Sunday Sunday

So, another weekend down. I still have a gazillon more, but that is okay. My brain is slowly remembering how this goes. Again, as I said before. I will never like it, but it comes with the job.
Anyhow, I have done 18 days and only feel like I have done a thousand! LOL. That's okay. In 20 days I will at least get to see him for a few days. Then the countdown begins again.

He gets to call me pretty much every night. It's never for long, but just to hear his voice is enough for me. I am one of the lucky ones. There are not a lot of husbands who call every night.

Anyhow, last night he calls me. He says to me...Uh hey, I cant talk long. I only have about 10 mins. (to me, that is normal anyway. During the week, he does not have a lot of free time) he then proceeds to tell me that the reason he only has 10 mins is because some idiots thought it would be a good idea to exchange sexual favors behind the smoking area, so now they are all in trouble!

Nice! What idiots! Why is it that these people cannot keep their pants on? You know, everyone misses their husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends but WHY on earth would you do this to someone? I am glad that Ed is a good man and loves me as much as he does. I have nothing to worry about. Anyhow...these people are now in trouble (as is the rest of the darn Battalion) Smoking is limited to 10 mins and it is boys only and then girls only. SO STUPID!
These people are getting booted, as well they should. The one guy is married and has a brand new baby at home. JACKASS!

Ed said they get a few hours of free time today so he will call me and we can talk a lot more today. Right now I live for Sundays because that is when he can talk about his week and how things are going for him.

Today it is warmer outside then it has been. It is still wet and yucky so I think I will just do things around the house. Tomorrow is another day on post trying to get the Tricare fiasco straight. Joy to the world!! haha!

Another day down

Well, another boring day on the home front. I am getting used to this again, but I will never like it.

Before I get started talking about my day today, I want to share something I got from Ed in the mail for my birthday. It isnt much, but where he is and what he is doing, I am even surprised to get this. Of course, it made me cry. For those of you that know Ed, you know...He is a man of few words. I KNOW that he loves me, but he does not usually get overly mushy or anything.
I got a card in the mail and on the front it says this:
"Happy Birthday to My Girl"
When I opened the card, I was greeted by this screeching sound. I knew what it was supposed to be, but somewhere in transit, the card got distorted. The song that was trying to be played was "My Girl" and if you held the card just right you could kind of hear it through all the other noises that this card was making.
That itself was enough to make this wife cry. Again, Ed does not do these things.
As I am reading the card, it says in Ed's own words. "I wish I could be there to make you dinner. "I am with you in spirit Baby" "I love you" Happy Birthday! Your Solider, Ed. Of course Mama couldn't help herself. Tears welling up all over and I cried. It was a good cry though. I miss him so much!!! I now have the card here on my computer desk, along with our picture. It makes me smile to see them. I cannot wait till this part of the army is done with. It is really tough to get through your days without your best friend, but no matter where Ed or I are, we are always together in heart and spirit and with that, I suck it up and drive on! (famous quote from the US Army)

This morning, I got up. Let the dogs outside as usual and got online to see what transpired overnight. A big fat nothing as usual. Check my normal forums and messengers. Then what to do with the day? It was supposed to be 80 degrees here today and I had every intention on doing something outside, maybe taking the dogs for a walk, something. Well, it was just too windy to do anything. I sat around drinking my coffee. Started a load of laundry. And sat.

Finally about noon, I decided that I needed to go tanning. I have been going tanning since I bought my airline tickets to go see Ed. (Which by the way is only 28 days from now. YIPPEE!) Went to the tanning salon, laid in the bed for 10 minutes and went back home. That my friends, was the extent of my adventure outdoors for the day.

I came home and added a few more pages to Ed's army scrapbook. I am making him a scrapbook with all his army stuff that I can find, to take with me when I go see him for his graduation. (This will be the 1st of 2 graduations. After this one, I will have to start my countdown all over again.)

Ate some weird microwave dinner, wasn't too bad. I will be glad when Ed comes home and I can start cooking real meals again. I already miss that. I miss taking care of him.

After dinner, I just kinda piddled around the house and just when I thought I could not get anymore bored, my phone played the familiar tune of "I cross my heart" (by George Strait) that is Ed's personal ring tone. We didn't get too much time to talk, just enough to get the How are yous out and what have you been doing. Ed is in charge of a lot of soldiers and they are on a tight schedule so I was lucky to get what I did. 15 minutes! Thats okay. My husband is a wonderful man who thinks about his wife and calls her just as soon as she can, for just as long as he can.
We said our I love yous and I miss yous and off my Knight in shining armor went again, back to his troops. I am so very proud of him.

With every day that passes, I know I am another day closer to when we will be together again. I cannot wait to be back with my love, my Ed, My hero, My soldier.

An interesting Morning

So today I went on post and got my military ID card. I am officially an army wife again. Not that I wasn't before, but now I have the official card. ID card place was okay. Got in there, took a number and was called pretty quick. Got my picture taken...those pictures are never any good. I look like a huge goof ball.

Next was Tricare. (For those of you who don't know, Tricare is the military healthcare.) I get into the office, and I sign in. I am called by a lady who doesn't seem to like her job. I go up to the desk and I hand her my enrollment form. She proceeds to tell me that it is not the correct form and that the form I have is for dental. Um, okay! The DEERS office sent these to me and Ed and I were both told that THIS form is the enrollment form but okay. Then she proceeds to tell me that I am only in Tricare standard and because I live off post I will have to see a civilain doctor. Also a bunch of BS. I was not born yesterday and I also am not a brand new spouse. Been there done that before and I KNOW that because you are looking at my brand new shiny ID card in which the issue date is today, you just THINK that I dont know what I am doing. That I am a brand new shiny butt army wife...Little do you know lady, I have done this a few times.

