I'm alive!

Well, our things arrived a day or two after my last post and we had a cardboard jungle in our living room. We've been slowly unpacking. It feels a little pointless since we'll be moving again in a few months, but we're going to try to make it feel like home until then.

I also started having kidney problems again and had to see a doctor and get some more medication. I'm starting to feel better now, though, thankfully. :) I hope we fight off the infection for good this time.

We've had a few problems since arriving, however. The Utah National Guard called saying that John was still somehow on their records and that they needed his information so they could remove him. So, John sent them the info and didn't think much more about it. But, the problem was that the Guard didn't properly outprocess him earlier - they made a mistake. Whoever tried to fix it made the change, did not sign it (thus going against protocol) so that it just said that Utah made the change, and the change carried that later date showing the John was not outprocessed from the Guard until now while he'd been inprocessed into the Army for a couple of months. This messed up our finances, as you can imagine. So we didn't get paid at all until today. We were able to get a loan and the last of the reimbursement for our travel expenses came through a few days ago, so we made it, but we've been a bit stressed out until now. Thankfully it is all straightened out and the Utah Guard might be investigated a bit for their blunder.

We will be getting the internet to our house next week so soon I will be able to change pictures and stuff! We've had to go to the housing office during certain hours so we could use the computers there (which is why I haven't updated as much).

Things are going well for us now and we are excited for our future. And I WILL get those squirrels to hold still for a picture! ;)

Thank you to everyone that has been so supportive of us through this big change in our lives. We love you all and really appreciate everything. :-*

Adjusting Fine

Well, we're here in North Carolina. Our stuff isn't, but we are! :D We've purchased a few things to help us get by so we can cook dinner and stuff like that. (Cause let me tell you, after four and a half days on the road, you get tired of eating out.)

The drive was good and bad, as travelling tends to be. I loved seeing the ravens walking alongside the road in New Mexico, the coziness of Oklahoma, the warmth of the weather and the people of Texas, the hawks perched all over the trees in Arkansas... We spent a night in Nashville, which turned out to be a little hectic. There must have been some big event going on, we finally found the one hotel that allowed pets, and in the morning there was a protest about the Christians in Egypt going on... So, we decided to see the sights there some other time. :D When we got here it was sunny and green and we checked in at the housing office and got a mountain of papers to read or fill out within so many days. You definitely have to hit the ground running on an Army base, that's for sure. But, we're doing it alright! (John runs a lot faster than me, though...)

We live in a 2-bedroom place with all hardwood floors, which makes Miles's "yowr" sooo loud. ;) The kitchen is definitely small, though. I can't open the refrigerator door more than halfway! There are two giant trees in front with some giant mushrooms growing in it. And there are adorable squirrels everywhere around us, chewing very quickly at all times and startlingly paranoid. They always KNOW if I'm looking out the window at them. John is wary of them, since the ones in West Virginia knew how to work zippers (why do they have to make money shiny?!?). Last night in the wind we could hear them scampering across the roof. It made things feel so cozy. :)

So, we're doing well. We're trying to get all of the things done in the allotted times and we're hoping our boxes and furniture arrive in the next few days. Just getting used to a new climate, time zone, and living on an Army base. ;) My cracked and bleeding hands are almost healed completely already, though! And the misty rains lift my spirits and help me feel calm.

We love you all and we're sorry we couldn't visit anyone along the way. John had to start work the day after we got here, so we made it in the nick of time as it was. Thank you all for all of your support. We couldn't have done it without you. :)

