Surprise!

I wake up to a call this morning at 5:17am.  I was barely awake and mumbled a groggy hello? and was greeted by a “Hey, I Love You”  I flipped out!  Peter was able to call me!!!!!!  I was completely shocked and surprised so pleasantly, I still can barely believe it. 

He sounds great which makes me so very happy.  He is doing a new job on the ship which he likes as much as his old job.  He isn’t pulling in to port, they were just close enough to land that he could call- he got reception wherever he was.  I am hoping he is able to call me again later.

I really miss him but the surprise of hearing his happy, healthy voice has made me so happy!  Yeah for us!!!

Keeping busy

It is very important to keep busy while Peter is away, otherwise I’d lose my mind.  Thanks to Nationwide firing my ass last year, I discovered my passion for wildlife rehabilitation and found a place to participate and learn about wild animals.  Luckily for me, the founders of the refuge liked me too!  Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge became like a second home for me during Peter’s last deployment.  When Peter got home, he was very accepting of my new hobby and even volunteered when he was able.

Now that Peter is gone again, Evelyn (the founder) has come up with loads of stuff for me to do to keep me busy.  Since it isn’t orphaned wild baby season, she is doing educational outreach at local schools and giving classes at the refuge for rehabbers.  I will be joining another rehabber, Marjorie (the one who introduced me to the refuge) and Evelyn at a presentation for elementary school students next Tuesday night.  I made a flyer for the children, so they know what to do if they come upon sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. 

Next month, I am joining her for a presentation on a Thursday evening to a youth group.  She is also planning two classes at the refuge for new rehabbers and veteran caretakers.  She has asked me to handle the class for the new rehabbers and I’m very excited!  I’m not certain exactly how I’ll be setting it up jsut yet but I’ll start working on it tonight.

I am also continuing to look for Nico, no sign of her yet.  There is a little black neighborhood cat who makes the rounds.  I have seen him somewhat often. 

I have met with my old coworkers from Nationwide for lunch or dinner.  It was great to catch up with everyone.

Peter’s email communications haven’t been as regular as last time, I’m hoping that as time goes by they will allow more email access.  He sent me a couple long emails and several short ones.  He seems to be holding up well being away from me.  It must be harder for him than it is for me…

New Year deployment

Local news coverage of his deployment

via WAVY!!  New Year deployment.

WTKR’s coverage http://www.wtkr.com/news/dp-local_ike_0103jan03,0,3270817.story

the Pilot Online http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/carrier-eisenhower-leaves-sixmonth-deployment

They’re working hard already…http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/carrier-eisenhower-detours-assist-coast-guard-rescue

Thinking

On Peter’s and my first actual date he farted really loudly as we were getting out of my car.  He thought I would not hear it with the picking up of my purse, getting up and out of my car, shutting the car door.  Only he anticipated that I would shut the door more quickly than I did so in that little pause he farted, thinking the sound would be muffled by the slamming of the car door.  But it wasn’t.  And I heard it.  And I subsequently called him on it.  But I was already in love- it had already happened and no matter what he did I wasn’t falling out of love.

I’ve been thinking a lot about last Christmas (who isn’t- have you gone out recently? Christmas is EVERYWHERE and it was just halloween) and that reminds me of the holidays in New York last year and my favorite holiday memory… Ice Skating in Bryant Park.  I teased Peter relentlessly about my experience at ice skating when he had never been on ice before.  Then I was the only one to fall on the ice- and I did it right; as I was falling I was so concentrated on trying to stay up, I forgot momentarily about how much my nose had been running and when I hit the ice, snot flung from my nose, all over my face, jacket, ice and the professional ice skate coach/rescue person.  It took a whole sleeve to wipe what was on my face off and I left the snot on the ice to add traction to what was obviously a ‘slippy’ spot. 

Peter was also there to rescue me and witnessed the whole thing, he probably had my own personal snot on him…and he still loves me.

We just got married and we are happy and he had to leave me to go off on the ship for a month.  He’ll return for a month then leave again for 6 months and I hate that.  But someday, we’ll have the opportunity to spend all the time we want together.

You can’t help what happens sometimes, sometimes things don’t go as you planned, but you just trust what you think you are sure of and it all turns out perfectly.

I do not know what I did to deserve this, but I am so happy and I hope that everyone feels like this.

The pier

I’m sure you noticed the anticipation-induced pure insanity I’ve been suffering from.  Well, it all came to a head Thursday morning. 

