When the Marine's Away...

For anyone who is paying attention they know that I married a Marine. And even though he is just a reservist, there are adjustments to be made. Maybe even more so than full-time Marines. (I can't say that statement as a fact because I don't honestly know). But here's what I deal with: he's gone at least one weekend a month - lately I've had to deal with long weekends where he's away at night so no communication. Two weeks a year in the summer - so there goes any cool summer plans or the most part - I'm still impressed that somehow we managed to have our wedding and honeymoon without the Marines causing problems in some way but they waited until after we got back to take him away again causing me to spend most of our first month married alone. He always has work to do - yup, in his free time, the very little bit of that he actually has, he has to work on Marine stuff - this isn't a constant thing but it gets annoying. This last week has been the worse because he had a few conference calls and just some work to do before drill this weekend almost every night this week.

But these are all things I have come to deal with. Hey in exchange I get to dress up and go to ball, right? Okay, so maybe not an even exchange. But I do certainly get time to myself. So what does a newly-married gal with no friends in the area and no money to spend do when her Marine is away? Well, since you asked...

Friday

He leaves at some crazy early hour in the morning (dark o' thirty). I pull myself back into bed for another hour or so of sleep before I have to go to work. At least working on Friday will keep me busy for about half the day (I do get off at 2 after all). Just as I expected this morning Stella got upset and decided to wake me up and tell me about it. She kept putting her cold nose against mine then brushing my face with her whiskers so it tickled. She just doesn't handle it well when he's gone. I understand, Stella, I really do.

It's just another weekday so things are normal for me. Shower, breakfast, relax while watching some Charmed, work. Just minus one guy. At work there was nothing missing. Sometimes Rob and I text during the day but not always so it's almost like he isn't even gone. So I spend my day folding bulletins like per normal for a Friday at the church. Then I spend the remainder of my Friday waiting for something to happen. Did I mention that I have a very stress-free job?

Today is slightly different though because instead of just going home after work and eating lunch, I'm going to go hungry to the grocery store. I know, bad idea right? But I have nothing to eat this weekend and I much rather go now than wait until later because I'm definitely not going to want to go out later. It's a lazy kinda day - okay so it's kinda a lazy day every Friday. But regardless I need food. Going to the grocery store right after work is not that unusual for me. I used to go right after I got off, but lately Rob and I have been going together then if I need something else then I pick up my one or two things after work.

You'll never guess what Stella and I chose to do after we got home from the grocery store and ate two - cout'em two - hoagie sandwiches. We laid on the couch and watched Charmed all afternoon. I know lazy. But she was calm and that was rare while he's gone so I had to take advantage of my chance to have a calm cat. I did nap a little. But that's just the relaxing life of a married Marine wife who gets off at two and who's husband doesn't come home that night so I don't have to make dinner until I'm good and ready. : )

And to round out my Friday alone, I made myself some crab rangoons - so not the healthiest dinner but I love them. I chose some chick flick movies that I don't want to put Rob through because I'm a beautifully wonderfully nice wife, so I take full advantage while he's gone (but not even that is a a reason why I like him to be gone)  I would take the sci-fi over my chick flicks as long as he is here. Anyway, I enjoyed my food, my movies and in honor of Halloween, I painted my toes! (I kinda screwed up my orange big toe a little but it'll be all good. And the weird dark spot in-between my feet would is not from my toe nail polish - not sure what it is actually - maybe one day I'll take to get the spot up..?)  And that's my Friday, folks!

Saturday
Sometimes I hate my cat. No really I love her, but she just doesn't give me a break. At about 5 or 6 this morning she felt it necessary to attack my hands under the covers. Then she left and came back a little bit later to throw herself on top of me. And this carried on until I eventually got up at 7 something. Dang cat.

Today I decided to head into Independence. I had been in awhile so I was way overdue for a trip in. I hadn't seen my parents lately and I wanted to stop by and see my friend (who doesn't read this blog - I'm testing you) at FDI. It was a good visit. I got me a pastry brush from Bed, Bath and Beyond for super cheap and no money out of pocket because I had me a gift card. Pretty awesome, right? I love Bed, Bath, and Beyond - but seriously who doesn't? I spent some time there before heading back to Olathe. And just so you know - traffic is horrible. They have the highway closed and it's just a mess. Trust me - not a good time to visit.

So what about once I returned? Well, Stella was quite upset about my absence all day but she's since gotten over it although I'm sure she'll show me how unhappy she was tonight. Silly cat. So while I enjoyed a hoagie sandwich for dinner she played on the floor. She needs the exercise anyway.

So now what? How do I spend the rest of my Saturday evening? Well, doing what any 25-year-old woman would do...making a meal list. Yup, I'm that exciting. Well, it's the logical and responsible thing to do because I have to feed us this week. And my meal planning is a difficult progress because I have a lot that goes into it. I like to try new recipes but I want to stick with at least something I know we like. But since so much of our food uses produce, I want to make sure that my fresh foods don't go to waste so I try to use produce again, which takes some effort and searching for recipes. It's definitely not an easy task.

So that's my Saturday. One more day before my machine gun-firing, wall repelling husband comes home!

Sunday
Stella, Stella, Stella. She is seriously starting to give me a complex. I'm starting to think she doesn't love me as much as she loved Rob. She just freaks out when he's gone and last night it was probably the worse. She spent her whole evening and early early this morning looking for him then coming in and crying to me when she couldn't find him. It's a good thing he's coming home today. I'm missing out on my sleep!

So just another day here in Olathe. Granted, I have spent some of my day relaxing and doing nothing but I work hard too. Okay so maybe Rob has worked hard and me not so much, but I did work some. Somebody's gotta cook and clean. Which by the way, there should be more credit for those people (men and women alike) who take care of the home. It's not carefree do-nothing day completely for me.

I cleaned. Yup, I went through the apartment and did the dishes, straightened the bedroom, cleaned the bathroom, the whole nine yards. And now I chill. Today is finally the day when Rob comes home! Yay! I know it's only been three days but seriously these long drills are not easy, people.

And finally this evening, much later than I want it (considering I wanted him home two days ago), he comes home. He's tired and hungry, but he's home. And that's what matters. So now we can go back to our normal lives. We go back into the work week and then next weekend we get to spend it together instead of apart. No matter what anyone says it doesn't really get any easier to be apart like this with no communication. But you start to get used to it and you start to learn how to adjust. You learn to have weekends like this and you learn how to keep moving on with your life and keep moving forward then when he comes homes, you adjust again. Being a Reservist Marine wife is a life of adjustment, but I love him and I support him so I'm learning how to adjust.