gone again

I was asked if I had stopped blogging.. no, I haven't, but it has been a hell of a week or so. First, and most important, he's OUT of the Litterbox. After a hot couple days on the good side of the berm he called me from the first stop in the USA, having the now traditional lobster roll... it was breakfast this time. Then to the place where they were supposed to only be for a week... that's where it all began to go pear shaped. We had all been assured that the reintegration work would go on 24/7, no break for the 4th. So we didn't make plans, except some of us planned to work and make some extra $$. then....the first call - hey, we're getting a 24 hour pass, want to come down? well.. duh. So a friend of mine and I made plans to drive down, this was to be our 4th of July freedom date! We made reservations. (oh and when the folks at work found out, they called the hotel and paid for the room!) about 5 hours later... nope, we are getting a 3 day pass...but... (uh oh) it appears that we are going to be helping everyone else through the redeployment..... another 3 weeks or more. So cancelled the reservations. Friend drove down and picked them up, big reunion... in the parking lot of Caribou Coffee... no band, no flags... but he's THERE!

Here we segue into the work situation. I told the boss he was coming home and that we were going to be going to visit the grandbaby...so there was my last day, right? when this 3 week thing came up, I said I was available.... everyone at work was happy, except the boss, who had maintained that my last day is set, and he won't deviate from that, to the despair of some of my co workers. Then the monster brief from hell necessitated my working on two of the three days he was on pass, I had promised I would be there, and since 1/2 the office was off, I couldn't find anyone to take over..... I'm a contract employee and if I don't work, I don't get paid. It would have been great to have something to do for the next 3 weeks while waiting for him to be DONE with this deployment all together, and been able to save more $$. Thank goodness I hadn't made any plane reservations. Cancelled the hotel and the car for our grandbaby visit.

OK, I know, I should be and AM very grateful to have him back safely. But dammit... how many more goodbyes do we have to say! Everyone else will come back, flags and bunting and hooorah. and our guys, will come back in the POVs they drove back with this morning, after spending 3 weeks doing not much more than sheparding the returnees through the maze of redeployment and while the new groups go home to their families, turning around and helping another group through. ok, so I'm whiny this time. get over it.

And I will. but why is it "first in" has to be last out? Granted, he's safe, but living in barracks and eating mess hall food still... oh, LAW, shut up and get over it. I will... but I maintain that today, I'm gonna sulk.

LAW