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.

Am I missing something here?

We're well into summer day camp and parents are still trying to get their kids enrolled. I'm not talking about parents just moving here or starting work on the island. These are parents who've gotten the emails from us months ago which they blatantly ignored. We know this because they've said so to our faces. Funny how they're scrambling now in trying to find something for their kids to do over the summer.

I know some of the military try passing the buck claiming they've never received anything. Problem is most don't realize who I am or who my husband is. Between my boss and Jason, the soldiers and parents were definitely blanketed in emails about camp and being registered with CYS. I had one Dad claim deployment status even though he got here a year ago. When I asked if he was on our email list or registered he said no, which I did verify. When I searched his name within the installation phonebook I saw he was within Jason's command. His denial fell flat after this information surfaced because I know the email Jason sent out back in February to all of his soldiers.

And yet, they get angry with us because there's a wait list. They get angry because we don't give them what they want. They get angry because they were the slackers who spaced on when school ended. We only do so much hand holding for the parents before we make them accountable for their lapses.

I want a healthy household please

I got a call about Jake throwing up after his nap on Wednesday which meant Jason or I needed to pick up him. After getting an earlier phone call about his general clinginess in the morning I called for an appointment. Helps I knew he already had HF&M so we just needed the confirmation.

The diagnosis? Double ear infections, strep throat and HF&M. For a child being this sick he spent the rest of the day on Wednesday running around like a banshee. Yesterday was pretty much the same only he was more pissed off in not getting allowed to play outside. The neighborhood didn't need a HF&M infestation going on.

On a wetter note, we got bombarded with water during our fire drill this morning. So woefully under prepared for this annual event. Bear pulled the alarm for our monthly fire drill with a giggle. The trucks were waiting for the kids by the fence to all line up before the onslaught began. No water balloons on our part. No water guns. Nothing but soaking wet kids who enjoyed the hell out of themselves.

It doesn't flood here!

Whoever made that comment to Jason must have been smoking something good because they are full of shit. It was coupled with the phrase 'we're at the widest part of the Mississippi'. This past month's been a doozy with the weather and flooding in our neck of the woods. We're fortunate in missing out a good chunk of what's hit Iowa. Not by much.

Yesterday as we drove off the island more ponds cropped up around the main road on post. The road circling the island by the bridge is under water. Looking across the way to the Mark, you can see how high the river has risen this past week. Steps and walls are completely submerged. Sandbags have grown overnight in preparation for the final cresting of the Mississippi in our area. Davenport's been hit the worst since it's slightly lower then the Moline side. Parents are cursing the new commutes because they change every second. Yesterday it took one parent 7hrs to pick up their stepdaughter when it should have been only 2 thanks to all of the detours.

What's truly frightening about all of this is the worst wasn't as bad thanks to levees breaking up and down the river, doesn't matter which one because it's happened with all of them. Records have still been made even though the 500yr flood plan apparently happened in 1993. Try telling that to everyone whose houses are submerged, their memories gone with all of the water.

People Get Ready,

I'm going swimming. Sort of. It's more of a chaperone deal/extra body there for ratio type of thing. I found out this morning I've been recruited the next 3 wks for the swimming field trips. I don't own a bathing suit. I'm fish belly pale. I have tattoos which aren't easily covered with a small band aid or two. All this means is I sit on the sidelines and play cards with the kids who won't go into the pool.

Randomness squared

A decision was finally made yesterday over who the new commander would be. A few months back this had been decided then a mini-uproar ensued. Apparently something along these lines should have happened when Jason took command because there's not much of a difference from my perspective. Anyways, I'm glad that's been taken care of even though it really doesn't change things for us. We're still leaving here for Ft. Leavenworth. It only means Jason won't have the time in going over the monumental amount of paperwork the newbie will be faced with. I don't even know if they've done the auditing of equipment yet.

In a few weeks Jason will once again be out of command. Seriously, 4 times he's been in command already. A slight break being in school will be nice. We've heard the gamut in school being a slacker's paradise to having one's nose in a book for 10mths. I think it'll be inbetween with more downtime then expected. He's already planning on taking the boys to school next year so I don't think it can be too bad. Or am I already delusional?

The job search continues. The one I applied for back in March has been reposted. I was at the point of being asked for references when they pulled it. I only know this from calling personnel and inquiring about the job and whether or not I should put my name back in the hat. Two more jobs opened up at the hospital down there which I've self-nominated myself. Both are administrative/HR types along the lines of what I'm doing and have done before. I even applied for one down at the jail. Not sure which one but it's for HR so it's not like I'll be contributing to any one's delinquency.

The weather here sucks mightily still.I read yesterday they're predicting record setting shittastic weather in the Midwest this summer. Awesome and we're moving to Kansas. I want to say the line was from Wichita up towards Des Moines in the article I read. Woohoo! More trees and branches were down from the storm early this morning. Yet another tree is being taken down across the street. It wouldn't affect our row of houses but the ones right next to us. Although if it fell right we wouldn't be able to get on our street.

I guess I should actually start working. It's the calm before the storm of summer camp.