And so Reality Sets In...

Michael has finally received what seems to be a pretty solid departure-for-Afghanistan date.

Also, it's sounding more and more written in stone that this deployment will be of the year-long variety.

*sigh.

I know. I know. I signed up for this shit. But that doesn't make it any less shitty.

On my way to work yesterday morning, my mind was a-racing. Reality has set in. And... I have a to-do list for Michael that is nearly a mile long. Not much on the list will be accomplished until the end of January, though. Because he is currently in the midst of a practice for Afghanistan exercise that lasts disgusting amounts of hours, 7 days a week.

Now that Michael's future is confirmed, I find that the wishy-washiness of my own plans is rather off-putting. Since my most recent post about the up-in-the-air-ness of my future, I have changed my mind a couple (hundred) times about my future possibilities. In consideration now is actually *GASP* staying in California for the duration of the deployment, *GASP* continuing to work at that bloated, blasted, maniacal place I call a school, and (not so gasp) recruiting my good friend to come and live with me when the lease is up on her apartment.

But that is all very hypothetical, and I am not yet quite ready to make any definite decisions. I have some more mulling around of ideas to do before I'm ready to do that. Don't you worry, though. I'll be sure to keep you posted.

In the meantime, send happy thoughts my way as I prepare (this is my third time around, and I still haven't quite figured out how exactly one is supposed to go about preparing for such a thing) for the year-long loss of my husband.