Then, there were three...

I should probably fill you in a little on whats going on. A lot of the plans we had a few months ago are pretty different now.

As many of you know, J's commissioning got pushed back. Which was very frustrating, because his parents were half way through Nebraska (in car) when we found out. They were coming to see the ceremony. It was crappy. Anyway, he commissioned on 12 July (thats how we do dates now that we're in the Air Force), so all is well.

But, since his commissioning got pushed back, he did not have get to go to Alabama for his 6 week "Officer for Dummies" training. Not a bad thing. It meant we got to have our stay-cation. We're still not sure if he'll have to do this training after he's done with pilot training.

We hope not. We REALLY hope not. In fact, if I could ask you to look at your clock right now. See it? Is it 11:11? It is!? Please use this wish to wish your good Lieutenant friend doesn't have to go to ASBC (Alabama Training). Thanks.

Anyway, after commissioning, J and I had about three weeks to get ready to report in. We spent it tubing the river, brewing beer, and zooming down water slides. Not much of it was spent packing. But thats just the luxury of Air Force living. All expense, no-pack moves. Every 3-5 years.

Once we got to Oklahoma, we started slowly but surely settling in. We've been here for 11 days now, and while we have very little of our stuff (we're using camp chairs as formal seating, and our dining takes place on a very chic cardboard moving box) we're doing our best to make this home. J was on casual status, which means he goes to sign in every morning at 0800 (8 AM) and then sits in a room and reads. Or makes friends. Or one day he went and played soccer. It's a hard life.

You're very clever and you noticed that I said "J was on casual status" didn't you?

Well, he was going to be on casual status until he left for a month long training in Colorado 23 August. I know, it was going to be a rough month. Well all that has changed.

Friday at 1100 (11 AM), my LT went to talk to someone to see if his pilot training dates had been moved up at all (lots of peoples had). The conversation went something like this:

J: Sir, have my UPT (pilot training) dates changed at all?

Sir: Yes, you start 8 September.

J: I'm sorry, 8 September 2010?

Sir: Yep.

J: I can't do that, I'm supposed to be in Colorado for IFS (Colorado training) then.

Sir: Wait, that can't make sense, let me look.

Sir types something into his keyboard. Something pops up on the screen of his computer.

Sir: You're supposed to report into IFS (Colorado training) Monday.

So, J is getting his blood work done as we speak, because he leaves 3 weeks earlier than we thought. There was a clerical error somewhere or another and the news never reached J. Until Friday. 72 hours before he was supposed to be in Pueblo, CO.

I'll let the magnitude of that sink in before I carry on.



Now that you understand how crazy this is, realize this: J had to:

get uniforms, get rank sewed on uniforms, get a dental exam, get a Class 3 physical, get a flight, get a different flight that will actually work, make reservations for a rental car, get orders to leave, (not) get a government travel card -because there was not enough notice for them- so then proceed to decide which credit card to put all his travel purchases on, make sure the moving company would deliver our stuff while he was gone, get me power of attorney so I could receive all our stuff while he was gone, study A LOT (to put that in perspective, he was starting his studying Friday morning when he thought he had 3 weeks to learn it all. Then he found out he had 3 days), and oh, eat, sleep, and see his wife, etc. etc. etc...

All before Monday. Oh yeah, and most of that stuff had to be done Friday, as nothing is open on base on the weekend! Good thing my man is as flexible as Shawn Johnson. Something new about my husband I learned from this whole experience.

So he is back in Pueblo, Colorado. And I am in Enid, Oklahoma.

And now, its just the three of us (Duke, Calvin, and me) until J comes back.



I love my boys, but they are pretty boring company. Right now, I've got one sleeping on the floor next to me, and the other sleeping in one of the camp chairs. But they sure are cute.



And to finish this post where I began, J's pilot training has been pushed up too. He now starts in September (8 September) so he will be done a little earlier in 2011 than we thought. If I've learned anything from this past week, we don't really know how it'll all pan out. We just know whats happening right now.