As the lady is looking in the computer, she says to me...Oh your husband is a Staff Sergant, Oh you are going to have to pay $150 each time you see the doctor. If I could have picked up my jaw off the floor at that moment, I would have said something but all I could do was just stand there. The words were in my head, but I just could not get them out of my mouth. I know better. I know that active duty gets Tricare PRIME! NO co-payments, no nothing. Ok lady. Thanks for your help. I am not going to argue with you because the simple fact is, I AM a SSG's wife, I am a dependent, but I am NOT stupid, nor am I going to pay $150 each time I visit the doctor.

I left there, under tricare standard and I am going to make some calls today. I really would LOVE to get a job when I move. I plan on it. I want a job where I can stand there, be a bitch, not know what I am talking about, AND get paid for it. Sounds like the perfect job!!

It's been a rough readjustment for me. I always thought that when I was
an army wife the first time, it was rough. This time seems even more
so.



I guess the issue here this time is NO support. The last time, I had
the support of my fellow army spouses and the US Army as a whole. This
time, nothing. I will in time, but right now, I am in limbo. Being that
my husband is not really assigned to a post or a real unit, the spouses
and family members of soldiers in training seem to get the shaft. I
have tried to contact a few different people in the army, all of which
really do not have an answer for me. I can only imagine, if it is this
difficult for me, A seasoned army wife...How hard is it for a young,
newly married spouse with a husband who has been sent off to basic
training and school with NO idea what to expect. I dont like this, and
I vow right now, here and now to try my hardest to make this change so
that no spouse has to go through the pain and adjustment alone. I dont
know what I can do, and what I will accomplish, but I am going to give
it my best effort to try and change things for the new spouses.



Ed is doing very well. He sounds great and seems to be enjoying
soldiering again. He sounds much happier than he has for the past for
years and for that, I am glad.He is tired, and worn out, but again,
this too shall pass. Some people just have the US Military in their
blood and Ed seems to be one of those people. How could he not be? He
grew up an Army Brat, quite a few of his family members including his
great grandfather in which who he was named after flew fighter jets in
the US Military. Ed is a great soldier and a great leader and even
though my heart aches for him not being here, this is all for a good
cause. Ed is good at what he does and I am proud of him. I am proud of
my soldier, and all the men and women of the US Armed Forces who
sacrifice everything on a daily basis, just so I can sit here and write
this blog.



I guess the point in this blog is this....Follow your dreams. Sometimes
you have to endure painful things to gain the outcome you want. I know
there will be more seperations, its a given in the military. But I also
know the reason why it has to be done and I could not be more proud of
the man I married for doing these things, for me, our children, our
childrens children, and also YOU!



I have sat here feeling sorry for myself for the past 12 days. Sure I
have had good days and bad, but it is time for me to woman up again and
be the great army wife that I know I am. The great Army wife that Ed
knows is holding home down while he is gone doing what he needs to do
for us.



In closing, I just want to say Thank You to everyone who loves Ed and I
and truly supports our decision of Ed enlisting back into the army. It
was not an easy decision, but the right one. It still hurts, and I miss
him like crazy! But we will be together again soon.



I am getting to visit him a couple of days on Easter weekend. I am so very excited.

It will be a short visit, and I will have to say " see you later" again to him, but we will be back as a family soon after.



When you go to bed at night, look around...I am sure your spouse or
significant other is there. Treasure that. Because there are men and
women like me who go to bed alone everynight staring at the ceiling
wondering where their spouse is sleeping that night.

Army of One

A Military Wife in the Army of One

You aren't issued with the uniform, boots and weapon,

But you are one lady no one should step on.

It usually goes with this ring, I thee wed,

But add in even if it means me in an empty bed.

And the weeks in the field with many late nights,

Which will at some point lead to fights.

Yes, a military wife is courageous and strong,

Even when the days seem so long.

When you feel like you are at your wits end,

You suck it up and start to mend.

You learn the Army language,

All those acronyms, how can I manage.

PX, AAFES, LES, MOS - the list goes on and on,

All those letters would make an ordinary woman yawn.

But those letters are part of your life,

The life of a proud military wife.

You move too much and decorate too little,

Because you always seem to leave in the middle.

Do not get too settled and make lots of friends

Because home is wherever the Army sends.

And then one day the orders come down,

Your husband soon will be leaving town.

Up to 365 days or until mission complete

You know your heart just skipped a beat.

You stare at the orders in front of you,

This was a possibility you always knew.

Now life takes on new meaning

And the tears start streaming.

You hug each other tight and kiss farewell,

How you feel, words could never tell.

You go back to an empty home,

And try not to sit by the phone.

You wait, wonder and worry,

And hope this year goes by in a hurry.

Things are different now.

You will do things you once did not know how.

Yellow ribbons are a new accessory,

You make your outfit match- it is a necessity

You cry when the National Anthem is played,

And you get your child that much needed band-aid.

You have your daily chores, as always,

Except now you are the only one to sweep the hallways.

You are the only one

But you do it and try to have fun.

You say your prayers and wish on a star in the sky,

When he is back in your arms, you will forget the year that went by.

And you will think how strong you had become,

When you were truly the army of one.

I am an Army Wife

I am an American Soldier's Wife!
I keep the team at home together for you
I serve my Soldier in Army ways
and do what is expected of me on the home front.
I will always keep my mission of a loving home
for when you return and longer.
I will NEVER quit or leave or lose our love for each other.
I will knowingly take your responsibilities on as if you are here yourself.
I will take myself to the heights you have taken me and not fall.
I am an expert as your wife and I am a professional at
taking care of your home and children while you are away.
I stand ready for any and all situations which may arise.
I am the guardian of my husbands home and love...
I am an American Soldier's Wife!