Luckily, Wednesday night I had had a few glasses of wine which calmed me enough to be able to act normal while welcoming Shaun, our new roommate.  He went to bed relatively early after having flown from Florida to Charleston then driving here from there.  After he went to sleep, I got to work making signs for the front yard.

The neighbor, Ally, had loaned me sign making supplies- awesome supplies I’d say.  So I went to work making signs for the house.  I was up until 3am that night, drinking, making signs and being crazy.  I managed to complete two signs then stumbled to bed.

I dreamed I was taking a class about literature where the professor insisted that the most brilliant writer (whose name I cannot remember) was all we read.  I was failing because I could not understand what was so brilliant about his work- one book in particular…about doughnuts.  The professor praised the way this author described the doughnuts and it seemed as though everyone in the class got it except for me.  I didn’t feel like a failure though, even though I was the only one who didn’t get it- I just figured they were all insane.

I awoke at 6am then fell asleep after drinking some water.  Re-awoke at 8am and showered, primped and perfected my pierside look.  I wore a strapless blue sundress with red accessories.  My hair was perfectly curled and full of body.  I packed a cooler of beer (Peter’s request- he just didn’t want to wait for the 20 minute drive home) and the pier sign I had made a few days back then left.  I was anticipating horrible traffic and the closer I got to the base the more nervous I became.  Then I pull right up to the gate to get in…no traffic whatsoever!

I was trying to call him all morning to get an ETA or any info he had.  He had sent me an email that said there would be a tent for Reactor Dept right on the pier so when I parked in the lot I left the sign figuring we wouldn’t need to find each other.  I walked 10 minutes to the pier- the parking was full.  There were families everywhere, parents, wives, husbands, children and so many pregnant women…amazing.  I looked everywhere but could not find a tent marked Reactor anywhere!  So I stood near the handicapped tent (I was mentally handicapped at this point anyway) and ended up meeting a woman who was there to pick up her son who also happened to work in Reactor Dept!  She knew less than I did and thought there would be a big banner to wait under but there was nothing of the sort.  So we waited, together and clueless.

So we waited.  We waited in the 90+ degree heat and unshaded sun.  I got the funkiest looking sunburn across my forehead, shoulders, chest and left foot.  I was dying of thirst but hated to move due to my unbelievable luck at having secured a prime location in the first row near the handicapped tent- nobody was blocking me so I could see where the ship would be coming in.  The lady I met was kind enough to save my spot and so I finally made a break for some water. 

I continued trying to call him and text and email but he still didn’t have any service so was unable to respond.  Finally, the announcement was made that the ship was crossing the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel!!!  People were cheering then we continued to wait.  Sunburning of skin ensued, I shifted my weight from foot to foot and cursed myself for not having the forethought to bring a chair and umbrella.  My god I was hot!  I started getting lightheaded and my head started to ache.  I know the ship moves at 3o knots, which sounds fast,  but it was taking forever!

Finally, the ship came into view in the distance.  It was moving slower than a snail dragging a bushel of giant apples up Mount Washington in traffic.  My feet hurt so bad, I thought I could have peed myself and my makeup felt like it had melted down around my neck.  The ship continued to not move.

This went on for some time…the waiting, the shifting, the sweating and the worrying that I would die of heat stroke before he even made it back.  Suddenly the ship leapt forward a few inches and I saw a giant garland of blue & gold hanging from the front.  Then it seemed like nothing happened for several hours and when I wiped the sweat from my eyes I saw the ship was approaching the dock.  My excitement was hampered by the heat but I managed to snag a few pictures once the ship was really close. 

Then it started heading in an odd direction and I thought I was hallucinating until someone behind me commented they were turning around to back the ship in. 

To Whoever the Hell is steering that 95,000 tons of steel:  Yes you are an awesome driver.  As if we all didn’t already know you had some special driving skills, (I’d assumed they didn’t just hand out a Carrier-driving license to any idiot with a regular automobile license) you had to rub it in our faces that you are ‘the only person with the keys’ so to speak and the opportunity to park that 4.5 acre ship…Cool- I get it, it’s rare that anyone gets to park a 1,092 ft long carrier in front of a captive audience of tens of thousands, and you want to show off your mad skills by backing it in but Jesus!  JUST RAM IT INTO THE GODDAMNED SPOT DUDE SO WE CAN HAVE OUR SAILORS BACK!!!