A Wrench in the Gears

Well, a LOT has happened this week. Things had been move along smoothly and steadily. And then my cell phone rang and a woman told me that the housing they had informed us was ready we wouldn't be able to have at all and there wouldn't be anything else until February. I stammered a little, trying to explain that we had purchased John's plane ticket a day earlier, that we'd given our landlord notice, that the movers are scheduled, that John had acquired leave to come and get me. Apparently she didn't realize that John was already at Fort Bragg, so she decided to try to call him again. I broke down in sobs, I won't deny it. John called me a few minutes later. "Well, they know I'm not happy," he told me -- always the hero. :) He told me that we might be able to get into a smaller 2-bedroom apartment. This was sad for us because he had gone through the model home of what we would have moved in to one day prior to this catastrophe. The kitchen had been enormous, there was an upstairs and downstairs, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a deck... He went and looked at the smaller place we might be able to get that night. Down to 1 bathroom and a kitchen that is just big enough to open the oven. It's a big disappointment, but it's of course better than nowhere to live.
The soldier that had lived in the place we'd have gotten is deployed currently and his wife is somewhere else, but they left all of their stuff there. I have a feeling they did it so they could keep their housing. That's really mangy of them, though, to expect their housing to stay theirs for a solid year when no one lives there. The housing office is going to keep trying to get in touch with them so they can still get us the place, but chances are very slim. I almost don't want it anymore, to be honest. Before, it was exciting... now it's just an ordeal and I just want somewhere to live.
And this morning the movers called to see if they could come by and assess everything so they know what kind of truck and how many boxes. After frantically trying to put things into some kind of order - and pretty much succeeding - I walked the man through the apartment and showed him what will be going and what we will be getting rid of (we'll get rid of a lot more now). He was very nice and explained how everything would work and helped me feel a lot better. The other wrench in the gears is that I will need to be here while things are being packed on the 12th, so my parents will be picking John up at the airport. His flight arrives in the middle of the day and I don't want to ask someone that lives closer or knows the airport well to take a day off of work, so one or both of my parents will go and take their cell phones with them and find him. :)
Yesterday I had my last lessons with the family my very first student belongs to. I took them Christmas presents and hugged them all goodbye. However, the littlest one - about 7 years old - didn't let go. And didn't. She squeezed harder as her siblings attempted to pry her off of me. After quite a kerfuffle I was disentangled and had to exit the house with the siblings bidding me farewell but holding the little one back while she cried and screamed "no no no no!" after me. The other 2 girls walked with me to the car and just as I got to it, the little one bravely poked her head out the door and called goodbye to me. Poor little bear. My kidneys are protesting painfully today from all the stress this week and the squeezing, but it's actually a good distraction. Gets my mind off of worry and onto treatment.
So, John will arrive on the 12th amidst the packing, packing will continue through the 13th, and the movers will head out on the 14th and we will clean this apartment. Then we'll check things out with the landlord and hit the road. I don't know if we'll be able to see anybody... John only has so many days of leave (I think it's 10, but I'm not sure) and we've got a country to cross. ;) I might not be able to post again until we are in North Carolina and our computer and other things arrive, so if that's the case: here we go! :) Wish us luck!
We'll see you on the other side. =)

Move-in Date

We have a move-in date! January 20th. The details are still a little foggy at the moment; John will need to find out when he can get the time off to come and get me and drive across the country with a cat ;) , the packers/movers need to be arranged, and many more tiny details (getting the car checked, calling the vet, etc.) that give us headaches. But, we are very excited! Johnny got to see the outside today - he'll be able to look around inside later this week. He tells me it is a nice 3-bedroom place with an upstairs and downstairs, we'll have one neighbor on one side, there's a deck, and there are pretty trees in front. :) I cried a little bit when he told me because I am so happy that things are becoming a reality. When I know the details, I'll update again.
Here I've been sorting things and trying to fit all of the bags bound for the D.I. into the corner in the living room. I'm finishing up with the clothes and moving onto books and papers this week. This has needed to be done for some time, actually. I'm enjoying the clear-out intensely. It's liberating trimming things down.
The best part of all this is that we'll be together again soon. I've learned to function alright on my own, but I never stop missing him. His voice on the other end of the phone warms me each night, but I miss burrowing my face into his neck and him telling me that my nose is cold. ;) I miss who I can be when I am with him - don't have to try to be strong all the time. I'm safe to be a weak around him a little bit and let myself take a breath. These times apart really strengthen our relationship, though. We reevaluate our priorities and learn to appreciate one another more. (And sometimes I agonize over some tiny little thing that I got mad about and realize how silly it was.) When you're apart, you have to fight for what you have so it doesn't slip away. "You're so worth the fight." (-Incubus) We're about to fly into the wind together, hoping we're strong enough to break through. I believe we are. :)

Smiling Through :)

Over the past week or so, we have moved from 12th to 7th on the housing list! Soon, we will have a place to live together and things will be rushing forward.
The Monday before Christmas I became very ill and saw a doctor. After some tests (they had to stick me in three places to get a blood sample - blast my tiny veins) my doctor returned to the room I was waiting in that had a dragon painted on the wall - that dragon saw me through :) - and told me that I either had a kidney infection or appendicitis. My blood count pointed more closely to a kidney infection. However, he told me he was concerned and that if I got much worse to head to the ER. He prescribed some antibiotics that would dissolve as quickly as if I were hooked up to an IV. Thankfully, within a few doses I started to feel dramatically more healthy and am continuing to improve. I am concerned by how much infection I seem to have all the time, though, so after I have health insurance I'll meet with a doctor and see what we can do.
For Christmas Eve I was able to spend the evening with my parents, my little brother, Brandon, and his girlfriend, Emily. After our traditional finger food dinner (we always have stuff like a relish tray & dip, meatballs, lil' smokies in barbecue sauce, cheeseball & crackers, small sandwiches, etc.), we played Fact or Crap, a really funny game that my sister, Maren, and her boyfriend, Brett gave my dad for Christmas. We had an awesome time and, of course, Brandon won. (Someday! *shakes fist in air*)

