Time flies!

Mr. Grumpy came home for R&R last week and I cannot believe how quickly the day he has to return is approaching.  It feels like I blink and another day is gone.

We spent last Weekend in Las Vegas. The in-laws were there and took the kids off our hands so we could spend some time alone together. We didn’t really go out and do very much while we were there. We mainly stayed in our hotel room. :-)

We did see Blue Man Group, thanks to Mr. Grumpy’s brother who got us tickets.  It was definitely an interesting experience!

We also discovered Irish Nachos at a restaurant called McFadden’s, in the Rio Hotel and Casino.  How do you make nachos Irish? You prepare them with potato chips instead of tortilla chips! They were actually tastier than one might expect.

Vegas wasn’t all fun and games though. The alternator on my car died (I so want a new car!) and we had to take a trip to the DMV so Mr. Grumpy could renew his license while he was stateside.  Luckily, we were able to get the car repaired the next day and, surprisingly, things went quickly and smoothly at the DMV.   They even had a snack bar! (no slot machines though)

What’s the first thing a guy who’s just spent 8 and half months in The Sandbox does?  Takes a shower!

Second thing?  Eats some real food!

Third?   Beer!

When we arrived home, I decided to record the cat’s reactions to seeing him for the first time after many months.  I knew the dog would be bouncy and happy but I had no idea what to expect from them. 

Sunny (the oldest cat) yawned at him.  Spike (the middle cat) sniffed him a bit. Mulder went behind the couch.  

I’ve come to the conclusion that cats don’t make for a very exciting homecoming video. 

Ah well, the kids and I are thrilled to have him home for a little while.

The hardest part.

Mr. Grumpy has been “over there” for just over 6 months now. 

Before he left, I knew it would be hard to be apart for a year, I knew it would be a challenging experience but there’s really no way to prepare for what might happen or to anticipate the emotional “stuff” that comes with this situation.

In a lot of ways, I know I’ve had it easier than a lot of other spouses.

My kids are in their teens and pretty self sufficient, if I want to see a movie or go shopping I don’t have to worry about finding a babysitter. On the flipside, my kids are teenagers… (I’m fairly certain no further explanation is necessary.) 

I’ve handled bill-paying and finances for years, I was well prepared to handle that long before this deployment came up. 

I’ve done all of the yardwork for years as well, I was ready for that too.

However, I wasn’t quite prepared for how much stuff was going to die and/or break and need to be replaced. It seems there’s some deployment offshoot of Murphy’s Law I wasn’t aware of. 

Mr. Grumpy’s computer died, followed very closely by the Xbox 360 developing the Red Ring of Death (RRoD).  Luckily, it was still under warranty for the RRoD and all I had to do was send it back to Microsoft and have them send me a working one.  I’ve had to replace the Grass Hog, the telephones, the DVD player, have 3 of the windows on the car repaired and now I have to have the radiator replaced. 

GrumpySon had a horrific second semester at school this year and I was at the school, at least, once a week.  He’s small for his age, very skinny, he has a learning disability and is “different” so he’s often a target for bullies.  The bullying and teasing got taken to a whole new level and we went through hell.  I ended up pulling him out of school before the year was officially over because he was so stressed out. (He took all finals and passed before I did so.)   

But none of those things are the hardest part of this whole thing.

The hardest part is the loneliness. It’s not the kind of loneliness that can be solved by socializing with friends or by going out or keeping busy.  It’s loneliness for one specific person, that only that specific person can resolve.  There is no substitute. 

It always strikes late at night, when it’s dark, the neighborhood is quiet and there are no distractions.  I’m not tired enough to sleep, there’s nothing on TV and I can’t seem to lose myself in a book. 

I haven’t heard Mr. Grumpy’s voice in what feels like ages and I can’t just pick up the phone and call him.  I’ve sent e-mail but there won’t be a reply until I wake up tomorrow morning and that’s only if he’s been able to get online.

I know we’re lucky we communicate as often as we do and I am tremendously grateful for the technology that allows us to do that. Some nights though, like tonight, technology isn’t enough.  I want to him here, with me, and nothing else will do. 

I also know I’ll get through the night. 

There’s no other option but to get through it.

Deployments

I do not like deployments, man.
I do not like them, Uncle Sam.

I would not like them here or there,
I would not like them ANYWHERE!

Not to the sandbox,
Not for a year,
Dreading door knocks
And living with fear!

Not with the internet,
Not with cell phones!
I just want my husband home!

I do not like deployments, man.
I do not like them, Uncle Sam!