Some Days

I looked at the countdown today. I haven't been because it's been a little bit disheartening. But today I saw this:

201 days, 10 hrs, 35 mins, & 22 secs!

Some days my thoughts are: huh...that's not so bad! Almost in the 100s! That's over 1/3 there!

But some days my thoughts are: TWO HUNDRED DAYS!?! ACK! That's not really what I say. But it's nicer than "sh*t," which is what I say.

I want to cry, but what's that going to help? Some days I do anyway. Even though it doesn't help.

What helps? Wine. But it's 1pm. A Rascall Flatts special DVRd from the TV. That helped until the played some lovey song. But then my friend sent me a link to a website called "Why Did You Buy Me That?" and now I'm laughing my head off and I'm completely distracted! :)

thanks CGB!

http://whydidyoubuymethat.com

Fake Baby

I know you have been waiting all week for this post. I hope it does not disappoint. Here is a little background information so that you will be just as flabbergasted as I am! That's right, I used the word flabbergasted! :)

1. If you've been following along, you know that we have had quite a few ceremonies for Soldiers returning from Iraq. I may have mentioned (read: devoted a whole partial post to it) the sometimes super overcrowdedness of the joint.

2. If you are unfamiliar with the military here's a little lesson: A Battalion Command Sergeant Major is the highest enlisted rank, (with the exception of Sergeant Major of the Army and there is exactly ONE of those). While spouses do not, or should not "wear" their husband's rank, it is kind of important for them to not act like asses and set a bad example for younger/less experienced spouses. Like it or not, sometimes a younger/less experienced spouse will look to a more senior one for guidance about what type of behavior is acceptable at ceremonies.

3. Due to the overcrowdedness, Soldiers ushering people into the ceremonies have asked that people who do not have strollers and are not handicapped or elderly please take a seat on the bleachers on the 2nd or 3rd row or higher.

SO--here it is. One of the Battalion Sergeant Major's spouses proceeded to march herself right into the ceremony in which her husband returned with a stroller containing...a FAKE BABY! It was a ball with a blanket over it. That's right. Instead of just saying, "you know, I got here really early and I'd really like to go ahead and sit on the front row (even though my husband will be right out front of the group where the BN CSMs stand, and I won't have to search for him like many spouses will) so I'm going to do so," she decided to allow her children (10ish and 8ish) to SEE her straight up lying to flout the rules and get her way.

It is not as though anyone could have or would have physically removed her. She went to EVERY ceremony, so she knows that people sat on the front row without strollers. She just wanted to try to make a point. I've never seen such selfishness. Can you BELIEVE that!??!?

Incidentally, she is the same one who doesn't like that the chaplain ends his prayer with "In the name of the one who has and always will sustain us" --So she shouts "PRAISE THE LORD!"

Which would be totally fine if she was truly praising God. But she isn't. She is trying to make a point to the chaplain who she tried to tell how to pray.

REALLY?!?!?! Ugh.

Sardines/Mission Banner

Imma go ahead and make this just one post with several topics. And while it's not in the title, imma start with the slang "imma". I am not one who likes incorrect spelling or use of "text speak" in regular correspondence. I don't even care for text speak in text messages.

Urban dictionary says: Used in place of "I am going to..." Technically should be spelled i'mma but since this is a shortened version, we leave out the apostrophe!

and "imma", when used, implies either redneck blood, or an idiot.

At any rate, I have a love/hate relationship with this term. I guess the little bit of redneck idiot in me just can't help but love saying "Imma move on to the next topic."

Sardines. We are packed in that building we have the redeployment ceremonies in like sardines. For the smaller groups, 100-150 Soldiers, it's not so bad. But it starts to get pretty packed after that, and as more and more Soldiers came home, more and more came to the ceremonies to see their friends return. The second to last one, Wednesday night, was ridiculous. People wall to wall, and people standing in front of people who got there early enough to get seats. It was terrible! Tomorrow is the very last one. AND it has the colonel and command sergeant major. So although the # of Soldiers returning is a slight 100, the fact that 2600+ are already back, VIPs will want to be there to see the return of the COL/CSM, and its at a decent hour on a weekend...I fear we might be in the roll top can! But at least it is the VERY LAST ONE! Yaye!!