Christmas Day my parents and Brandon and I just had a lazy day around my parents' house. Brandon has a really bad sore on his tonsils that got infected, so he spent the day on the couch. Poor boy. He's slowly getting better. For me, it didn't feel like Christmas, which is good becuase it follows along with our plan. (The Plan: we're going to have our Christmas just Johnny and me once we're together in North Carolina with lights and a tree and wrapped presents and the works! Buwahahahahaha!) And in the evening I went back to my apartment and talked the night away on the phone with Johnny. He spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at a couple of different Sargeants' homes and had a good holiday.
There is also some news: Emily actually isn't Brandon's girlfriend. Because he just proposed not long before Christmas!!! She is now his fiancee! They are planning the wedding for February 13th, the day after Brandon's birthday and the day before Valentine's Day. That will be one awesome week for them every year. :D I wanted to wait and make sure they had told people before I wrote about it on my blog. They are a very cute couple and I want to congratulate them and wish them all the happiness the world has to give. Brandon and I did everything together growing up and he is absolutely precious to me. I've missed him a lot over the years since we had to grow up and I'm so glad that when I move away I'll be leaving him with such a sweet girl.
Time is moving and indeed it's stinging without John, but we're moving toward our goal and I'm excited for the times to come. He already has his red beret and is preparing for Jump School in the near future. And he just texted me a picture of "the smallest, cutest pine cone *ever*" - that's the kind of stuff he does to keep me smiling. :) It's working.

Progress :)

The best thing about this time apart is that we can talk on the phone!!! The last time, when John left for Basic, we were only able to communicate through letters (yeah, like snail mail, kids). We've been talking and talking whenever we can - which is part of why my ears are still red, though the hives have been fading away. ;) It's been helping us be strong and keep going.
We are on the housing waiting list. :) In 2-3 weeks we should have a place to live. It kind of feels like the part of the roller coaster ride where you're climbing and climbing and things are about to start getting scary and moving fast. ;) I've been trying to stay focused on preparing to move. Washing and sorting and discarding and donating and so on. Since John was promoted recently, we will be able to live in a nicer place than we expected, possibly a 3-bedroom! That is a relief for me, because I won't be getting rid of as much furniture as I thought. I still don't want to cart a ton of stuff out there, though, so I will keep trimming down our belongings. :)
Miles and I have been adjusting better than expected, as well. It's like we just switched back to our other rhythm. Miles definitely keeps a closer watch on me now than he did with Johnny around. Instead of sitting in the same room, he sits RIGHT next to me on the couch. (He requires his own cushion, of course. There is no cuddling unless it's on his terms. :D ) The kitty has needed more attention because he misses his daddy - and I am just not as fun to play with as John is. ;) I've even been cooking, which was hard for me when we were apart before.

I've written more of the details on how John is doing on his blog at spyder311.blogspot.com if anyone is curious. He joined his unit today and loves the intensity he's found there. He's been craving it since he finished AIT in February. I love that about him. :) He enjoys a challenge and he likes to work hard. It's so refreshing to me because it often feels like life is about cutting corners or dodging responsibility. But Johnny relishes the task and strives to exceed expectation. It's awesome.
We, sadly, will be apart for Christmas. But, we decided to take a friend's advice and celebrate it together after we are reunited. We'll put up a tree and lights and wrap presents and everything. :) And we'll be able to talk on the phone together on the 25th, so it will still be a merry day. We'll just stretch it out and let the Christmas Spirit hang out with us for a while. ;)
Everything is going to be ok. No matter what. :)

Let the adventure begin. :)

Yesterday we had our last day together for a while. We had to run up and get the rest of the paperwork from John's recruiter in the afternoon and all of the recruiters wished us luck and told me to call them if I need anything at all. :) We'd both been too nervous all day to eat and it was about 2 o' clock, so we decided to grab some lunch. We decided to head over to La Dolce Vita. Since 2 is kind of a slow time for restaurants, we had the place to ourselves! We split the gnocchi lunch special and talked about all the good things ahead of us in life. And over our tiramisu we wished each other a Merry Christmas, just in case. We had a mini Christmas meal together. =) It was heavenly. Our own little world enveloped La Dolce Vita for a little while. :) I could watch the stress melt off of John while we sat there eating together. The color came back to his cheeks, the sparkle back to his eyes.

John's buddy Jesse had agreed to drive us up to the MEPS hotel that John would stay the night in before flying out with the other Army guys in the morning. So, we all headed up together, checked Johnny in, had some Burger King for dinner, wandered about in Barnes and Noble (and picked up a Halo book for John to read during the flight since he forgot a book and I knew he'd be sad and nervous on the plane without something to distract him - he's made himself sick enough with worry as it is) and eventually said a tearful, hug-so-tight-you-can't-breathe goodbye in the underground parking lot. Then Jesse drove me home and I did a lot better this time emotionally - just a few tears at first, then we just talked and listened to music. When I got home, I fed the furball that kept rolling around on the floor and meowing his little "pirrup" to be cute enough to be rewarded with noms. :D
Sadly, a little later, behind my ears and the back of my neck, upper back, and arms were itching and burning. Yep. I broke out in hives from stressing out too much. :-S Such a silly Tiney.
A mistake was made, though, and there was no plane ticket for my Johnny. So now he will be flying out tomorrow and he and I have been chatting online today (he has his lappy). That's the way it goes. So, here I am drugged up with Benadryl at the computer chatting with mah boy (refraining from itching... mostly). :D
This starts the adventure, eh? Here we go!