So back in May, my sweet "has been through it all" friend Jen posted a suggestion list of how to get through an unaccompanied tour. You can find her May blog here. However for convenience I'll list the suggestions:
1. No regrets
2. Don't pull the Kabul card too often.
3. Don't read all the UT advice.
4. Don't do it all
1. Relax
2. Keep your eyes on the prize.
3. Let your kids do more.
4. Say No
In the last 48 hours I'm pretty sure I'm broken most of these rules.
Since moving houses I have regretted staying at post every single day. I do hope this will change but the less stress life I was supposed to return to has yet to arrive. (That is not to say the stress level in the states would not be just as much or more so.)
I pulled the Kabul card just today trying to get GSO to take care of me, and yet it did not do me any good. I know that I don't get (nor do I want) special treatment because the hubby is in Kabul, but dammit I would like someone in GSO to recognize I'm doing this on my own and to cut me a little slack.
Don't read UT advice, well I'm posting this so...
Maybe part of my problem is that I am breaking rule #4. I have been trying to do it all on my own. It finally took my hubby calling my sweet, sweet friend Vicki and asking for help before I realized I might have a complete meltdown before my hubby even reaches the one month mark.
Relax. Well, that is not going to happen anytime soon. New house, school, "repairing" old house with leaky roof, 3 kids, etc. I can't even list it all without hyperventilating.
"The Prize" the bid list came out this week. There are a few great spots on there, don't get me wrong, but there are not nearly enough for everyone in PSP to get what they want. So at this point I'm praying and praying this will not be a totally wasted year.
I would love to let my kids do more. But we have to wait until we are not living out of boxes any more. If I ask them to put a single box away I will be looking for what is in that box the rest of the year. PATIENCE!
And SAY NO! This is the one thing I have been trying to do, and yet some people will not take no for an answer.
Other rules I have broken today, don't watch the news on Afghanistan, and don't count down. Yes there are 342 days until this UT is over. I hate to wish it away because I hope there are going to be so many good things about it. But today, I would wish it away if I could.
So as we can all see I will probably NOT survive the UT. I'm going to curl up tonight, right after I help the 4th grader finish homework, write a paper for my class due tomorrow, clean up dinner, and change the fuse in my car, and watch an episode of FRIENDS and go to sleep. Maybe things will look better when I wake up...if I sleep until Friday.
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