Ta Daaaaah!

Orders............. are in! Well, in the system at any rate. This is a great relief to all of us. Planning for the BBQ they are having over in the Litterbox, actually two of them. One on each base that troops from our unit call home. Silly decorations, Rice Krispy treats and chocolate crispies are the favourite sweet treat, then we'll send some salty stuff too. Any of you have any ideas?

Not much else new, the snow is melting rapidly, all 30 inches! By Sunday all the sunny spots will be clear, and the mud will be everywhere. My dog, who is a real twit, hates mud. Finicky! and she's fun to watch when she picks her way across the gravel/mud driveway.

stay warm and dry.

LAW

Frustration!

Orders... still no damned orders. I have heard 5 different stories, from 5 different people. Why do the powers that be think that they can keep treating us with this level of disdain. We keep hearing that they are supporting the troops and their families. Is this how they show their high regard for us? the frustration level here is high. I find myself sniping at DH, very short tempered with others... and I want off this hamster wheel. We are all exhausted, angry, sick at heart, frustrated and furious that we are being swept under the rug again. This "surge" has done a great deal of damage to us all, the National Guard, the Army in total, the families trying to survive back here. At a recent seminar, I was told by one woman that her husband is glad to be staying there to accomplish the mission. I fail to understand why any man would say that to his family, he'd rather be there than with them. DH said he'd like to meet the guy, no one he knows is saying anything like that. They are working 14 hour days, and are so tired. This is a bad month, they were supposed to begin leaving in the next couple of weeks. So the Governor goes over and makes speeches and gets his picture taken with them, helmet on!! whoopdeedoo.

It's been a bad day.

LAW

Why does it matter!

I have been doing a lot of reading online about the Walter Reed debacle, as well as the mainstream media. What has amazed me is the anxiety and anger among some in the military and the families at WHO released the news. Alright, it was the Washington Post! so WHAT!! Can we get angry about what was reported, not who reported it? I wish they had published it sooner, that they hadn't waited 4 months to do so. But they did it. Yes, Andi, you are right, this information has been reported and reported, and told and retold to the chain of command. nothing happened! Same old, same old. Those of us in the military family know that we will often hear "we've always done it this way"..."it's someone else's fault"... "not in my purview".... "not my responsibilty".... To get rid of something bad, you need to put a bright light on it, a bit like getting rid of mould! Bleach, sunshine and fresh air. In this country, the media is used to shed light.

I honestly don't care if it was the Washington Post, Lehrer, or Letterman. I'm glad that the great American public finally is getting some idea of what is going on.

UPDATE: now the venerable Times of London has reported on the Walter Reed matter. Does this make it better? or is that paper also too "liberal" "anti military"...? Again. I don't care, as long as the problems are addressed


Secretary Harvey should have been gone a long time ago, but I assume the former SecDef liked his Yes man attitude. His decision to put General Kiley back in command... absolutely ridiculous ! This is the man who was in charge of the place for over 3 years, I could not believe his head up the butt statement that there are rats there because the soldiers brought food in. Blame the victims, that's just way too "raise the drawbridge and hunker down". I am relieved that he will not be back. His attitude was symbolic of the old Army way, that we have been told is no longer SOP. Of course I know that this is going to take a hell of a long time to fix, that the mould and such were the easy fixes. I'm not so foolish as to think that the sea of bureaucracy and forms and boards of review are just going to go away. But just maybe, this is a first step.

Let's forget about who gave us the news, let's try to fix the problem.

LAW

p.s. No orders yet....

BLIZZARD!

It's snowing again, but this time it's sideways! blowing like crazy and piling up quickly I'm very glad I stayed home today. Brought work home, thinking ahead for a change. Just went out for some wood for the little woodstove, and was really glad I had the guy dump it just outside the back door. Almost got blown off my feet.

otherwise... not much. trying my new glasses, and I feel like my eyes are being rotated! this is the second pair, the first were completely wrong, and I'm beginning to think these are too. getting a bit cranky about this.

JJ the cat (full name: J. Bertram Feline... hey, not my idea! ) has discovered cat nip. Last night he was stoned! I am trying to get him to use a new scratching pad, and put a little bit of catnip on it. He hasn't scratched it just rubbed himself over it, and licked it... and is just goofy. Even the dog is staring at him, she can't believe it either.

stay safe, stay warm, and if you are in this area... Stay Home!

LAW

It finally snowed.

This is taken out of the spare room window. When we planted those pines, the were about 18 inches high, if that. Now, they are at least 7 feet high, if not higher. Time flies. We finally got snow, thirteen inches so far. I was luckily plowed out by my very nice neighbour who did my driveway earlier this afternoon. Last night, it was so nasty, I literally had to yank the dog out of the door to do what she needed to do, she tried not to go into the blizzard.

Talked to DH this morning. Not much new or at least nothing he's going to tell me about. Talked to son the other night, seems the perfect child may have taken a couple of steps by herself. I told them, I need film of this amazing feat!

take care. stay in touch.