Peter was finally able to call me and I suggested he just jump off the damned thing and swim to shore.   He wasn’t real receptive to this.  So I continued to wait impatiently.  Eventually I walked back to the car to get out of the sun and cracked open a beer.  Then he called to say he was at the steps to get off the boat so I grabbed the sign, an umbrella from the trunk, my camera and phone and booked it back to the gate.  I wasn’t allowed back on the pier so I stood just outside the gate and watched all the chiefs walk off then the next round started walking off and I held my sign up and watched for him…

Some people near me- I had assumed they were children until she turned around and I saw her 40+ year old face- had brought their chipoo (not a sneeze- a chihuahua-poodle puppy) to welcome their sailor home.  I realized that I had no amazingly adorable pocket sized dog to offer my sailor but figured he would probably be thankful that I didn’t.  After all, the house will be full of baby wild animals soon enough.

Then I saw him!!  He looked at me and the second he registered my face it changed as if he was so relieved- I began bawling instantly and ran to meet him.  I stomped on flip-flopped feet, shoved and elbowed the crowd out of my way, I poked people in the back and in their faces with my pointy sign while throwing my arms around his neck.  To those I may have traumatically or seriously injured, I say this: You should know better than to get between a woman and her sailor, or even stand near them, or even be in their general vicinity, so it’s your own damn fault anyway.

He had a bag of supplies on his back that I would have fit inside comfortably, and that white polyester uniform doesn’t breath at all so I know he was suffering from heat exhaustion as well so we walked as quickly as we could manage to the jeep.  I couldn’t believe he was actually here and kept pinching and squeezing his arms.

He found the cooler with the beer as if drawn to it like a magnet and while I drove home he enjoyed the air conditioning and Heineken. 

He slept a lot this weekend, we haven’t really left the house and he even cooked a few times for us all.  He truly enjoys being back at home and I think he would be completely content being locked inside the house for the next month.  With access to Lowe’s online of course.  The animals were overjoyed to greet him.  Atticus flipped out, Simon started talking and hasn’t quit and Nico’s too cool to admit she missed him.  On a side note: Nico has fallen in love with Shaun- she hasn’t bitten him, spends nights sleeping in his room and even sleeps on his bed with him sometimes.

Welcome back to the Nest

The Garland

All the sailors lined up

Closer view of the deck

Hurry UP!!

Even the hangar bay was full of sailors.

The most excited he could manage to look…

Just before our first kiss…

Note about some of the photos of the ship’s arrival: There are sailors in their dress whites lined up around the edge of the boat but there are also random people here and there in uncoordinated civilian clothing.  This is referred to as having “tigers” on board- They are not, unfortunately, large, endangered, wild big cats set loose on the ship for people’s entertainment.  “Tigers” are family of service members who are invited aboard to sail the last day or two to port and sleep on the ship and spend time with their service member.  Without the prospect of real tigers, I am uninterested in sleeping on a shelf and being seasick for two days, so I passed on that opportunity (plus, Peter had to work so I would have been left alone and the Navy doesn’t trust me unsupervised.)

Peter is Home.  I am so glad to have him back.  We are Happy.

My head is going to explode.

Yes.  I am officially insane from the anticipation and I fear for my life and the structural integrity of my head.  The blood flowing through my veins is doing more than ‘flowing’ it is jittery as if each and every cell has had a shot of espresso.  In my head, my brain is shrinking to accomodate the pressure of these crazy hopped-up blood cells and I think the whole thing might blow right off.

My foot is stomping a mile a minute, my fingers cannot type fast enough, write fast enough, pick up the tissue fast enough, literally they are unable to move as quickly as what my racing mind is commanding them to do.  As if moving faster will somehow make time go faster so I can speed ahead to his arrival on that pier tomorrow.

I cannot focus on any single thought for more than a second: my mind jumps from one thing to the next faster than I can even recognize each individual idea as it darts out as quickly as it darted in.  I am starving but not hungry.  I am tired but my eyes couldnt shut if I tried- they’ve been open since the moment I got out of bed and havent shut once- not a blink!

I am so worked up about everything being perfect that I am paralyzed.  I don’t have much to do at all really when I made a list of it but I feel completely overwhelmed by those few tasks because I need them to be 100%. 

I know what I will be wearing but how will I do my hair?  Should I even bother to put eyeshadow on since it will be over 90 degrees tomorrow and will likely just melt off from the combination of sun and tears? 

How long will I have to wait for him on the pier?  What if it takes hours and I run out of gas from having to blast the a/c to keep myself from being a sweaty stinky mess? 

The excitement I am experiencing would power the state of Texas for 3 weeks. I feel like I could be attacked by the panic at any moment… and become reduced to some sort of useless vegetable for the rest of my life.

