The big homecoming day that I waited for for 7 months has come and gone. Hubby is safe and sound here at home with his dogs and his wife, just as he should be. And, we are settling into life as a married couple again.
Just like last time, as soon as he walked down that road and landed in my arms, we got right into our stride without so much as a misstep. It's been wonderful.
And, now I'd like to switch the subject of this blog around a bit and tell you how proud I am of my marine.
If you were around for my early blogging days, you realize that during his first deployment he was 1) a pilot and 2) the lowest man on the totem pole 3) miserable and 4) stationed in Al Asad (which is affectionately referred to as "Camp Cupcake")
Now let me tell you a little something about this deployment. It was a totally different story. This time, Hubby was part of a transition team of 10 men whose job it was to mentor their Iraqi counterparts, and, in short, teach them how to be more efficient/honest/organized in guarding their own borders. This involved regular contact with the Iraqis, meals shared, interpreters/learning the language, etc. While during his last deployment, I'm certain that he only ever saw Iraqis from the ground while flying his helicopter... or the Iraqi prisoners who came on board his helicopter handcuffed and ready to be escorted to prison... this time his entire deployment was based on communication and comradery with them.
This time, instead of enjoying the luxuries of Camp Cupcake (hot showers, indoor plumbing, PIZZA PLACES, a cook, etc) Hubby and his team found themselves on the border of Syria in "the most remote and austere location in Iraq". I quoted that, because it's a fact, not an exaggeration. Here in the middle of nowhere they were provided with two showers a week (taken from a water truck that Hubby reports that Iraqis also used as a fuel truck - GROSS), no indoor plumbing, and a hot plate, a microwave, and supplies to cook their own food. As I imagine you have already figured out, there was no pizza place at their border fort.
When a Colonel visited the base shortly before their 7 months were up, he referred to them as "fucking Spartans" because they were 10 men holding together a border fort in the middle of absolutely nowhere for 7 months. (Forgive me for my language: I had to add the f-bomb because it really gives you the authentic "marine" feel)
Just as Hubby was without a doubt the lowest man on the pilot totem pole last deployment, this time, as fate would have it, he went as the commanding officer. No, it is not typical for a Captain to be the commanding officer of transition team. In fact, he was the first ever Captain to be the commanding officer of a transition team. This was all due to the fact that the Senior Major (meaning he'd been a Major for quite a long time and should soon be moving past that rank) was in a car accident 2 weeks before the deployment and was unable to go with the team. This left my husband, a marine who had only recently made the rank of Captain, and who was actually the youngest man on the team, the highest ranking officer on the team and therefore none other than the Commanding Officer.
An interesting turn of events, wouldn't you say?
Anyone other than my husband - who never gets nervous - would have been shaking in their shoes at all of the responsibility suddenly thrown on their shoulders. But, he took it all in stride. And - now I'm finally getting back to the part where I tell you how proud I am of him - he did an excellent job. After spending so much time at the bottom, he really learned a lot about what it means to be on the top. A man who hates the idea of anyone disliking him had to come to terms with the fact that not every marine on his team was going to love him all the time, or even agree with his decisions. He finally came to understand why in the past his commanding officers were so hard on him for the mistakes that he made - because he realized that those mistakes reflected negatively on them, too. He learned so much. He did such an incredible job.
Proof of that is that a Lt. Colonel recommended him for a bronze star for taking on a Major's billet (job assignment) and for leading one of the most successful border tranisition teams in Iraq.
Like I said, so proud.
The only problem I'm having with him post-deployment is that after taking 2 showers a week for 7 months he doesn't seem to think that he needs to take a shower every day. AND, he also doesn't feel the need to use utensils when he eats.. because... "it's the Iraqi culture to eat with your hands." First order of business = break Hubby of horrible habits.
But, really, even if he doesn't think he needs to shower daily and eats mashed potatoes with his hands, I really am so very proud of my marine.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
In just a few hours...
Maybe it's starting to hit me.
I don't know how many times I have told myself that today I will finally see my husband again, hug him again, kiss him again.. and yet still.. I don't think I was really grasping the reality of it.
But, after reading my sister's sweet blog tribute, reading my brother's facebook status update, and receiving phone calls and emails from friends and family telling me they're thinking of my husband and me today... I think it's finally starting to settle in.
