Miz Ann has company

Molly Ivins, one of those amazing writers who could make me cry and laugh hysterically at the same time, died today. No one I know could skewer our political world quite as well, with wonderful little "texass-isms" and when she and Gov Ann Richards got together on stage, it was a laugh riot, that still made you think. How sad that both are gone, but I betcha the party is in full swing wherever they are (Valhalla? Paradise??) My grandmother always said she didn't want to go to heaven, her entire bridge club was surely going to hell since they cheated, and she didn't want to be bored.

We rattled a few cages about orders (see another post below) and we finally finally got an answer. AT LEAST 30 days. this is going to hurt a lot of people. but hey, why bother themselves about us. we are just the little yutzes, the families that the DoD really would rather not have to deal with (the old adage, "if we wanted you to have a wife, soldier, we would have issued you one" is still the mind set!) Our State command is promising to get it all done as fast as they can. but... we've been in this position before. Went 7 weeks without pay once. So I'll believe it when I see it. one good thing, finally found out who my rear det person is. The one at our old company, still hasn't responded to requests for information, but then she doesn't like families either. My new one, as soon as he got the email, was right there, answering me.

the temp is about to hit bottom. the high on Friday is supposed to be -1.... Saturday even lower. and that's without windchill! So, I think I'll just stay in (except for my massage, it would have to rain snakes for me to miss that!) but otherwise, I'll stay in, keep the woodstove roaring and maybe get more baking done.

so, friends and neighbours, remember Molly with a smile, think of the troops overseas and their families at home, and stay warm!!

Nothing specific, really

From The Chief.... A little humour from the troops!



Anyway... it's been a long few days.. at work the boss, bless his little heart has gotten a few more bees in his bonnet, which results in a lot of research and running around. But today he actually took my advice about a case. Nice to know that he respects my opinion.

Right now, I am paring down my life a bit. I have decided not to comment on another site I was often on, they upset me too much, and my mental equilibrium is rocky, at best. I was on another blog today, and that particular blogger, who is another military wife from the Brigade, is taking time away from her blog. I don't want to do that here, it's a nice quiet way to talk to my friends. I find getting on the phone too much some days, it's easier to keyboard. Besides, I have to talk at work a lot, and when I get home, it's sometimes a bit much.

A little peace and quiet. That's hard to come by! the long commute is noisy, downtown is constant noise... and the dog is so nuts right now, chases the cat and really does need a good long walk! but it's too cold, icy and dark when I get home! my dear neighbour is not going to be working outside the home for a while, so she can let the monster out during the day and play some B-A-L-L (we don't say the word...) that could calm her down.

Well, friends, I may not get on as often, unless a lot happens in the next little while. And I am hoping it doesn't. As I always tell the Chief, quiet is good.

LAW

ok, so now what?

That was the question I heard a lot yesterday at a seminar I attended. It was supposed to be about reunion. But a lot of time was spent on extension. Many of us have questions, like where are the damned orders? Without orders, you can't do anything! For the civilians amongst you, Orders are something akin to the Grail. We need them to get new ID cards, to send to the student loan people to continue the deferment, to send to credit card companies, to the mortgage company and rental companies. Basically, we aren't "officially" extended until we get those.. Last time I asked (this morning) DH told me they hadn't been issued yet. Now c'mon, all they have to do is change a couple of dates in the computer... sheeeeeesh.

The seminar was run by Karen Pavlicin. For those deployed, for those about to be, and for those who may be, her books are great, lots of ideas, for people with and without kids. Lists too, for those like me who like having a list to check off.....

It's snowing.. and it's quiet, that quiet when it's snowing, everything is hiding and everyone is off the roads (it's sunday morning, so either they are in church, or sleeping, or having breakfast) I should be cleaning or baking, or something.

Time to get on with "the next chapter" as Karen called it.

LAW

Lack of respect from the cold hearted bastards

The extension is beginning to sink in. This has sucked massively. The dear Pentagon decided to "leak" the news, before letting our command structure know, including the General or the Governor! The families weren't notified by command, (since they didn't know) and we found out by listening to the radio, watching TV, the internet.... Me, I was driving home, almost put the car in a ditch! screamed, cried, cursed all the way home. Then watched that insane, delusional, head up his butt speech that Shrub gave. AND then he decided to tie 9/11 and Iraq together again.... stupid little man. After that, DH got online. We were IMing, with our web cams going.... and I realized he didn't know!!!! Thaaaats right folks... the troops weren't told by their command (since, once again, the command structure didn't know, and it was midnight their time) most of them found out from their family's emails and phone calls. So there I sat... saying things like .... check the news.... you were right.... trying NOT to say, you got extended... He read it on the internet, from the AP. Don't you think it should have been done in a much more professional manner? Don't you think the Pentagon should have done this in a proper military chain of command?

Somehow this made it all worse... the lack of respect that we were treated with, the lack of respect that the troops and our command structure were treated with... After all these years of being an Army Wife, you would have thought that I would be used to it. But I'm not. Just offended, angered and hurt.

LAW

Extended

A word no one wanted to hear. We have been notified that the Brigade has been extended in Iraq for a so far non determined length of time. I'm too angry, too pissed off, and too sad to write more.

LAW

R&R was great, but too short

Two weeks flew by. Absolutely FLEW by. From the beginning: DH arrived in the middle of the day, very very tired after all that flying from the litterbox. We were very lucky that he didn't have to sit in Kuwait for a long time, as did a friend of ours. The next day, even though I was expecting him to want to just sit and rest, we did shopping! Toys R Us... noisy toys, he was trying everything and only noisy ( and educational) got picked. The big Denver Storm #1 was going on, so when we went to pick up the car at the rental agency, we were happy to get a 4WD. Jeep Liberty, ok, but can anyone tell me WHY they only have one cup holder up front? Left for Denver, stopped at a great B&B in Lincoln NE, and were told the road from North Platte was closed. the next morning, it was "open"... glad we had the 4WD.

Then Granpa got to see his granddaughter for the first time. and they had a great time together... their own language even... and the noisy toys were a great success. the hotel we stayed at was lovely but was a businessman's hotel, so breakfast and internet weren't free, but the rate was super since they were empty for the holiday, and after everyone was able to get out of Denver finally! the roads were ok, but the side streets were lousy. We got to take her outside to see snow... NOT impressed at all. Lasagna eating was a lot more fun, messy but fun. Leaving was difficult, we hated saying goodbye to myrtle turtle, but there was another storm heading in.

Driving back.. the smell of Kansas and Nebraska and parts of Iowa... cow, lots of cow! peeeeeehew. then we spent the last few days of leave doing not much of anything. Baked a little, cooked a lot, he cut a bunch of wood for the burner. We spent time, just talking. and the dog enjoyed herself, the cat deigned to allow him to pet him...

And I took him to the airport this morning. The crappy part of leave, the part that hurts. another three months, so they say. I'll believe it when I see him step off the bus. Those of you who have been through this, you know how I feel right now. It was wonderful to see him, talk to him, touch him, but now it's almost worse than before!

So, back to the long wait, the alone.

LAW