It’s Friday, therefore, a good day to post a recipe.
My friend Rachel posted a link to this recipe earlier this week, and it seemed to me to be remarkably tasty-sounding as well as easy to make and marginally good for you.
Any of my intrepid cooking-inclined readers who try making it should let me know how it goes!
Now that Sgt. Crankypants’ deployment is coming to a close, a lot of people say to me, “You must be excited.”
This is a hard question to answer. Because while yes, him coming home is very exciting, until the unit touches down on American soil and they can well and truly say that their mission overseas is completed there is still a very real possibility that they might be extended. Or sent back.
It happened just last summer, to a unit from Alaska. Troops had actually arrived back in the States, and were informed that their deployment was extended and that they had to return.
Until I know that the unit is home, and home for the next several months, there’s a part of my mind that reminds me of that fact. Physically prepare for the best case, mentally prepare for the worst, and reality will likely fall somewhere in the middle.
Furthermore, we have little clue about the travel plan. Operational security dictates a level of non-communication, of course. But part of it also stems from flexible travel arrangements. Will they get on XYZ flight? Maybe, maybe not. And depending on whether your soldier gets asked to help load bags, that promise to “call when we leave” may or may not be able to be kept.
When my husband came home on his R&R, he called when he left the Middle East, and promised to call when he got to Atlanta, to let me know when I should pick him up at the airport. Except he managed to catch a flight to New Hampshire leaving immediately, and didn’t get that chance to call. He ended up calling from Manchester Airport, and instead of being able to meet him when he stepped off the plane for a joyful reunion, I got to rush to the airport where he’d been sitting for an hour.
My fault? Of course not. Was I glad to see him? Without a doubt. But it wasn’t according to the plan I had in mind, and that taught me a lot about setting reasonable expectations.
So what do you do when you’re sitting at home, wondering when you’ll get your soldier back?
Well, I clean like a fiend. And make margarita pie.
Life on Post is a collection of stories, resources, and recommendations, written by an Army spouse who understands the difference between PCS, TDY, JTF, and all the other acronyms the military runs on.
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» Daniele-Watkins