When Hubby returned from his last deployment, I didn't cry. I was far too nervous and filled with the jitters to cry. This, time, though, the tears are flowing.
I'm just so happy to have survived not one but two deployments -- and I am just so thankful that my husband is now returning to me for the second time, safe and sound.
In a few hours I will leave to pick him up. In a few hours I will give him the biggest hug I can manage. In a few hours he will be back home and the dogs will go nuts jumping all over him. In a few hours we will be sitting around our kitchen drinking champagne. In a few hours we will be sharing all those stories that were lost in communication during those months apart. In just a few hours, I will be the happiest girl in the world.
I don't know how many times I have told myself that today I will finally see my husband again, hug him again, kiss him again.. and yet still.. I don't think I was really grasping the reality of it.
But, after reading my sister's sweet blog tribute, reading my brother's facebook status update, and receiving phone calls and emails from friends and family telling me they're thinking of my husband and me today... I think it's finally starting to settle in.
When Hubby returned from his last deployment, I didn't cry. I was far too nervous and filled with the jitters to cry. This, time, though, the tears are flowing.
I'm just so happy to have survived not one but two deployments -- and I am just so thankful that my husband is now returning to me for the second time, safe and sound.
In a few hours I will leave to pick him up. In a few hours I will give him the biggest hug I can manage. In a few hours he will be back home and the dogs will go nuts jumping all over him. In a few hours we will be sitting around our kitchen drinking champagne. In a few hours we will be sharing all those stories that were lost in communication during those months apart. In just a few hours, I will be the happiest girl in the world.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Today one of my students stayed after school and made a welcome home poster for Hubby.
When we were finally finished and closing up the classroom for the day she said,
"You know, Mrs. Sorry, I'm going to miss a lot of things about this school but the biggest part of that is you. You're the only teacher I can open up to."
Melt my heart.
When we were finally finished and closing up the classroom for the day she said,
"You know, Mrs. Sorry, I'm going to miss a lot of things about this school but the biggest part of that is you. You're the only teacher I can open up to."
Melt my heart.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Writing Prompts - Advice
Twice a week I put a writing prompt on the board, and my students have to spend the first 7 minutes of class writing. I have decided to tackle these prompts on my blog. So, here it goes, my first installation of writing prompts:
Today the writing prompt was...
What is the best advice you have ever received? Explain.
To be quite honest with you, nothing is sticking out in my mind. I know that I ask for advice all the time, but it's not very often that I will use the advice I receive. My sister gets really upset with me about this very issue. When I ask her for advice she fully expects me to use her ideas. When I don't, she doesn't understand why I asked for her input in the first place. What she doesn't understand is that the advice actually helps me, but not necesserily in the way that you might think. Hearing other people's input on things helps me to figure out what I want to do. Usually I will use bits and pieces of other people's advice and add my own twist. So, even though I don't necesserily use the advice people give me, it helps me to come to a conclusion nonetheless.
Advice people often try to give me is "don't worry about it". Well, that's a lot easier said than done. Because usually the "it" is what someone else thinks, and that is just something I cannot ignore. If people are going to be thinking about me, I would prefer that they be thinking positive thoughts at all times. I desperately hate the thought of anyone thinking anything at all negative about me. It's a flaw of mine. Who cares what other people think? I do, that's who!
It wasn't necesserily meant as advice, but one thing that a friend wrote me in a note in high school has always stuck with me. It's a quote by Maya Angelou that says, "You did then what you knew how to do, when you knew better, you did better." I have loved that quote since the moment I read it. To me that quote was saying it's okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. So, I guess even though it wasn't meant as advice, that's how I took it. I try to learn from my mistakes. And, I always try to do better next time.
Today the writing prompt was...
What is the best advice you have ever received? Explain.
To be quite honest with you, nothing is sticking out in my mind. I know that I ask for advice all the time, but it's not very often that I will use the advice I receive. My sister gets really upset with me about this very issue. When I ask her for advice she fully expects me to use her ideas. When I don't, she doesn't understand why I asked for her input in the first place. What she doesn't understand is that the advice actually helps me, but not necesserily in the way that you might think. Hearing other people's input on things helps me to figure out what I want to do. Usually I will use bits and pieces of other people's advice and add my own twist. So, even though I don't necesserily use the advice people give me, it helps me to come to a conclusion nonetheless.
