Good day...

Greetings all. Today is a good day. George will return home over the next few days, I am feverishly trying to get the house clean, do homework and prepare for the fast-approaching holidays.

I am taking a break from house cleaning to watch some forensic-history shows on the History Channel (which I love.) Sgt. Major sleeps at my feet, snoring like a freight train as I write.

I got the certificates for winning at the post level in some categories at the Army photo contests. They are pretty good looking, I actually might hang them up. I thought they would be something printed off a computer, but ... hats off to MWR. Next the photos will go to FORSCOM and then Army-wide, but they say it could take a while to get the results. I'm not expecting much, just happy to have gotten what I did.

In other news I'm glad the work week is over. It has been a tough one, but I won't go into it because I am trying to forget.

Update ... since draft written Nov. 19 (I forgot to post):

I talked to him today. That's right I heard to voice of an angel ... or at least the man of my dreams. I spoke with George nearly five hours ago and he said he had returned to the Battalion (as had many of the other Soldiers) and they had to unload the trucks, get equipment cleaned and various other tasks then he would call me to come pick him up. Did I mention that it was 4 hours and 30 minutes ago? Its all I can do not to go down there, but as an officer's wife I must set an example.

I spoke with another OS (officer's spouse) who said she had called some of the spouses in her husband's company to tell them that it would be after dinner before they were released and they said they were already down there talking with their husbands ... now for some of you other military wives you could get offended or back me up on my next few minutes of ranting.

I HATE it when spouses do that. The Soldiers go hang out in the parking lot with their spouses and families continually having to be called back to finish the task at hand will the other spouses sit at home waiting for ALL of the Soldiers in the company to be complete so our husbands can come home to us and a very cold supper.

That's right ... our husbands, being in leadership, must wait until all the equipment and weapons are accounted for, ensure that the vehicles are properly stowed away and make sure the Soldiers get home to their families safely, then complete the task that they have to do before they can come home to us. Meaning ... while you are hugging on your husband and muttering about COs who keep calling them back to work, I am sitting at home watching old reruns, hoping my husband gets home before I have to go to work tomorrow.

Our kids (actually my puppy, but those with children waiting for daddy/mommy to return) are just as anxious to see their parent/Soldier as you are, but following the rule of etiquette, are sitting at home asking, "When is daddy/mommy gonna get here?"

So as youngsters sleepily sit on the sofa fighting the Sandman, in hopes of seeing their dad/mom before they have to go to school, others are in the parking lots keeping the Soldier's from the tasks at hand.

So here is what I have to say ... "JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE BACK AT THE UNIT DOES NOT MEAN THEIR JOB IS DONE AND IT IS PLAY TIME! THEY ARE NOT DONE UNTIL THE COMMANDER RELEASES THEM."

Do you who sit in the parking lots distracting Soldiers realize that you are delaying others from seeing their families? Do you care?

All I am saying is let my husband (and Nikki's husband and Ashley's husband and Nicholas and Molly's dad) come home at a reasonable time. As leadership they are responsible for each Soldier in their care, but that does not mean that they want to sit up at the unit waiting for "Soldier Sam" to be found because he wandered off and hasn't completed his tasks.

O.k. I'm done venting and yet I still haven't gotten a call. Maybe I'll watch some more reruns ... I have only seen "Friends" like 1,000 times!