First comes air shows. Then comes deployment.

The Navy. It's a great branch sometimes. It has stations not in the middle of North Dakota (really, Air Force...who wants to live there????). The desert-storm flight suits can recreate GhostBusters costumes with ease. And you have the best pilots* (umm....yes...because only Navy pilots can land on a floating city).

Our current location has a rotating set of squadrons where one group is in each phase of deployment (whether it's surging, preparing, deploying, returning, standing by, or getting screwed with back-to-back deployments). We're thisclose to ramping up to "boat time" and so the schedule this month is much less time at home. Thanks to a couple texts today, my calendar includes much more "Mr. W gone -------------> Mr. Wookie home?"

The more I look at the calendar over the next 24 months, the more I get excited...and nauseous...and excited...and nervous...and "Oh my Gawd, we're actually doing this!!!!" We're finally facing a deployment. I say "finally," because flight school is such a process for the men and ladies to go through. It's years of dedication and a government wad of money. It's stress. And for those who STA-21 with families, it's even more intense.

It just has me thinking that it's been years since we've gone long distance. So this'll be a fun and learning time to readjust to being alone again. But even then, this'll be the real deal. It'll be me, and the dog, and the Wives Group. It'll be insane mailing schedule of "Are you bored yet?" packages, it'll be lots of cooking for 2 (can't forget lunch the next day!), and it'll be me in my house...alone...taking visitors (hint, hint).

Months ago, Mr. Wookie's squadron was in the 'standing by' position. This means they stayed busy with lots of public relations. A lot - whether flyovers or air shows.

If you've recently been to an airshow in this country, you may have seen Mr. Wookie! I would die the moment I get an email saying, "Oh my goodness!! Mrs. Wookie - I found him!! And he's even cuter in person!"

Okay, that last part I may have to whip your butt for comments like that. I mean, I agree...but come on...

And did you notice his arm patch? That's right. Representing...

I know that many of the blogs I stalk are amidst deployments, and many have welcomed home their hot, lover men from defending freedom, and there may be a few just like my cocktail-lovin' self that will wave off their sailors for months gone. I know I'm bright-eyed about this upcoming "fun," but maybe it'll propel me through a few days of it all before I turn into a whining bitch of cocktail-needing annoyance.

Time to whip out muffins tins to start freezing soup!

*Yup. Those guys are good. Are they any better than front-line Marines? No. Those guys are badass in their own right. The Navy just happens to make some excellent pilots, especially E-2 pilots (and COD) where the wing clearance is 2 feet on each wing. Yowzas!