Advice people often try to give me is "don't worry about it". Well, that's a lot easier said than done. Because usually the "it" is what someone else thinks, and that is just something I cannot ignore. If people are going to be thinking about me, I would prefer that they be thinking positive thoughts at all times. I desperately hate the thought of anyone thinking anything at all negative about me. It's a flaw of mine. Who cares what other people think? I do, that's who!
It wasn't necesserily meant as advice, but one thing that a friend wrote me in a note in high school has always stuck with me. It's a quote by Maya Angelou that says, "You did then what you knew how to do, when you knew better, you did better." I have loved that quote since the moment I read it. To me that quote was saying it's okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. So, I guess even though it wasn't meant as advice, that's how I took it. I try to learn from my mistakes. And, I always try to do better next time.
Love/Hate
I am really tired today. Really. Really. Tired.
I have such a love/hate relationship with teaching. I feel bi-polar sometimes, I really do. Today was definitely a love/hate day.
During language arts with the 5th graders today a little girl came up to my desk and handed me a folded note. It said,
Mrs. (Sorry),
Thank you for being an awesome teacher.
You give us candy every Friday when we don't get to the end of STOP, and you don't give us a lot of homework.
You are my favorite teacher in the whole world.
Samantha
p.s. Thank you for tutoring me on Thursdays!
Oh my gosh. So sweet.
During that same class period Samantha got her feelings hurt by a classmate and ended up in tears. But, that is a another story for another day.
What did I say? Oh yes.. I truly love/hate being a teacher.
I have such a love/hate relationship with teaching. I feel bi-polar sometimes, I really do. Today was definitely a love/hate day.
During language arts with the 5th graders today a little girl came up to my desk and handed me a folded note. It said,
Mrs. (Sorry),
Thank you for being an awesome teacher.
You give us candy every Friday when we don't get to the end of STOP, and you don't give us a lot of homework.
You are my favorite teacher in the whole world.
Samantha
p.s. Thank you for tutoring me on Thursdays!
Oh my gosh. So sweet.
During that same class period Samantha got her feelings hurt by a classmate and ended up in tears. But, that is a another story for another day.
What did I say? Oh yes.. I truly love/hate being a teacher.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Fanjiggerated
Last night I finally heard from Hubby. He has officially left the border fort and will be getting on a plane sometime in the near future to get the heck out of that godforsaken country called Iraq! Yippee! The ball is really rolling now, and I am floating on a cloud of euphoria.
As per my last blog, I did have a black cloud dampen my spirits a bit with that whole "getting hung up on" thing, however, as usual - my conversation with Hubby helped me to get a grip!
That's what's so great about him.
Sometimes I have a tendency to... hmm.. how shall I put it? FREAK OUT about things. I spend hours going back and forth in my mind about what I should do about a situation, but with Hubby, the answers are always so simple. So just as I expected, very simply, he told me to forget about that girl and stop passing any of my information onto her as she obviously does not want to receive it from me. Sounds easy, right? Right. But, somehow, I just can't come up with a solution like that on my own.
But I digress.
One of the teachers at my school asks me every single time she sees me if I'm excited about Hubby's return. If I'm nervous. What I'm feeling. And, I don't really have an answer to those questions.
When he returned from his last deployment, I was definitely a bundle of nerves and unanswered questions. I really wasn't sure how things would be when he returned. I didn't know if we would easily fall back into old routines or if we would have to get used to each other again. I wondered whether he had changed dramatically or if he would think that I had changed too much. I worried that there would be things about him when I saw him again that I would realize I had forgotten over time. I was anxious to find out whether he had new jokes he like to tell, words he liked to use, or phrases he liked to say. I wondered if he would have developed any new mannerisms.
I basically just had a chorus of questions running through my mind. I didn't know how things would be. So, naturally, while being extremely excited to see him again, I was also pretty damn anxious about the whole thing.
But, this time, I already pretty much know what to expect. I know that before when we got in that car and headed for home, all I remember feeling was that someone had done a huge rewind in my life and we were back exactly where we left each other. There were no awkward pauses. There was no politeness. It was as if 7 months of distance and time apart had never even happened. We were completely comfortable and in sinc. While I can't say for certain that I know it will be that way again, I can only imagine that it will. So, for that part, at least, I have no worries.
