The maid is off ...

Editor's note: This post was written on Nov. 21, but was held for holiday posts.

There are things that they never tell you about in the military life. During the first deployment I thought I was just a horrible wife, now as the second looms I realize that it’s going to happen every time … It’s just God’s way of giving you something to do to keep you busy those first few days. What am I talking about? Trying to keep your house clean!

Even without children the reality of it is that during those days/weeks that you’re Soldier is packing you’re house is going to look like it was placed in a now globe and shaken within an inch of your sanity.

First it starts with turning in all of the old gear. If paint spatters are art, then my house is a master piece. When my husband gets a “system” into his heard, there is no disputing the fact that there are better ways. I just stand back, pray no one gets injured and watch the stuff start flying.

As a highly organized person I have color coded plastic tubs in the garage, neatly stacked … or at least they were at one time. His Army stuff was in two colors … Blue for the stuff he owned and green for the stuff he must return. {Sigh} The ingenious nature of it all has been shot to hell. First when he comes in from training all of the gear is thrown haphazardly on the garage floor (Because the one time he dropped it on my living room floor the puppy “christened” it! Thank you little man!) There he leaves it until he needs something, which is always at the bottom of the third bag he empties!

So time to turn in old gear for re-issue. Instead of picking something off the ground, checking to see if it is on the list and either placing it in the bin if not needed or in a duffel bag is needed (my way), he decided to empty EVERY bin looking item No. 1. Then does it again for item No. 2. Again for item No. 3 … and you get where I’m going. The motorcycle and stored suitcases are not hidden somewhere under a sea of green (or that new ACU pattern.)

Alas, the list is done, after a bit of prodding the remaining items are “gently” shoved in a bin or corner. Then the new stuff comes in. But wait, why put it way? It have to be packed for deployment in a mere six to ten weeks! So there it sits until time to pack for deployment.

But that’s not all … everything on the deployment packing list is now dragged into the living room to include equipment, uniforms, socks, etc. Once all accounted for (this year was a short 3-day period!) he packs it all in the bags to see how much extra room he has for DVDs, books, and other entertainment needs. Then it is all unpacked so that he can wash all of the clothing to ensure that he has clean clothes once he arrives at an interim destination (they usually hang out in Kuwait for a few weeks of transition, planning and cultural training.

So my beautiful Victorian inspire home is now decorated with the ACU-patterned items and a few BDU-patterned items for a contrasting element. (Now you know one of the reasons that the tea cups had to be put up!)

{Sigh} It’s not all that bad. There is not need to pull out extra blankets when you get cold, I just used a pile of his clothing; there are more laundry baskets, now that he is not actually using any and I have an excuse to eat in the living room without feeling guilty that I am breaking some sort of “ladylike behavior” code.

All in all it has been a good thing. It has given me a chance to learn more about my husband … I’ve learned that he DOES know how to do laundry, CAN pack in an organized manner, and is ABLE to follow directions written down for him.

Now, I must go and find the dog, I haven’t seen in a day or so (just kidding!)

Until our next cup of tea …