Or maybe just plain weird.
Twice now, our landlady has come by and let us know that a realtor will be showing the house. Twice now, it has been "in a few minutes." Like less than 20. We don't live in squalor. However, just now, we had to pick up some things (remember, we are also in the middle of packing our house) I had to drain the tub because I was doing a little pedicure for myself, we threw some clothes in the hamper, some dishes in the sink and stacked up some things that were being sorted in piles.
The last time this happened, we were quite literally sitting down to eat dinner. It was 6pm. In fairness, they eat dinner (of hard bread, butter and some cold cuts/scary meat) at about 8-9pm, so it probably did not occur to them that we might be about to eat. No big deal, we just ate while the people were touring the house. They have been very nice about it, but it's still irritating. Maybe a day's notice? Would that be asking too much? An hour, then? I dunno.
Whatever. We're out this house in 63 days!
I just don't seem to have anything to say! I went to an all day scrapbook event yesterday, but feel I need some finishing touches on all the pages I did, so I don't want to post them here yet. Been spending most days looking all around the house at different things and making mental notes about what needs to be purged, packed or used up! One month before the real packing begins!
Perhaps I'll have some riveting post material soon!
Have you ever seen that Seinfeld episode where George and Jerry are discussing whether Holland is the Netherlands or is part of the Netherlands and either way, then who are the Dutch? Well...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland
The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are actually two of its twelve provinces (see terminology of "the Netherlands"). The word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything appertaining to the Netherlands.
So, per wikipedia, there you have it.
At any rate, we spent Thurs-Sat in Leiden, Holland. We drove Friday to Keukenhof, the world's largest flower garden. It was incredible. That afternoon we walked around Haarlem, a suburb of Amsterdam, and then to the coast to dip our fingers in the North Sea. It was ridiculously windy, so we didn't stay long at the beach. Later, we went into downtown Leiden for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. It was really good! Saturday we went to neighboring city Den Haag (the Hague), to the M.C. Escher museum, and the Mauritshuis Museum where we saw works by Rembrant and Vermeer among others. After the museums, we went to a market. I had hoped it would be a touristy thing, but it was more like a flea market. We didn't stay long.
After Den Haag, we drove up to Amsterdam and walked all over the city, saw the coffeehouses, the "red light" district, and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. Sunday we drove back to Burstadt.
I loved the Holland landscape. Patures of cattle (dairy farming is a main agricultural business) as far as your eyes can see, flowers, windmills all felt somehow comforting. Peaceful. Country.
I'm working on some pictures. Hope to have them up soon.
We're out of town for the weekend!
Be back on the blog Sunday or Monday...
love~h&s
TIMELINE:
We went to a Levy Briefing yesterday. This is where they give you your orders, and tell you what all you have to do before you leave the country. Over the next week or so we have to make appts to do the following:
Ship truck (mid June)
Ship household goods, that's furniture, appliances, dishes, etc that we'd like in 2 months (mid June)
Ship hold baggage, that is our clothes, and things we'd like in 5-6 weeks (mid July)
Clear out of house and move to on post guest house (July 28-Aug 8) already reserved
Govt furniture pickup from our house (by July 31)
Clear out of house July 31
Sell Hooptie
**FLY AUGUST 7**
all of these are rough estimates.
We will fly directly to Kansas City. There was some discussion about whether we would first go to Texas to visit, but the truth is that we will be living out of suitcases for a month minimum as it is. If we do visiting before we secure some housing, we'll be stressing the whole time about where we'll live when we finally get there. So the plan now is to fly to KC, find a place to live, hope the truck has arrived, get it, etc., and then do some visiting with family and friends.
Things are happening!!
We had a table outside where the Soldiers walked by and picked up water, a sack lunch, religious materials, and a couple of goody bags. We got a little giggle at the difference between bags prepared by other Soldiers, and bags prepared by FRG ladies...
And here is the current 7th TTSB commander, COL B, with a previous brigade commander, Major General Susan Lawrence. She is now stationed in AZ at Ft Huachuca, but was with us for the send off.
This morning (left the house at THREE TWENTY A.M.!) we sent 21 Soldiers to Afghanistan with love and hugs; prayers and sack lunches; our hearts and goody bags complete with antibacterial soap and handi wipes!
Some of these Soldiers I don't know very well. Some of them I've known a year. A couple even longer than that. Many of them had families there hugging and waving. Some are single and did not, but they had buddies and peers and mentors and us (the FRG) to love them.
Just a few that I am already missing: SPC N is a top notch Soldier. He has some funny little quirks. He's awesome. SGT G is a man who can get things and get things done. Kind of in the Morgan Freeman Shawshank Redemption way, but more just plain ol willing to help someone else whether he has nothing at all to do, or a list down his arm. And actually, I've never ever seen him with nothing at all to do! SGT Y is my down-the-hall-weather guy. He sends out the weather report each week and I usually give him a hard time if I either don't like the forecast or it turns out to be incorrect. He's from NY or NJ or CT or something. He likes the cold and snow. We don't see eye to eye on the weather. LT H is the only female on the bus. We got to know each other a little better during the planning of the ball a couple months ago. COL B, the commander. He's a wonderful, friendly, caring and sweet man. He looked me in my eyes, holding both my shoulders firmly and thanked me for the things I do for his Soldiers and their families. I was just-a boo-hooin. (but not ugly!) He smiled and hugged me and kissed my cheek and said, "don't cry. Keep doing what you do."
I would not have missed this day for anything. These are my Soldiers. But I don't know how I'm going to manage it when/if it is MY Soldier. I watched the families today, and will watch again when we send the others. Some prefer to say goodbye at home. There were a few to make that choice. Everyone just has to do it the best way they know how for their families. Some parents go all the way to the bus but not kids, some whole families go, some say private goodbyes at home, or go for a while, but leave before the vision of the waving from the window is the last one they have for a year. However they decide to handle it, they handle it. With exhaustion and sadness; excitement and a little bit of fear; with pride and love.
I'm beginning to lose my focus. I need to call it a day. I don't think I've ever left at noon having worked a full day! But today I did, and the Rear Detachment Soldiers, Main Body and Trail Party Soldiers, and FRG volunteers did, too. We wouldn't have had it any other way.
The next group will go soon. And that will also suck.
-photos later-