LAW

You MUST go to the site I have linked.

She wrote the post I wanted to right here

I challenge MY readers too. We have to do something to help the wounded. We have been screaming for a long time, out in the middle of nowhere. NOW that the Washington Post exposed what a lot of us feared was happening, maybe someone will wake up. Definitely go to Chuck's site that she links to. you will be stunned. absolutely stunned.

So do something, say something, write a letter, contribute to one of the sites she links you to, volunteer at YOUR VA or military hospital. But how we cure the bureaucracy.... now that's something we need to figure out too. but that's gonna take changing the law!

LAW

Various and Sundry Blatherings

Yahoo! I woke up and it was over 5 degrees (and that was above zero). After the last few weeks of below zero every night and barely above during the day, this is wonderful. I keep thinking, this will make moving away much easier. But watching the poor dog doing the frosty paws dance is rather fun.

Let's see. what else. Oh yes, going to buy an elliptical this weekend. Not one of those cheapo's either. I tried belonging to the Y downtown. but not exactly a wonderful experience, the classes were ok, but when I got used to one teacher, they replaced her with a terrible one, the music was horrible... then waiting in line for machines, took up alot of my lunch hour (and a half) showering in the large shower rooms.. no I didn't like that either. I was rushed the entire time, and then I had to make up the time at work. In the summer that wasn't so bad, but when the sun isn't up until after seven am, and goes down around 4 pm. I ended up feeling like a mole! So after consulting with the DH, doing a lot of research, (yay, consumer reports!!) I made the choice. Now it's just a matter of gritting my teeth, writing the cheque and getting it delivered. I really hate spending that much!

Today is massage day! yay! my massage therapist's kids play hockey, and every other weekend is hers to go from hockey game to hockey game. but the other weekend I get to go and have her work out the knots.

Good grief, this is a very ME ME ME post, isn't it?

DH is fine, thank you. very busy. Son emailed, told me grand daughter (the most perfect baby in the universe) loves spaghetti, or at least makes a lot of mess out of it! they seem to be fine, busy as is usual for a young working couple with a baby. Wish I could see her a lot more, but that's just not possible right now. maybe this summer.

a little political blather as well... I posted something on a blog that I had left. They had asked me not to leave, lots of Oh, we need your point of view,etc.... So I posted, about a Guardsman who was being buried the next week. Two comments... two. Now they know why I don't post there anymore. Bringing real life into the mix scares them spitless. When one debates escoteric matters, without getting ones hands dirty (metaphorically) they are just fine. But let it be real life.... oh no... too real. They live in their own little world and heaven forbid reality intrude! my my my. as someone near and dear said "just a buncha REMFs"

so... end the MEME post. Political one next, probably. but that will be a rant!

have a wonderful weekend. stay dry, warm, and safe

LAW

Happy V Day

Happy Valentine's Day! to those whose sweetheart is deployed.... to those who are sitting alone, watching tv.. and who are so glad this "holiday" is over. One more cutesy commercial of two lovers cuddling up while a little stuffed animal babbles, I think I'll snap. but it was funny watching the frantic grabs at the waaaay overpriced flowers at the little florist shops in the skyway today.. the little sweet shop (that carried chocolate thongs!!) was so full they were spilling out the door.. the card store was jammed. I got roses from DH at work, brought most of them home, but left two in a bud vase at work. And it's still cold! someone said it's lucky we don't have any snow, although quite honestly, I could use a snow day! a good excuse not to go to work.

So for those of you who have your honey around, cuddle up and stay warm.

Still cold

yeah, still colder than hell. yikes. even the dog is getting crabby about it.... doing the little frosty paws dance. course, since she decided to eat part of her bed again last night (no, I don't know why she does that!) she's needing to go out alot.. sorry more information than you need.

went to lunch with a very cool lady, who understands! A lot. She's another "old warhorse" (Sorry, LA, we ARE!!) been around the army since forever. and none of this put the flag pole up your arse, and drink the koolaid, follow the caissons crapola. Felt great... but the waitress was starting to wonder about us... loooooooong lunch!

A family member of my dear neighbour had a bad accident, so keep a good thought for him, ok? and another dear friend has a new broadband set up, so she's gonna be burning up the Net! AND even better, an old old friend of ours is out of Afghanistan!!!!! yay. He should be home in the next couple of days. I'm soooooo happy for him, and his family must be absolutely over the moon.

Don't want to write about anything negative today. so..... that's about it.

OH, go here... http://www.thestar.com/News/article/180331 let me know how you feel about it!

stay warm.

LAW

Cold! Cold! Oh it's colder than ....... that too!

Yes, my dear friends. -27 yesterday morning, with the windchill, -40 something. It was brutal, and nasty and miserable. Why am I here!

This past weekend has been mizzable. Dog got sick, coughing gagging... keeping me up all night. No sleep, means migraine. The only good thing... the massage. My massage therapist has an electric blanket under the sheet on top of the very soft mattress... sigh. What a lovely way to get warm.