I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pet peeve

I have many.  I am going to discuss this one because some jerk just did it AGAIN…

Let me give you some background.  I sit at the front desk with a view of the front parking lot of this building.  I park exactly where I can see my jeep in the middle of the parking lot.  That way I watch my vehicle all day and will know if anything happens to it.   My office is pretty empty and not a whole lot of other people park here.  In fact, I am usually one of two vehicles parked in the twelve spot section.  The building houses several offices but the parking lot is rarely full.  It is rarely 70% full.  In other words, there is no reason you should park right next to my vehicle when there are 10 other spots, not directly adjacent to my jeep.

Well, I hate those huge, jacked up trucks country boys drive- the 350 series with its bumper 3.5 feet of fthe ground and giant monster truck wheels supporting this mammoth piece of shit.  It’s just not my taste.  Last week, some smurflike dufus pulled up in one and parked RIGHT NEXT TO MY VEHICLE. 

Listen up Dufus Smurf, there are ten other spots around just in that section, not to mention the dozens of other spots in the lot that are currently available.  What the hell were you thinking parking right next to my vehicle?

So while I sit here, fuming at this jerk a couple coworkers approach me. I explain the situation and they’re surprised that I even care since the jerk was ‘kind enough’ to park far away from my jeep.  Obviously they don’t get it.  Then…the jerk gets out of his car.  AND WALKS TO THE NEIGHBORING BUILDING.  Where, I might add, there happen to be plenty of open spots a helluva lot closer than parking in the middle of my lot next to my car!!!!!  He is there for a quick 3-4 minute visit then leaves. 

What the hell is your problem buddy???  Needed a little bit of exercise but not too much to tire yourself?  Wanted to surprise someone by hiding your car out of their view then you ruin the surprise when they see you walking up anyway?  I know, it’s difficult tho think that far ahead.  Maybe you thought you had run out of gas and needed to pull over quickly?  Or were the space cadets monitoring your movements and that was the only spot protected by magnetic gravitism??

Today, some new jerk in a big red pickup parked and pulled the same shenanigans.  What is with you people???  If there are multiple empty spots, DONT PARK NEXT TO ME WITH YOUR GIANT UGLY BEAST OF AN AUTOMOBILE!! 

Another jerk in a vehicle that pissed me off:  I am heading home from work and get behind this asshole who feels so strongly about his negative opinion he puts it on a bumper sticker…I am so tempted to un-crop his license plate for all to seee because its an abbreviated large, clumsy ocean bird that anyone would recognize!!

 

I know its difficult to read so I’ll spell it out for you: YES! I WANT OBAMA TO FAIL

What kind of total racist asshole wishes the President Of The United States Of America to FAIL?  It was so difficult to not ram him from behind with my lovely jeep.

Two days til my love returns!! He is in a not so far off port and called me to chat for a bit this afternoon.  His belly is upset and his requested foods for arrival night are:

• white wine
• heineken beer (a six-pack for the 20 minute ride home from the base when I pick him up)
• mussels
• pasta
• petit diced pre-seasoned tomatoes
• onion
• cilantro

I don’t know whose belly that would settle but what Baby wants, Baby gets.

Other news…

I am eagerly awaiting Peter’s return.  I don’t know what time I get to pick him up on Thursday but I know it will be a hectic, traffic-filled, crowded, confusing day. 

Our new roommate, Clarke should get in sometime tomorrow.  I need to make him a key to use and he’ll be staying in the guest room until the repairs are completed on the first floor bedroom.  I can’t imagine it taking too long but we’ll see. 

The animals know something is up- Atticus is at the groomer this morning.  The cats are searching for their furballs (I vaccumed them up!) which had been lingering for too long.  I am hoping they are all on their best behaviour when the new roommate gets here & when Peter gets back Thursday.

I took off Thursday and Friday to spend with Peter.  I would have taken more time except I don’t have ‘vacation’ time to take these days. Since I’m just temping I forgo the pay when I want to take time off. That sucks.  It will be a crappy pay week this week since I had to take time off to meet the HVAC company this morning as well as missing Thurs & Friday.  I will likely have to take more time once the repairs begin as well. 

The house looks great, I have been straightening it up in preparation for his return.  I haven’t gone grocery shopping yet though.  That will have to happen in the next day or two.  There is so much to do before he gets back. 

The neighbor wants to help me make a sign to put in the front yard which I think will be really cute…She is a really nice girl.  I met her a few weeks ago and mistakenly told her I was only 28…Well as it turns out, I’m 29 and will be turning 30 this September (I honestly thought I was 28…how time flies!)  She isn’t even old enough to drink yet, LOL.

