A Yuck Week Thus Far...

This will be short because pollen is trying to destroy me and my immune system is on maximum overdrive. I feel miserable. I hate allergies.

Trooper went to the doctor because he acted like he was on death's door and the minute I got him there, he sprang to life and tried to steal the vet's pens (again!) and chewed on the stethoscope. $130 later, Troops is fine. Ugh. New rule: No blood, no broken bones, no vomit = no doctor. If it was good enough for me growing up (parents NEVER took us to the doctor unless we showed signs of rigor mortis setting in) then it's good enough for Trooper.

On another Trooper note, I went to orientation for obedience school tonight. Definitely signing the monster up. He needs it!

Tired and eyes burning from pollen. Signing out.

One week down

A billion more to go....or at least it feels that way. Not to be dramatic but it feels like he has been gone forever! I'm so lonely and bored. Doug is my best friend so when your best friend isn't around, it's hard to have as much fun as I once did. I hope the year passes quickly.

This week I've been busy taking care of money/financial stuff. I got the SSRA implemented on all his bills. I've also been busy with Trooper. As you all know, he started doggie day school. I think I will take him tomorrow or Tuesday and then maybe again at the end of the week. This weekend he took his first swim. It was HILARIOUS! At first he didn't want to get in but I think instinct kicked in and he took off and just started swimming circles. Overall, I think he had a great time!

Today I made a chicken and rice casserole. I haven't eaten it yet but it was very easy to make. Hopefully it tastes good. I'd like to make one new dish a week until Doug comes back - that way I have an arsenal of recipes and can be a good wifey and cook my man some good food. As it stands now, I can't cook. Ugh.

Guess I better go play with Troops and do some laundry.

Doggie Day School

Today was Trooper's first day at Doggie Day School. When I picked him up, the owner raved about him and talked about what a good boy Troops is and how sweet and well mannered he is! That made me feel good. Trooper is exhausted too which is AWESOME. He isn't mauling me or fighting with me. He is being a sleepy, cuddle bug! Love it! He goes again on Friday!

Talked to Doug for literally a minute. Hope he calls again later. I miss him.

Been watching Walking Dead and it makes me realize that I need to have a gun ready to go in case anyone ever breaks in. There are 5 firearms in this house and none of them are loaded. I am nervous to have a loaded gun in the house so I think I want to keep one of the semi-automatics in the night stand with a loaded clip next to it. Problem is, I am nervous around semi-automatics. I am very comfotable around rifles and revolvers but for some reason, semis make me nervous. I think I am going to sign up for a one-on-one lesson when school ends. It's $25 for an hour and I just want someone to show me how to operated it properly and then I want some range time.

Off to bed, I think. This week is flying by!

Day One

I had a pretty productive day despite the fact I spent half of it crying. After dropping Doug off at 5AM at the bus pick up, I drove home and crawled into bed around 6:30ish. I slept until 10AM and cried on and off for 2 hours before finally deciding I needed to get things done.

I went to HR and changed my name at work, made the truck payment, deposited money into the joint account, and enrolled Trooper in doggie day school. He goes tomorrow morning. It's just going to be once a week or less. He needs to get socialized and I am hoping this will help.

This afternoon I went to visit my parents and pick up Trooper. He was very happy in the country and didn't really seem as if he wanted to come home. Who can blame him? It's nice down there! When we came home, he ran around, presumably looking for Doug. Poor thing...I wish I could explain to him that the pack leader is coming back. He kept looking at me and it felt like he wanted me to help look for him too.

Plan on chilling the rest of the night. I have Walking Dead to watch but I'm getting freaked out. I'm a chicken. Scared to watch it alone!

I miss Doug a lot and I'm so sad. It was so nice having him come home every night these past few weeks. I cling to this time next year when we can finally live together like a husband a wife. Doug, if you read this, I love you so much! Please be safe.

The Mother of ALL bad Sundays!

Doug and I hate Sundays. It's a shame because Sunday's should be lazy days in which one can relax, enjoy the day, go to church, and spend time with family. However, over the course of our relationship, Sunday has always been the day we part. The long distance always meant we never got to spend time together during the week so we had to pack everything in on weekends. 2PM on Sunday was always the worst time because we knew that was the time when things would wind down and one of us would head home. Sundays Suck became our mantra.

Yesterday was the mother of all miserable Sundays because it was the LAST day we had before he headed out to Afghanistan. We spent the entire day feeling sad and upset. We joked about the irony of yesterday being Sunday - I'm glad we found something to laugh about.

But as yucky as yesterday was, I also felt extremely proud of Doug. I beamed with pride as I watched him march into that gymnasium with his soldiers! He looked so dashing and handsome! As much as it hurts my soul to not have him around for a year, I am so proud that I have married a man who is willing to serve his nation and honor his duty.

My ongoing prayer to my God is that He will protect Doug and the other soldiers of the 116th. I believe in the power and love of God and I told Doug to remember what the Good Lord says in Psalms 91:

The Lord says, "If you love me and truly know who I am, I will rescue you and keep you safe.
¹⁵When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect and honor you.
¹⁶You will live a long life and see my saving power."

What's a Year?

That's what lil' Gretchen asked yesterday when I said that Uncle Dougie would be gone for a year. All I could say was "It's a long time." and it is! I know everyone is doing their best to encourage me by saying that a year isn't long at all, but it is. When you love someone and they're going to be in harm's way, a year is an eternity. The only way my heart can survive this is to break it down into increments or benchmarks (in special ed, we focus on benchmarks so it would appear that the teacher in me just can't quit). They are:

1. End of Summer. I figure if I can get through the summer, it will be a milestone. I was really looking forward to this summer because it was to be the summer that Doug and I started our life together. Instead, I'm going to try to keep myself busy with every imaginable activity I can think of.
2. Thanksgiving. If I can get to Thanksgiving, I will know that I've conquered another season and that only Winter and Spring lie ahead of me.
3. New Year's - If I can get to New Year's, then I will have defeated the holiday season successfully.
4. My Birthday/ First Day of Spring - Doug will be home in just a few months from this day. I will make it!!!!!

When I focus on it that way, it makes it slightly more bearable.

Goals for the Year

Doug is my number one playmate and with him gone, I'm going to have a TON of time on my hand. I've decided to set some goals as a way to improve myself and keep me busy while he is away.  They are:

1. Become SCUBA certified and go on a dive
2. Run a 5K and get in shape for the Army 10 Miler next year when Doug returns
3. Go to the gym at least 4 times a week
4. Read one book a month

I'm most excited about scuba and the 5K because these are things that will challenge me. I will keep everyone posted on my progress!

About This Blog

I like to blog and I decided it would be a great way to record and catalog the events of my life while Doug is away. I'm not going to write about my deepest heart's desires here. Instead, this will be a place where people can check in to see what life is like for me as Doug is deployed to Afghanistan. Enjoy!