Indiana University, and we start making plans to move to Bloomington.

-July 30th: Matt starts his terminal leave, and goes on a month-long roadtrip out west with his dad. I finish my last month at work and start the difficult and painful process of saying goodbyes.

-September 8: Military movers pack up our apartment.

-September 9: Pack remainder of important things in car (wedding dress, wedding suit, etc) and drive 11 hours to Bloomington. See new apartment for the first time (Matt's mom picked it out).

-September 10: Interview for my current job and nail it. Get asked back for a second interview and get hired a week later.

-September 13: My first bridal shower in Michigan.

-End of September: Matt comes to Michigan with me for the first time, and we get engagement photos taken. September is a busy, busy month.

-October 1: Start my new (current) job. LOVE it. And still do!

-October 11: Bridal shower in Indiana

-November 8: GET MARRIED!!!

-Go to Costa Rica on our honeymoon

-Celebrate our first Christmas together - ever - and our first Christmas as a married couple.

-Go to Oklahoma City to spend the end of December and New Years with my cousins.

2009:

-Turn 27. It seems old....getting awfully close to 30!

-Became a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

-Go to Charlotte, NC to visit with my friend Anna. We also visit my friend Cassie, who had a baby in April. So much fun!

-July: Matt gets his orders for a surprise deployment. Pretty crappy stuff, but at the time it seems so far away so I try to push it out of my mind.*

-Also July: Go on a Southern roadtrip with Lisa. We hit Charlotte, Charleston, Savannah, Tybee Island, Atlanta, Marietta, and Nashville...and have an amazing time!

-August: Start my second school year at my current wonderful job. My office moves into a closet. But I decorate it and fall in love with my tiny space.

-Matt starts his first semester of grad school and tries to concentrate on school instead of his deployment.

-Celebrate our first anniversary!!!

-We head to Michigan for my first Thanksgiving at home in several years.

-Spend Christmas with Matt's family before heading to Florida/Savannah/Nashville with my parents.

THE END! Wow. So much in my life has changed over the past ten years...I can only guess what the next ten years will bring. 10 years from now, I will hopefully be a mother, own a house in a place we will hopefully be semi-permanently, and...be almost 40. Yikes!

What I do not for sure is that this decade has been good to me, as I hope it has been for you. Happy 2010, internet friends!

*Deployment note: Not so far away anymore. Matt leaves two weeks from tomorrow. :(

Relief!

The Army HRC just called Matt...he got his educational deferment!!!  I am so relieved.  We both are.  His old report date was November 1st, and his commander gave him 77 days to finish the semester and have some time.  For real?  77 days?  Is that not a random Army number, or what?  

D-day is now January 17th.  156 days away.   

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted...it is just so much better having an actual date.  The not knowing was really getting to me.  Whew.  Another good thing - the deployment should be much shorter, as he's still joining the same unit.  Hopefully he'll only be gone from January to November-Decemberish.  

SO!  Whew.  That's that.  Are you new, and don't know what the hell I'm talking about?  You can read some background right here.  

Open Letter to my Blog Friends

Dear Blog Friends,

Thank you!  Thanks for all of your wonderful, supportive, encouraging comments to my post from last night.  I feel oh so warm and fuzzy inside.  To be honest, I think I felt so much better just writing that post, let alone getting all the fantastic support from you.  

I woke up this morning feeling really positive.  I mean, yeah, this whole deployment thing screws up our "plans" for school and life and whatever, but - plans can change.  Nothing is set in stone.  Whatever happens, I know that we will grow and mature and our marriage will only get stronger.  We can deal with the time apart - I mean, clearly it's not ideal, but it's not insurmountable.  And do I wish that Matt would be here for our first anniversary, the holidays, our birthdays, and our second anniversary?  Sure, of course I do.  But we have a gazillion more birthdays and anniversaries and holidays to celebrate when he gets home.  

I was a military girlfriend and then a military fiancee for years - no reason why I can't be a supportive wife as well, right?  It seems like now that we're getting into the details, it seems completely manageable.  And I refuse to be upset and unhappy for the next few months.  Instead, Matt and I will have a great time together!  Today, he met me at work and we went out to lunch and just walked around town for a bit.  I loved that we had a mid-day date - it seemed so special and fun.  

So.  I refuse to let the Army get the best of me!  I will not let them completely disrupt our lives, despite the fact that, you know, they are completely disrupting our lives!  :)  Instead, we will truly enjoy the time we have before Matt leaves.  And when he does leave, I will keep myself busy.  In fact, I'm already making a mental list of some projects/things to do!  Such as....

1. Organize the scary closet in the guest room (Matt joked that this will likely take 99% of the time he's gone)

2. Join the community orchestra

3. Take a yoga class

4. Learn how to cook lots of good stuff (and remember how to cook for one again)

5. Hang some photos in the apartment

6. Visit lots of friends - especially those in Chicago.  I have lots of friends there!

Well, there are some other things too, I just can't think of everything right now.  Matt and I also plan on going on a Mediterranean cruise when he gets home - we want to go to Spain, France, Italy, and Greece, at minimum.  So, I'm sure I'll busy myself by planning that trip, too.

Anyway,  just wanted to let you know that I think things will be okay.  And, I also wanted to let you know that Matt is okay with the deployment.  While he was active duty, he tried to transfer to a deployable unit three different times, all to no avail.  He originally enlisted in the Army so that he could deploy.  When it didn't happen, well...obviously, that was a disappointment.

Now that he has been recalled from IRR, he really feels that he would have rather been stoplossed.  It would have been much less disruptive - he would have deployed first, BEFORE applying to grad school, BEFORE moving to Indiana.  Yadda yadda.  But, overall, now that it is here, he is ready for the deployment and feels okay about the whole thing.  The main thing he is unhappy with is the length - he is fine with a deployment but just doesn't want to be gone for a year.  

SO, there's the rest of the info, I guess!  Some other, random, unrelated news:  I had to add word verification back to my comments.  I'm sorry.  But over the last couple of weeks, I have gotten a gazillion spam comments in...Japanese.  Blah.  Also, my "wedding ring dermatitis" is almost gone!  So, that's good.  My mom called it "ring rot."  Gross!

Well, I guess that's all for now.  Time to relax in front of the TV!  Happy Tuesday!