...be apart.

Sometimes you can't come home. James is stuck out in the middle of nowhere solving a few work issues. He won't be home this weekend, but he sent these. The card says, "I miss you!" I miss him too. He will be home for Christmas! I'm lucky. Even though we heard about the troops pulling out of Iraq in time for the holidays, there are still a lot of military families that will be separated. I count my blessings and thank them for their sacrifice!

...pin!

In the middle of nowhere, as the wind pounded sand on the outside of the K-Span (think modern day Quonset hut), while several Marines waited at parade rest (stand at ease), I pinned on my husband's new rank insignia. 

Congrats to my hubby for being promoted!  I'm proud of him and all he's accomplished in these few years.  I have to say it's a very good thing that I brought in those homemade cinnamon rolls.  The Marines had to wait around for quite a while as a mock folder was created.  They didn't have the paper to read for his promotion because it got sent to the wrong unit.  Marines are very ceremonial/professional.  So, the proper wording was found, quickly typed up, and read to get things all squared away.  Now everything is all official! 

If only he can remember to change his voice mail message over to his new rank...

...roll!

You guys are good! Bethany (blog comment) and Meagan (facebook) both guessed it. 'Good job, girls!

These little yummies (three plus trays) are to be packed up in my little car and headed off to see James. Don't worry. They aren't all for him. They are for his Marines that will be at his promotion ceremony. That's right. James will be promoted tomorrow!!! Sorry. I can't say to what rank on this public blog, but we are excited about his advancement. Soon, I'll be headed up to his work to help pin on his new insignia. Yea! I promise to be gentle. *wink*

Time is running short, so I'd better roll! (Yep. 'Couldn't resist that one.)

...be marked for destruction!

"I live in base housing."

"I rent from a government contracted rental company."

"The common area outside does not belong to me."

I keep telling myself these things so that I keep my positive attitude over some big changes here. I feel sad over new landscaping because my geraniums have been marked for destruction! Yep. The flowers that I've fretted over--that prevailed over almost certain death, will meet their fate at the hands of our landscape specialist tomorrow. He was wearing a big, straw hat as he told me the news. "My boss says these go!" It might as well have been a executioner's hooded mask.

Okay, perhaps I am being a bit dramatic. I'll let you be the judge. Won't it be sad to see these go?

This little guy is the one that I thought was a gonner back in March. Remember this sad little picture?

I had to save him! So, I scrounged up a pot and some potting soil. I even made sure his good luck gnome went with him to his new home. Hopefully, this little trooper will survive the transplant!

There are some things I won't be sorry to see go. The paving stones protruding from my dead grass will not be missed. My tree that keeps threatening to grown over our little passage between it and the house wasn't good for much more than a place to park Lucy. Here she is keeping watch while I saved the geranium. The orange spray paint (circled) indicates that these have been marked for destruction. The good news in all of this is that Lucy will end up with a fenced portion of our yard. She will be able to go outside for longer than it takes me to tend my flowers or walk her. That will be a big relief for her and me. So, this change is good.

"This change is good."

"This change is good."

"This change is good!"

...feel like I got promoted!

My father retired from the Marine Corps when I was three years old. However, you know that saying, "Once a Marine, always a Marine?!" Well, my father taught me a lot about the Marine Corps and military life as I grew up. One of the things he taught me is "Rank Has Its Privileges" (RHIP). RHIP is true in certain circumstances. At the commissary (military grocery store), the best parking spaces are marked for high ranking military personnel...or so I thought! I've recently discovered that the closest parking spots are for me!!!

If RHIP holds true, I feel like I got promoted!

...bring woodlands back!

My hubby, the Vitruvian Military Man! 

Daylight savings time means a change over in military uniforms. They have gone from the desert (tan camo) to the woodland (green camo) utilities. It's going to take me a while to get used to the switch.

...explain what the government shutdown means to our military family.

I feel the need to stray from the usual fluff this blog is made of to address the possible government shutdown more in depth.  Don't worry.  This blog will still contain lots of fluff in the future.  Feel free to skim or skip this post if you come here for the other stuff.  For everyone else, here come the details...

