Mini Ft. Leavenworth on our Street

This is what happens when you move to a community with a large military population: you're surrounded by military even when not living on post. So it is with our street. Friend's of Jason are experiencing the same phenomena in their neighborhood down the road from us.

Our neighbor's on the left are military with a currently deployed spouse. Two neighbors directly across from us are military. The one on the right works on post. I know there's a few more down the street from us of which I've met the daughter. I'm not saying I don't mind being around military but if I wanted to be around so much I'd rather live on post. Such is life.

The one on the left moved in the day after Jason arrived here. She and her two boys have been in Arkansas for the past year. Both her mom and FIL died. They moved back upon finding out her mom was sick while her husband went to Ft. Riley for training. Her FIL died shortly after their moving back from a riding lawn mower accident. I'm fuzzy on the details since we were drinking that night. Her house is a beautiful disaster one experiences with moving by yourself coupled with kids. I know this all to well having done the same while living in Germany when Jason was deployed.

Yesterday we bonded some more. She's more conservative in a few areas then me but we lean towards many of the same lines of thinking. It was nice talking a bit about politics without having any major differences of opinions as our boys wrecked havoc on her house. Her youngest is a few months younger then Jake making them twins by default. She also appreciates TJ hanging around Brendan and Colin vs. her oldest who is 11. He opens up around the boys in a way Tristan doesn't bring out of him, giggling along with whatever mischief is going on.

We've also shared a few similar past experiences with our respective spouses which I'm not ready to spread all over the internet. The deployments have wrecked various kinds of havoc on both of our families. I'm hoping things will be smoother for them when her husband comes home this time then our experience a few years back. At least he'll have a break once school starts in January.

And we're in Kansas

It's still all fresh and new smelling so I can't exactly give a decent opinion on being here. I do know the drive through Missouri I read all kinds of billboards saying I would be going to hell. I mean, I already knew that part it's just unsettling in seeing so many bible thumping, pro-life billboards like that on the open road.

The drive to Atlanta and then Leavenworth was okay. The boys were heinious buggers for various parts which I can't exactly blame them. The dvd player only worked partially on the way down. Boredom was the name of the game until I put on the GPS map. Amazing how a little map with a red arrow can be so entertaining.

I'll write more on Atlanta later. It was a difficult trip for me in seeing mom and how the house has become these last few years. I can't say it's easy seeing a parent getting old.

We're mostly settled in to the new house. A rental found through a military website. During the past week, Jason and I have made several comments wondering why the property manager didn't get a cleaning crew in or what is our expectation upon moving out. I never expected to clean up old urine from an unknown person.

At least we're within distance of a major city. One of these days we'll get down to Kansas City and check the place out. So far we've been figuring our way around Leavenworth, Lansing and the surround area. I did make a wrong turn down to Overland Park the other day. Damn construction on the highways.

So yeah, we haven't left Kansas yet, Toto.