I feel confident that just like last time we will pick our marriage up right where we left it.
My only real concern is that we will fall back into old habits... spending too much money, being too lazy, eating too much junk. He, of course, has been forced to eat better and be active. But, I have started making healthier choices for myself while he has been gone, and I really want it to be a lifestyle change for both of us.
We have discussed this at length and are both prepared to get into better habits this time. I promised to stop bugging him to go out to eat so much and he promised to stop being so lazy on the weekends. We both promised to be better with our money. Afterall, we did just spend an entire deployment getting ourselves out of the debt we put ourselves in when he returned from his last deployment. And, since starting a family seems to be on our not-too-distant horizon, making better choices with our money is definitely a must.
I guess you can see by the randomness of this blog that right now my mind is just a whirlwind of thoughts.
What it all boils down to is that I am excited. No, excited doesn't cut it. I really don't think that a word exists in the English language to adequately describe the way that I am currently feeling about the fact that I will get to hug my husband so soon that I can count the days on one hand.
There is no word, so I'll make one up. fanjiggerated. That's it. I'm fanjiggerated about the idea of seeing my Hubby so soon.
As per my last blog, I did have a black cloud dampen my spirits a bit with that whole "getting hung up on" thing, however, as usual - my conversation with Hubby helped me to get a grip!
That's what's so great about him.
Sometimes I have a tendency to... hmm.. how shall I put it? FREAK OUT about things. I spend hours going back and forth in my mind about what I should do about a situation, but with Hubby, the answers are always so simple. So just as I expected, very simply, he told me to forget about that girl and stop passing any of my information onto her as she obviously does not want to receive it from me. Sounds easy, right? Right. But, somehow, I just can't come up with a solution like that on my own.
But I digress.
One of the teachers at my school asks me every single time she sees me if I'm excited about Hubby's return. If I'm nervous. What I'm feeling. And, I don't really have an answer to those questions.
When he returned from his last deployment, I was definitely a bundle of nerves and unanswered questions. I really wasn't sure how things would be when he returned. I didn't know if we would easily fall back into old routines or if we would have to get used to each other again. I wondered whether he had changed dramatically or if he would think that I had changed too much. I worried that there would be things about him when I saw him again that I would realize I had forgotten over time. I was anxious to find out whether he had new jokes he like to tell, words he liked to use, or phrases he liked to say. I wondered if he would have developed any new mannerisms.
I basically just had a chorus of questions running through my mind. I didn't know how things would be. So, naturally, while being extremely excited to see him again, I was also pretty damn anxious about the whole thing.
But, this time, I already pretty much know what to expect. I know that before when we got in that car and headed for home, all I remember feeling was that someone had done a huge rewind in my life and we were back exactly where we left each other. There were no awkward pauses. There was no politeness. It was as if 7 months of distance and time apart had never even happened. We were completely comfortable and in sinc. While I can't say for certain that I know it will be that way again, I can only imagine that it will. So, for that part, at least, I have no worries.
I feel confident that just like last time we will pick our marriage up right where we left it.
My only real concern is that we will fall back into old habits... spending too much money, being too lazy, eating too much junk. He, of course, has been forced to eat better and be active. But, I have started making healthier choices for myself while he has been gone, and I really want it to be a lifestyle change for both of us.
We have discussed this at length and are both prepared to get into better habits this time. I promised to stop bugging him to go out to eat so much and he promised to stop being so lazy on the weekends. We both promised to be better with our money. Afterall, we did just spend an entire deployment getting ourselves out of the debt we put ourselves in when he returned from his last deployment. And, since starting a family seems to be on our not-too-distant horizon, making better choices with our money is definitely a must.
I guess you can see by the randomness of this blog that right now my mind is just a whirlwind of thoughts.
What it all boils down to is that I am excited. No, excited doesn't cut it. I really don't think that a word exists in the English language to adequately describe the way that I am currently feeling about the fact that I will get to hug my husband so soon that I can count the days on one hand.
There is no word, so I'll make one up. fanjiggerated. That's it. I'm fanjiggerated about the idea of seeing my Hubby so soon.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wow.
The strangest thing happened to me yesterday. And, ever since, my mind has been reeling.
I am the key volunteer for the families of Hubby's team in Iraq. Translated: I am their contact person during the deployment.