A lot of folks have shown concern for our military family facing the possibility of a government shutdown.  As this has not been the top news story until recently, some people have questions about what will happen if the government does shut down.  I'll try to explain what a government shutdown would mean for our military family.

How would a government shutdown impact military pay?

What help is available for military families?

How else will this impact our family?

What can we do?

Military Pay
First, my active duty husband will still report to duty.  No military bases will be shut down.  He will not be furloughed.  He will get paid.  However, we may have to wait on a paycheck.  On the 15th, he will receive pay.  If the government shuts down and doesn't reopen before the 15th, the pay he receives will only be for the first eight days of the month (prior to the government shutdown).  Then, we will wait for the government to reopen before we receive another paycheck.  Once that happens, he will receive backpay for the time it was shut down.  If this is all over and done with before the end of next week, we could see no difference in pay.  However, if things are not settled by the 15th, there will be a space between pay checks.  That is where things get a little worrisome.

Will we need to dip into our savings to cover the time between paychecks?  We have been saving up for some things that we may need to delay if our savings get slammed.  How long will we need to cover things in the absence of pay?  Will our savings be enough?

What about the folks that don't have the rainy day funds like we do?  Will there be a large demand for temporary assistance?  Do we have the means to help out or should we be cautions with what little we have?  Or will we be helping out in the future through increased demands on our social services...funded by tax dollars?  

Help for Military Families
There is help out there for military families like ours. The Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society is offering interest free loans to military families during the shutdown.  They are treating the situation like they would a natural disaster--making these loans available in an expedited manner. You can read all about it on there site: http://www.nmcrs.org/shutdown110408.html.
 
Other Impacts for Our Family
Are there other ways that a government shutdown may impact our family?  You bet!  The commissary (military grocery store) may shut down. That would mean extra gas spent on driving to a civilian grocery store where food prices are often higher.  Military families have been encouraged to contact their local commissary to see if the store will be shutting down.  The official press release can be found at: http://www.commissaries.com/press_room/press_release/2011/DeCA_20_11.cfm.

Another impact of the looming shutdown is added stress to my husband's job.  I can't go into details about what he does.  However, I'll say that he is still expected to make things happen even though the defense budget (just a portion of the government budget currently debated) is in question.  That makes things difficult.  Here is what the Defense Department has to say about a shutdown: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2011/0411_govtshutdown/.

What We Can Do
I've got some answers and a lot of questions this morning.  I'm sure time will tell how this all plays out.  I believe now is a time to stay true to the things we believe in.  We should be neighborly when we can and extend folks the benefit of the doubt when possible.  I think the American people will get thru this better if we come together.  After all, congress needs to come together.  Let's show them how it's done!

...miss.

James had some training out in the field. He was gone a week or so. I wrote "I missed you," on the refrigerator with my letter magnets. He added some to it:


Isn't he sweet?!

...moto.

I was waiting for something blog worthy about living on base to reveal that our "move to the other side of somewhere in California" was onto a military base. Since this is still a public blog, let's just call it XYZ military base for now. So, what do I feel is blog worthy on XYZ military base?


Yep. It's the storm drain. More specifically, it's the moto on the environmental message above the storm drain. (Moto is the shortened version of "motivation." For simplicity's sake, the civilian equivalent might be akin to school or team pride.) The moto here is the bulldog, the mascot of the Marine Corps. I've seen dolphins and fish on storms drain message, but this bulldog was a first for me.

...translate.

James had duty this Veterans Day weekend. Before I brought him his dinner (chow), he instructed (briefed) me on how to deliver it.

This is what he said: Just come bang on the hatch at 1800.

This is what I repeated back: So, I'll come knock on the door at 6 o'clock.

I think it annoys him when I use civilian speak back even though I understand the military speak. I just don't want him to get lost in the military world. Not everyone understands what he means. After all, Marines use nautical terms even when they are very much on land (for example: hatch). It can all get a bit confusing to those not living the military life.