Last comment for today...a few ceremonies ago a lady had a banner that I thought was pretty cute. But pretty cute for putting up in our home. Not so much holding high in a ceremony also being attended by a few hundred people including elderly people and children. It said:

SPC Something

Your Next Mission

OPERATION GET NAKED!

and was held by a woman with a tshirt that read something like: it's about time you got back, now take care of your wife. ---something like that.

Cute, funny, clever? Yes, but not appropriate in that setting. In my opinion and that of many others who commented to me about it.

ok, I've saved the best for last. Tomorrow...FAKE BABY!

Redeployment Wardrobe

So, let's start with the word "Redeployment". Yes, I know it sounds like they are leaving again. It doesn't mean that. It means they are coming home from a deployment.

Now, on with the topic at hand. The wardrobe. They all do it. I'll do it. One told me she changed clothes 10 times trying to find the "right" outfit. This was days before the actual return because that would be disastrous on the DAY OF! There would need to be another shower, hair doing and makeup application! The spouse of our highest ranking officer in the unit said today she might see about finding a new top. She's done this MANY times. You just want to look your VERY best the first time you see him since R&R. It's a big deal and I get that. It will be a big deal to me.

What I don't get is wanting him (and the other few hundred people there to see your boobs before you can even get him home! These are relatively mild examples.

And this one's sporting boobs AND some serious Gothic attire w

ith her Goth friend!

Save the bra for the house!

Also, please do not wear your pajamas!

Yes, I know that this is a child. But she is too old to be wearing pajamas in public, and this ceremony was not in the middle of the night (it was at night, but not the middle of the night. She wasn't asleep and then dragged out of bed to attend.)

This photo will be important in a later post.

Some other very troubling things I saw, I am sure are on display on babies around the world at other times, but I haven't seen this many babies in this short a time...maybe ever!

Your child is beautiful. STOP distracting people with giant bows, puffs and wads of tulle and Army Combat Uniform material!

Ok, that's the end of the wardrobe rant.

I, of course, will be wearing the perfect outfit in October! :)

PS-I love this little one's outfit. There are a lot of kids dressed like this. I like it. :)

So Many Posts...So Little Time

I'm not eating right. I'm not sleeping right. But what I witness daily is exactly right. Today, 227 Soldiers came home to their families and friends. This was the 10th ceremony in 16 days. Saturday is the very last one. I cannot wait to sleep normal hours again. I cannot wait to go to the grocery store and start eating right so that I can wear something in Hawaii besides a moomoo! There are a lot of posts I've wanted to make over the past couple weeks. I hope to do that this weekend.

From my living room in my pajamas! :)

Posts to look forward to:

Fake Baby

Sardines

Mission Banner

Redeployment Wardrobe

okay, falling asleep writing this. see you soon.

Regarding Completely Dependent Spouse

I'd like to correct something here. I posted about some spouses I've been encountering, and this was one:

-Completely dependent. She speaks very little English, has no drivers license, and expects someone to pick her and her 3 children up and find some car seats for them, and transport them to the welcome home ceremony. What?!

This was what I was led to believe about one of our spouses. Turns out, she is from the Philippines, and is much more fluent in English than the person who has been her link to the Army throughout this deployment (a very nice, but very busy lady whose first language is Spanish and who is constantly volunteering for things and not following through). And no, she doesn't have a driver's license, but I'm not convinced that she doesn't have one in her country, or maybe she doesn't need one there. She DOES have car seats, but they are in storage and she didn't bring the ones she had been using at her family's house because she believed that she could get to her things in storage when she arrived to Fort Riley and that's not the case. She also never expected anyone to take her to the ceremony, the no-follow-through (NFL) spouse told her she would LOVE to take her and her kids and then decided that wasn't convenient for her and asked the FRG Leader to do it or figure out how to make it happen.

