It was put into our ear sometime mid-July that with the state of the Navy these days, deployments stretching into un-seen-in-Navy-history durations, I.A.'s happening to almost every Command, that there may be a change to the estimated date of arrival for our "flyboys" to come on home. "Just because they say they're going to return, doesn't mean they will," mentioned a very salty wife who's seen her husband be literally on their way home and have the boat return to location of conflict because duty called. This really stuck with me, although I wouldn't dare raise my concern with Mr. Wookie.
But seriously, what if while in the vast Pacific Ocean, duty called? What if they were kept for just a month? What if they were kept for beyond Christmas? Seeing as Mr. Wookie's actual "shove off" deployment date has wavered within a four-month margin, I literally couldn't be surprised if it was moved up to NOW. It's happening to one of our sister squadrons here. They've barely been home 6 months before their Skipper had to let loose the news that the boat calls their name...so soon.
But in July I found my rhythm, and sadistically began to enjoy this rare life of just me, although the thought of a vacation without Mr. Wookie will be long-deserved. His out-and-back schedule will cause even my best of friends to le sigh and dream of a closer duty station for me. It'd be one thing if the squadron would just deploy already, but instead they're taking it chunks of weeks at a time. We'll go here for training, then the boat, then back East, then to the boat...
So once his boots are on the ground, I'm taking time off work - each time welcoming Mr. Wookie home with a man-style breakfast, served with coffee, and my day-off company to Costco for "man foods" since my style of dinners don't really stick to your ribs.
Although let's not pretend I don't have standards when it comes to welcoming home a long, lost semi-Caveman-ish Mr. Wookie. Don't fly-in with a rose. They're just lame. I don't know how you get flowers when you do fly-ins, but please, I beg you - make a request. Just explain, "My girlfriend is a redhead, so naturally she's a pain in my ass. Can you cut the flower off and just give me a stem?" Har.
Okay, not really. I mean I'll take a rose if I have to - but seriously, let's have something more creative. What about a spider mum? Or hydrangeas? Or gerbera daisies? I would die for daisies and he knows this. That's how my birthdays are so awesome (minus the age).
Option (let's count) #3--running into his arms and semi-tackling him--gets my vote. Although I'm sure there will be elements of #1, #2, and maybe #5, too. I doubt there will be waddling. That's why they make light beer and Skinny Ritas.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was in the Navy, and one time they were on their way home from deployment and they got called back to the Gulf because of the Iranian hostage crisis (so obviously this was years and years ago). It was a lot harder back then to get a hold of people to tell them what was going on, so needless to say my mom (and all the other wives), were not only not happy, but really had no idea when they would get home. I can imagine being so close and then having it pulled away would suck.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a happy homecoming, and it's sooner rather than later. :)
I'm so glad I found your blog. It is seriously the story of my life. Multiple work ups each for a month at a time, d-date moved back and then up and then really far up, expected deployment length extended...and knowing you're better off to expect it to extend even more. It makes it hard to plan much and shit can just get plain stressful. And AMEN to the "I'll do his laundry like a good girlfriend knowing that I would rather have his laundry here to do than not." What I wouldn't give to have my sir's flight suit in my dirty laundry pile right this minute.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, so glad I found your blog :)