By the way, my hubby is not out of regulation in this pic. I Photoshopped out the rank insignia on purpose. "Loose lips sink ships."

...earn my sticker!

Who says I'm too old for gold stars? I get excited about earning my "I voted" sticker come election time. My husband's "temporary" assignment in the DC area had me mailing in my ballots. Now that he has a "permanent" duty station, I get to walk into a polling station. The best part is getting handed your sticker as you leave. It may sound silly, but I love positive reinforcement...getting my "gold star" for being a good citizen.

By the way, my skin looks a little pink in the photo. That's because I walked to the polling station and back in the CA sun. It's currently 82 degrees. I earned that sticker!

Those of you who have stickers may notice something missing from mine. I took off the county info to be on the safe side. "Loose lips sink ships" and all...

...bike to the beach!

This post looks familiar. It's my toes at the beach again. Well, there's a little more of me that made it into the photos this time.

I decided to bike to the beach today. Yep. I pedaled seven miles of hilly road to get there. Whew! So, I was sure to document my arrival. I made it!

As it turns out, my cell phone self portrait skills are lacking. Yes. It didn't help that I have bike helmet hair and am flushed from the ride.


Did you see the local pier in the background on that first shot? I went to the civilian beach this time. That's didn't stop me from trying to take a shot of a passing 46. I circled it for you in my shot.

Out of nowhere, a giant seagull attacked the pier!!!

What was I saying about my lack of cell phone photo skills?

Well, my trip really paid off. I found a sand dollar. It won't surprise you that the photo I took at the beach didn't come out. So, I used my regular camera after I biked ALL THE WAY BACK HOME. (I'm a little tired now.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics. I had fun documenting my trip.

...plan for the September case lot sales.

I've been on a military kick lately. This post is for my fellow military folk. It's case lot sale time again. Next weekend is the sale for our area. You can find out when your sale is at the Commissaries website. Here's a link directly to the case lot sale page. Happy shopping!

...be compliant (no hoochie mama)!

I snapped this shot with my phone while we were out shopping yesterday. Wait 'till you see these faces, Janette! Apparently, compliant people are happy. There are no smiley faces on the non-compliant folks. I like this sign better than the other because it points out all the non-compliance in balloons.



The non-compliant chick reminded me of dress standards from past social gatherings. My hubby has been told to pass on to me certain things about how to dress when we are going to a work related outing. If I dress inappropriately after he's been told to tell me what's appropriate...well, it reflects badly on him. I'm not talking about wearing white gloves to a tea party. (The times have changed a little.) Usually, it is the "bending over" advice: "If you have cracks when you bend over (cleavage or plumber's crack), then put something else on to cover."

If someone "goes there," she gets gossiped about. Gossip is huge in the military! Marines even have a special word for it: scuttlebutt. So, I try not to be the one who gets all the looks and scuttlebutt over my outfit. It can get interesting though. I think the most gossip over a dress code issue was when the officers in charge made a colorful comment on the dress code. They instructed the men to specifically use the words "no hoochie mama" outfits when informing the wives about the event protocol. Oh, boy! (Yea. That one has a military reference too. Click on the link if you are interested in where the word comes from.)

So, if you ever find yourself on a base, remember to leave the hoochie mama outfits at home! ;)

...reflect on base life.

A sure sign that you are on a military base is...when the poster for the car wash fundraiser is tacked to a post with a KA-BAR. By the way, there always seems to be a car wash fundraiser on base these days. Fall is right around the corner, and so is the Marine Corps birthday ball. It's the social event of the year. Seriously! Where else can you eat cake that's been sliced with a sword?!

I was driving around on base today thinking about some of the things that are unique to base life. Sure. You see cars running around with "student driver" posted on them in the civilian world. It always makes me a bit nervous. On base, you can see the "student driver" posted on a passing 7-Ton! I stay clear of those guys. I also have no problem yielding to an AAV making its way to the beach. That said, I think my most interesting military driving experience has been following a howitzer up the hill on to base. I was really glad the hitch held!