After I received the awesome news on Friday about the return date, of course, I immediately forwarded the information on to my families.. asking them to please send me an email back letting me know they had received the information. I told them if I didn't hear from them I would be calling because I needed to confirm that everyone received the information.
By Sunday, I still hadn't heard back from a few families, so I began my telephone rounds. Things were going great.. everyone was very friendly and most even thanked me for keeping them informed throughout the deployment & apologized for not emailing me back as I had requested.
Then, I got to the phone call that is the reason for this blog. It went something like this:
Angela: (excited, happy) Hello?!
Sorry Sarah: Hi, is this Angela?
Angela: (voice panicky, angry) NO
Sorry Sarah: Pause (thinking: yes it is!)
Sorry Sarah: Well, is Angela there?
Angela: NO, she's not here....... you have the wrong number!
Sorry Sarah: (another long pause.. knowing for 100% certaintly it was not the wrong number and I was indeed speaking to Angela)
Sorry Sarah: Umm.. Angela... this is Sarah (Sorry) I'm just calling to make sure you received the homecoming information I sent to your email...
Angela: Click.......................
WTF?!
You see, this all stems from this debacle that occurred a few months ago. Angela was not the person with whom I had this "confrontation", but she is that person's really good friend. So, I realized as I was calling her that I probably wouldn't be her favorite person in the world to speak to on the phone, but I really didn't expect her to pretend I had gotten a wrong number and hang up on me like she did.
Especially because I called bearing great news.
Wow.
So, I've mentioned a few times before how much I hate when people hate me. But, man, I didn't even know the half of it. This person really hates me. She hates me so much that she doesn't even want to talk to me long enough for me to give her precious information about the homecoming of her husband.
wow.
That's really all I can say to that is... wow.
I know that when Hubby finally gets back, and I can stop walking on pins and needles, this whole thing is going to be really funny. I mean, it will be seriously hilarious. Currently, I have a picture in my mind of me sharing the "phone call" story with him while we both laugh so hard we can barely breathe.
I mean, really. I knew it was you, Angela.
Who did she think she was fooling?
Wow.
I am the key volunteer for the families of Hubby's team in Iraq. Translated: I am their contact person during the deployment.
After I received the awesome news on Friday about the return date, of course, I immediately forwarded the information on to my families.. asking them to please send me an email back letting me know they had received the information. I told them if I didn't hear from them I would be calling because I needed to confirm that everyone received the information.
By Sunday, I still hadn't heard back from a few families, so I began my telephone rounds. Things were going great.. everyone was very friendly and most even thanked me for keeping them informed throughout the deployment & apologized for not emailing me back as I had requested.
Then, I got to the phone call that is the reason for this blog. It went something like this:
Angela: (excited, happy) Hello?!
Sorry Sarah: Hi, is this Angela?
Angela: (voice panicky, angry) NO
Sorry Sarah: Pause (thinking: yes it is!)
Sorry Sarah: Well, is Angela there?
Angela: NO, she's not here....... you have the wrong number!
Sorry Sarah: (another long pause.. knowing for 100% certaintly it was not the wrong number and I was indeed speaking to Angela)
Sorry Sarah: Umm.. Angela... this is Sarah (Sorry) I'm just calling to make sure you received the homecoming information I sent to your email...
Angela: Click.......................
WTF?!
You see, this all stems from this debacle that occurred a few months ago. Angela was not the person with whom I had this "confrontation", but she is that person's really good friend. So, I realized as I was calling her that I probably wouldn't be her favorite person in the world to speak to on the phone, but I really didn't expect her to pretend I had gotten a wrong number and hang up on me like she did.
Especially because I called bearing great news.
Wow.
So, I've mentioned a few times before how much I hate when people hate me. But, man, I didn't even know the half of it. This person really hates me. She hates me so much that she doesn't even want to talk to me long enough for me to give her precious information about the homecoming of her husband.
wow.
That's really all I can say to that is... wow.
I know that when Hubby finally gets back, and I can stop walking on pins and needles, this whole thing is going to be really funny. I mean, it will be seriously hilarious. Currently, I have a picture in my mind of me sharing the "phone call" story with him while we both laugh so hard we can barely breathe.
I mean, really. I knew it was you, Angela.
Who did she think she was fooling?
Wow.
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