WELL, I had the honor of spending several hours on two separate days to work this out. It doesn't technically fall in my job description, but it needed to be taken care of, she lives RIGHT by me, it really was a no-brainer. I took her and her 2, 4 and 6 yr old boys to the ceremony in my car using the NFL spouse's car seats (on loan). This is one of the highlights of this redeployment for me. She was so sincerely grateful. Her boys were dressed in button up shirts with ties and sweater vests and she in a nice dress, very attractive but not slutty and not inappropriate AT all (some people don't make good decisions when choosing an outfit for their husband's return). She was ready when I arrived even though I was suppose to collect her at 10:30am, but we got a change of time at 3am and I called her at 8am to say I needed to pick her up at 9am. She was obviously very nervous when I told her I would be there in an hour, she was concerned she couldn't get everyone ready. But she worked it out.

All the way there we visited about the Army and military spouse life. She and her husband are going to Germany from here, to Heidelberg, just down the road from where we were in Mannheim. She told me all about the Philippines and we were in agreement in our dislike for Kansas weather.

At the ceremony she cried, the boys cried, the Soldier cried, I cried. Her Soldier was so glad she was there, but never in a million years expected people to go out of their way and make it happen. Everyone was happy. It was a good day to be an FRSA.

FRSA=Family Readiness Support Assistant. For those who aren't following along. :)

THAT Spouse

Friends, family and distinguished guests:

PLEASE do not let me be "that spouse". You know the one, or maybe if you are not familiar with the military you do not know the one. Let me explain...

There are actually several I am currently dealing with. They are:

--Completely dependent. She speaks very little English, has no drivers license, and expects someone to pick her and her 3 children up and find some car seats for them, and transport them to the welcome home ceremony. What?!

Know-it-all. She leaves these kinds of comments on the facebook page:
--OK can someone please explain, just got a call saying Main Body 3 is coming at 0530 hrs Monday, now this says 1200 hrs? Can someone please let me know which is correct!!
--I sure wish they would make up their mind, too many different times going around!!
--no my husband is on MB3 and it hasn't happend yet, they just keep tellin different people different times, just talked to my frg leader and she said 530 monday morning for MB3
--Well, just want to say, the hotline says 1200 hrs for mb3 so same as here but I sure hope that they clarify and have people call people back cause with this much misinformation going around someone is going to miss the ceremony. My question is, If I went by what I was told on my phone call and didn't have facebook, how would I know? Technology is great, but we can not rely on facebook for something this important!!!
--OK, its either 1200 hrs or 1230 hrs. and i am sure it will change fourteen times between now and then!!! Just want it over and them home. I know that everyone on Rear D!, and Karin and FRG people are crazy, just know we are venting and going crazy too!!
Someone else says:
--That is why we have the hotline number for people who dont have Facebook...
**Back to Know it all**
--This is not my first deployment its my fourth and I am not fussing at anyone particularly. I just personally feel that although initially the hotline sounded like a good idea at first and this sounded good at first that i much rather they wait till 24 hours ahead till when they are pretty definate about the time and day and call. Call me old school but regardless of what the hotline says or what it says on here, until I get a call I might as well be clueless.
**Little bit of redeeming posting**
William, Thank you for working hard. I do know how often it changes.
--I dont know for sure about mB5 but since 4 comes tomorrow 5 wont be far behind i would say wed or thurs at the latest
(and just so you know, this was ALL posted over 24 hrs prior to the arrival of MB 3 or MB4. So it isn't as though it was all changing at the last minute!)

Then, there is the "Always-Gotta-Be-Bitching-About-Something one:
--Whoo hoo can't wait for MB3. The ceremony was great but I thought at the end you say dismissed not released. The Soldiers don't know what to do when u say release. Please say "dismissed" so the Soldiers know. Thanks. Welcome Home everyone.
**Really? Because they don't know what to do?!?!? *eye roll*

and same one...
--Jaime I am with you. I received my phone call on Thursday and he is not coming home until Monday. I would of rather had a phone call 24-30 hours prior then this 4 days ahead of time stuff and then you sit and wait and then it changes again and again. At least when its 24 hours prior it is pretty much set in stone. This is ridiculous!!!