Here are some more base life moments:

• You show your military ID before paying for groceries.
• 15 MPH speed limits are common and enforced by military police. By the way, 15 MPH is also the top speed of "the world's fastest lawnmower."
  
• You take a number and wait to get called up to the pharmacy window only to be given a new number.
• The closest parking spots at the exchange (department store) are labeled and reserved for high ranking personnel.
• There is a civilian dress code for shoppers or patrons of services like the veterinarian clinic that covers way more than "no shirts, no shoes, no service."
• Make sure that you read all the signs posted at base recreational sights--especially the ones about what to do when you find an unexploded ordnance.
  

There is much, much more, but that's enough for now. 'Just another day in the military wife life!

...throw.

My last pottery class was like Christmas morning. Our shinny pots were fresh out of the kiln. The glazing gives life to the pots we have thrown, trimmed, and fired to a bisque. You can never be sure what the "kiln gods" will do. I like the way most of my pots came out.

It was a fun class. I'm glad that we have a base hobby shop where I can craft. 'Hope I can continue the hobby.

...live the military wife life.

Once again, dinner is ready on the stove, but my husband is nowhere in sight. For this military wife, "hurry up and wait" expires in about a half hour. Even if he's still not home, I'm eating!

...go to the beach, military style.

Last week, my sister came up to visit. We went to the beach on the local military base. It was very nice. I took a few shots with my cell phone. The beach wasn't crowded...and that's saying a lot, really. The beach was also in use for some martial arts instruction and AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicle) maneuvers. You can't really see them in this picture. So, I brew it up the best I could and circled them for you. They kicked up a lot of sand and let off a lot of smoke. It was fun to watch. Sand, sun, and training...that's going to the beach, military style!

...declare war on winter! (TOY SOLDIERS vs. 2/5-6/2010 WINTER STORM)

Time: 17:00
Current condition: light snow/snow flurries
Troop position: 23-23.5 inches
Troops MIA*: 11
Word on the ground: "Victory!"

To be honest, my hope was fading for my toy soldiers. However, at 14:30 the weather took a dramatic turn. The heavy snow dramatically slowed to light snow. It has continued these past hours, but without significant accumulation to add. So, I will declare my toy soldiers have been victorious over the 2/5-6/2010 winter storm (called the "Superstorm" by local news).

Just in case this all seems to be a bit surreal, check out this shot of when I pan out to include the whoe yard stick. Yeah. I'm not kidding...


*Missing in action status should not cause any alarm. My plastic toy soldiers will not suffer from frostbite or hypothermia. However, it might take a lot of melting before they are back to fight the next battle...


From Friday: The troops have gathered outside my apartment. We will soon wage an all out defensive on the winter storm that has only just begun. The news has predicted 18-24 inches. My soldiers are prepared for the fight. If it goes over 20 inches, my men may have to surrender without aerial support. I will update this post often so that you may witness the battle.

(Facebook readers will need to check my blog at 28seasons.blogspot.com to see updates.)

Who will win this epic battle?

I believe winter is going down!!!

...text.

This is a text conversation I had with my hubby this morning:

Hubby: The CACS came to go over my orders this morning. They said I'm going to Oki?????

Me: You are pulling my leg, right?!

Me: What is CACS anyway?

Hubby: Combined administration center, they handle all the paperwork stuff.

I call him but just hear two rings before it goes to voice mail.

Me: You can't expect to text Oki and not have me call you. Have your orders changed? Are we still "XYZ military base," but you will go to Oki? What is going on?

Hubby: No, that's what they said. Oki.

Me: Oki what? Oki you? Oki us? When?

Hubby: Ok, ok. that's what they said until they looked again, and saw that it's "XYZ military base." Hehe. ;)

Me: So, just to be clear...nothing has changed???

Hubby: No nothing has changed. Your husband still has a puckish sense of humor, and orders to "XYZ military base." Love you!

Me: If you could only see the look I am giving the phone...

Okay, folks. Should I kill the boy?! Yeah. He got me good. And, no. He really is clueless about how much military wives worry even when everything for the move seems to be working out so far...