I love and hate the USAF

Time to write about my love/hate relationship with the USAF. Most of the time I love them, even though I am often exasperated. The USAF provides Wil and I with income, security, insurance, base privileges, recreation, tax-free shopping, and other benefits. There is quite a bit to love about it. The people I have met through Wil's AF job all have all been very nice. As an AF spouse, I've gotten to do and see some really cool things that others only dream of. So, before I begin my ranting and whining, let me be clear that I think the USAF is a wonderful institution.

HOWEVER, decisions and plans change like the wind. It's great for operational security, but bad for families and their plans. Also, this 10-year war is starting to stretch the troops thin. USAF Special Operations is short on flight engineers. Since that is Wil's career field, it affects him greatly. AND, what affects Wil affects me and the rest of the family.

Wil arrived home from deployment August 31. He had a week off when he got home. Then he spent a couple of weeks out-processing from training squadron where he had been instructing and then in-processing back into his previous combat squadron. His 2 1/2 years without deploying was nice as long as he was teaching. Now that is over and it is back to the reality of being in a short-handed combat squadron.

On October 15, Wil was put on alert status.  That means that he can't travel more than about 25-30 miles from home in any direction. His boundaries are Pensacola to the west, somewhere past Destin to the east and I-10 to the north. This primary alert crew must be ready to deploy immediately, if needed. This lasts until Nov. 15.

Recently, he was notified that when his alert status ends Nov. 15, he was going on secondary alert status for a month, which means his leash is longer, because he would have a little longer to get ready to deploy. Sheesh. But we barely got reconciled to all of that when he got a bombshell today that changed everything. His deployment was moved up from the end of December to the end of November. He's no longer going on secondary alert, because he'll be deploying.

There's good and bad about deploying early. Obviously, I am not happy that his time at home will be less than 3 months. It seems like he just got back! Worst of all, he will miss Christmas. Bye-bye, Merry Christmas. Hello, Blue Christmas. No squadron Christmas party. IF I go to my faculty Christmas party, I'll be going stag. Ditto for the family Christmas party. No decorations on the outside of the house, because I can't take them down. I'll be putting up the Christmas tree and taking it down by myself. And even though I'll hopefully have Jacob here for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, I'll spend part of Christmas Day alone. Not fun.

HOWEVER, there are some positives. He's going to a different (read: safer) location. There is a slim possibility that his deployment may be shorter. Even if he does stay the whole 90 days, he'll be home for Spring Break. He'll be home before the lawn needs mowing again. Jacob will be home for a month, approximately Dec. 10 to Jan. 8, so I won't be alone the whole time.

I am trying to be positive. Heck, knowing AFSOC, this could all change tomorrow!

Earlier this week, Wil told me that everyone at his squadron was getting 1/2 day off Friday (today) and it was going to be "Take Back Spooky Island" time. It was more or less going to be a party. He said if I could get off 1/2 day, we'd take the boat out and party with them. I spent 3 days looking for a sub with no luck. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a sub for Friday afternoon on short notice??? By Thursday afternoon, I was just about to call the sub line and take whatever I could get. Then Wil called me. Yup, the whole thing had been called off. The excuse was a forecast of inclement weather (that never came). All that stress and worry and planning for naught. I am just grateful it got called off before I called the sub-line.

Yes, USAF, I love you dearly. BUT, like a husband, you can be infuriating at times. It's true that no one can break your heart unless you truly love them. So, take my husband away early, USAF. You know I'll be unhappy and distraught and miserable for a time, but you know I'll love you anyway.

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

The world is a better place because he lived. He will be so greatly missed, but his legacy will live on forever.

In my house, you can find 1 MacBook, 1 MacBook Pro, 1 Mac Mini, 2 iPhones, 1 iPad, 1 Airport Extreme, 1 Apple TV, 2 iPods, and 2 iPod shuffles.

That count does not include the First Generation iPhone, the iPhone 3, and the iBook that are no longer in use. It also does not include the 1986 MacPlus in storage.

When my son is home from college, you can add another MacBook Pro and iPhone.

Thank you, Steve Jobs.  Apple forever.