She meant "would HAVE, not would of..." Well, honey, some people come in from out of town and need to know as best we can speculate, understanding that things may change.

**and regarding the small space that the ceremony is in:
If you are looking at these pictures on FB, they do not do it justice. There is not a lot of room in here, so please bring as little as possible to the ceremony. I have been to all of them **all two that had been there before this message was posted** so far and the flights are going to get bigger (not true, many will be smaller than the one Monday) and there will be wall to wall people. At the last ceremony on Monday morning, we had 230 Soldiers and all their families and we had people sitting on the floor,standing behind the flags that are behind the Soldiers so please be courteous and leave strollers at home, just bring the bare minimum. So this is just a suggestion coming from someone who has been to all the ceremonies so far. **all TWO** Strollers are a safety hazard. People might trip on them or drop something or fall on them. So please just bring what you need that way there is more seating for everyone. Thank you.

** back pedal since someone checked with the command and was assured that strollers were fine!**
Bringing strollers is fine, because you will have to walk to the building from across the street and stuff, but I would leave them outside so it is not such a hazard to everyone. When they release the Soldiers, everyone races down on the floor and we don't want people to trip over strollers and stuff. We do need a bigger building.
Its ok to bring strollers, I was just making a suggestion due to safety. Lots of people bring them in. I was just making a suggestion because the building is small, and when they release the Soldiers and people come flying off of the bleechers and stuff, thats all. I would just bring in as little as possible or what works for you like Kirsten said above. I am just glad that they are coming home and this will all be over very soon.

----

Sorry, I got carried away with the facebook ridiculousness. I just don't understand why people have to get all freaked out and spun up when this should be a happy occasion!

Also...I won't copy and paste them all, but when you are moving nearly 3,000 people across the planet, there WILL be changes in arrivals, there WILL be odd times of the morning, and there WILL be some hiccups. Don't be that spouse. The one who wants to know WHY IS MY HUSBAND's arrival ceremony in the middle of the night?!? The next time I see that I am going to make a fake FB identity and post "because, it is ALL about you and we know you don't want to deal with a middle of the night ceremony so the entire brigade conspired against YOU!" I can't understand these people. Also, don't be the "wth" person or the "1015? That BLOWS!" person. Really? 1015 is midmorning! That's the BEST TIME GOING!
OR, the FRG leaders or others who "just go to all the ceremonies to support the unit" and then bitch the entire time about this, that or the other. Then DON'T GO! You aren't being supportive!

I guess it's okay to be the one who bitches about everyone else. Apparently, I am THAT spouse!

:)

Winter

And a few more...

My cool snowboots

Snow in the backyard

Table decorations at the Women's Conference

Making fleece blankets for returning Single Soldiers and Geographical Bachelors

Snow drift that reached 2 ft!

Snow downtown

Sorry for the panties and the sad looking tat. The point of the photo is that I was crouched down on the floor playing with the cat, she went around behind me and then decided to jump over me, using my back as a springboard!

Kitty covets my hot chocolate!

Recent Photos

As you may have figured out...I've stopped doing the photo a day. It's just not working out. But here are a few I've taken recently for your viewing pleasure:

Heroes of the Silent Ranks

There are a few people in every situation you face that make you feel a little less alone and enable you to have a little more of that "if you can do this, I can do this" spirit. My newest hero of the military spouse life is Mollie Gross.

Go ahead, Google her and watch a couple of her youtube videos. She's hilarious! She is a Marine spouse, and a stand up comedian. When her husband deployed the first time, she took some classes and workshops, perfected her craft, and now she tours around making the rest of us laugh at things that at times might make us cry.

She came to give the closing remarks at the Ft Riley Women's Conference, and that evening did her stand up show. It was the best $10 I've spent in a long time. And that was dinner AND the show! I also bought her book and cd (because I wanted them and because I'm all about supporting another military spouse!)

Thanks, for the laughs Mollie!