Peter’s little brother Bruce will be going to college this fall, he graduated high school a few months ago.  His other little brother, Mike, will be visiting in a few weeks hopefully.  It’s always fun to have family around.

The Brass

These days, the office is pretty empty.  Everyone is taking their vacations before they get laid off.  Well, all of a sudden, the Brass decide to show up.

I figure there are two possible reasons they would want to visit this office, which will be closing in less than a year:

a.  The production & customer service has become so low they feel the need to send someone important to prompt people to do some work.

b.  They’re trying to schmooze the employees they just screwed in order to preserve Nationwide’s precious “On Your Side’ reputation.

Maybe it’s a little bit of both.  I have no idea.  I’m guessing it’s both- they don’t want a bunch of angry ex-employees spreading the word about how badly they were treated while they were here.  The Virginia market is traditionally one of the best in the company.  

He showed up just before 9am then leaves at 11 am…a two hour drive, one way for two hours here?  They talk about cutting expenses!  What a waste of gas.  And hot air, LOL.

I am so happy I no longer work here as an adjuster.  It was the worst job ever!   I feel bad for those who still do what I used to have to because it’s hard to watch- I know it’s impossible to do as much work as you’re expected but the pressure remains on them.   Oh well…what can you do?

On a happy note: 8 days left.  Next Thursday.  I don’t know what to do with myself…I hand scrubbed the balcony last night after yoga then put collars on the kids to make them look more presentable.  Then I took the collars off because I realized it just makes them look like they have fleas- it’s been so long since they wore a collar they just scratched it continuously. I feel like taking a steady stream of sleeping pills to knock myself out until he arrives…but not so many that I don’t ever wake up.  I just want to pass the time more quickly.  Last night,  I also made a port sign- a big sign with his name on it to hold up when he returns so he can see me more easily amongst the 5000+ sailors families who will also be there. 

I wonder if they’ll stagger the de-shipping of some of the sailors or if they just release them all like a pack of wildebeasts.  That’s what I imagine it as: like one of those nature movies where the ground starts rumbling and you sense something’s coming and then you see them- an innumerable mob of wildebeasts booking it right for you…5000 sailors coming home.  Picture little tiny me, with my big sign, standing up amongst thousands of people herding around me…It will be crazy- no doubt.

wedding business

NO, we have not yet set a date.  Why? Ask Peter.  We will, probably after he gets back and finds out what is in store for him in the navy. 

We talked about ideas for it, discussed a lot of options- locations, foods, drinks, colors, themes…there are so many choices and I am so thankful that he wants to be involved (yes, he wants to be involved.  sometimes- partially, well sorta…) even though it is going to be a pain in the ass because he doesn’t think the same way I do.  I try to think logically while he picks one subject, completely out of the blue.  The alcohol, for instance… He wants to buy all the alcohol as soon as he gets back and went on and on about how much we will need and what kinds of alcohol we will buy.

My response was, hey, we haven’t yet determined how many guests we’ll be having.  We don’t know where we’re having it or if that place will even alllow you to buy the alcohol yourself.  He continued to talk about the alcohol…

I attributed this preoccupation of his to deployment and the fact that he hasn’t had alcohol since his last port so it’s obviously going to be on his mind.

Then he launches into his need to have a priest there.  Uh, since when are you catholic?  He knows I am agnostic, I have discussed my views on religion many times but his beliefs are rather foggy to me as he has consistently refused to explain what, if anything, he believes despite my constant pestering.  But all of a sudden a priest is required.  I asked him why would he want the person pronouncing us husband and wife to believe that he is going to hell & I’m going to pergatory for the way we live our lives?  I tell him I really don’t want to be married by a priest and list reasons but he can’t tell me what the reason is he needs to be married by one? 

That was months ago.  More recently and out of the blue he suggested doing somethig smaller and with a justice of the peace…?? Uh, ok.

I really miss him because negotiating is so exhilarating in person, while via email it just seems useless.  Plus, I can calmly debate my way to a win over him most of the time.

This is an awesome thing for me because the realization that I have learned that just screaming and yelling to get my way never led to productive or meaningful communication or lasting relationships previously.  I now appreciate the difference in opinion and I absolutely feel that when Peter and I debate something we come up with something better than either of us could have ever imagined on our own.  How mature am I now??

I just remembered my last post from an hour ago…whatever. I’m mature!