A bunch of us on SpouseBuzz were discussing the fact that everytime you PCS (move in civilian speak "Permanent Change of Station) you lose the hairdresser/cutter that you finally found that did a great job. For me, we'll have to add my Massage Therapist. She is wonderful. great hands, she can really get deep or be very gentle, relax or charge up. DH found her, and misses her in the Sand.

Otherwise. still no orders, of course. next......

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

Heartbreaking week

We buried three young men this week. three. another is lying in a hospital, without his legs, with his young wife holding his injured hands. So while we are happy the architect of this insanity is gone, it was wrong. wrong that he got a huge parade, wrong that we were told that this jackass son of a bitch was the "greatest Secretary of Defense ever". Wrong that he will make millions from books, wrong that he'll be treated like some conquering hero by the idiots that will have him speak at their conventions, as a "visiting expert". But then I have to consider the source of that head up his ass quote. Deadeye Dick.. another loser. They needed to be at the funerals, they needed to be looking in the eyes of those mothers, that young wife, the brothers and sisters. I hope he chokes on all the praise, and I just have to remember, what goes around comes around. If there really is karma, he will suffer. and then I get to stand there and say something as stupid as.... we go to war with the army we have. Hate?? oh yeah.

Yippee!!! Hot Damn!

gone gone gone... yay!!! I am so happy that Rummy is gone gone gone. or at least on his way out. Maybe now the men and women in uniform will be treated with the respect they deserve, the Generals wil be treated less like whipping boys and more like the experts in war most of them are. His attitude, his arrogance and disdain for the troops was very obvious.... "we go to war with the army we have..." jackass. When he talked about mean and lean, the kid was in Baghdad or somewhere in the neighbourhood (he didn't tell me a lot). I remember talking to him, he told me "mean and lean? yeah, fine, come on over here, we'll show ya mean.."

We have had quite a day! The Dems are in charge of the House, and the Senate in Minnesota... our Governor is still the Repub, but I really disliked the jerk who ran for Democrat (I used to work for the creep)the Repub isn't a bad guy. Now if we can just kick them all in the butt to get something DONE! instead of all the stupid posturing and dumb ideas.

Hope your candidate won!

LAW

MINE!

No, I'm not channeling a two year old. After seeing a tempest in a teapot at another blog, I have decided to make this announcement very very clear. This is MY blog. This is where I get to say whatever I want to say. I try very hard not to offend too many people. but that is strictly my call, the good manners that my mother worked very hard to teach me, and what Linda Ellerbee just called civil discourse. But if you are offended by what I say, don't read it. Or feel free to argue with me! be polite, if you know how to be, be respectful and fair.

There are some who find that what I say is somehow traitorous and that I am hurting the morale of the troops. Those troops that I know have read it, don't find that at all, and since they are the only ones whose opinion on my "traitorous" ideas I give two hoots about, that's the end of that topic.

To those who decided that somehow talking about supporting and being a different type of person, namely an Army wife, is somehow "picking a fight" because I didn't agree with your point of view (civilian) ..... get a life, get a grip. and while we are on the subject of being said Army Wife, to have your anger at ridiculous statements like "why do you LET him do whatever the Army says" or even the truly moronic "don't let him kill anyone" be compared to someone's annoyance at the silly statements about having an overdue baby..... may I say that comparison is truly the most moronic, head up your ass, fatuous statement I have heard in a long time. There, THAT'S picking a fight. go for it. but be careful. This is MY space, my place and I'll decide if you get to talk here.

Dear readers; I am not writing for you or for anyone but myself. I won't deny I get chuffed when someone reads what I write and says they like it. I even get a charge when someone says they DON'T like it.. after all, they at least read it. If I end up writing for just myself... fine and dandy. At least I'm writing, I'm not screaming.

There... said it. May I say (yes, I may) that is a big relief.

talk to you later.

I will, I mean it!

the very next person that says "oh you are on the downhill slope of the deployment" and "you must be so happy this is almost over".... I will pull their lungs out through their nose... honest... with a SPOOOOON!

no, it's NOT almost over, we have another 5 months. and who the hell decided that the first 6 months were worse than the last? Who, tell me. And I'll beat that one with a 2x4. Maybe it's just that we are so tired of it all, we are so tired of the waiting to see the next name on the list, we are so sick of the being alone, the running for the phone just in case, the hoping for an email, the being scared when you look at the paper, taking care of everything...

To be honest, I don't think they think at all! the "they"... those meaning-to-be-nice civilians. NO, I'm not a civilian. I'm an Army Wife. That's a totally different animal. I speak a different language from those "normal" people. I have friends who aren't military, they are dear to me, but they still don't understand. I know they try to, I know they feel bad for me, and are worried about me. But to be honest, the only ones who understand are my military friends, the new ones that I have made on SpouseBuzz and other places, the dear ones that are here in town who put up with my crabbiness and occasionally insane ideas.

Yeah, I'm cranky today... so sue me.