I asked Kale to look into what it will take for me to visit him during the second half of his tour. Probably around our anniversary in Feb. It is a big one, like I said it's the big TEN. If I get to go then it will be the first "vacation" we will have taken alone since Lilly was born.
This is what we know so far:
1) I have to have a passport. That's $100 right there. I have "fixed" not having to pay for that ourselves by telling my parents that I want it for Christmas. Even if I don't get to go it will still be good for 10+ years I think.
2) I have to fly from here to Jacksonville and take the shuttle to the Navy base where I will fly on a military plane into Guantanamo Bay. We have to pay for both flights. So far the flight from here to JAX is looking to be about $140, not too bad. We don't know how much the other flight is yet, he is looking into it.
3) The flights from the base are always early in the morning, so I will have to fly into JAX and rent a hotel room for a night. I am not really comfortable going to a hotel by myself, I haven't travelled alone since I was 18 and more adventurous.
4) When I get to Cuba I can't stay in his room, so we will have to stay in guest lodging while I am there. That's okay though, there is more privacy there then in his house. Plus his room only has a twin bed and we haven't slept in a twin bed together since we were dating. I think we both take up a little more room than we used to. :P
5) Judy has already said she would come take care of the kids for us. :) I knew she would, but it's nice she offered when I mentioned going to visit Kale.
6) On the way back I should be okay to catch a flight out of JAX after arriving at the Base and taking the shuttle to the airport. That's the way we set up Kale's ticket for Christmas so he has as much time home as possible.
I am excited at the prospect of visiting him and being alone for our anniversary for the first time in 10 years. He's excited so his second half won't feel as long as the first half. I just hope the military plane ticket isn't pricey, that could put a crimp in our plans.
Showing posts with label Anniversary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anniversary. Show all posts
Saturday, September 20
Thursday, September 11
Where were you 9/11/01?
I know I said I was going to finish Sophia's birth story but I heard some old sound bites from 9/11 this morning on our way to school and it brought everything that happened that day rushing back to me.
The morning of 9/11 Lilly was sitting on my bed watching cartoons (Disney Channel) she was only just 2 at the time. I was packing for our trip later that day. We were due to fly out of Louisville International Airport later that afternoon. That's when Kale called. His first question "Are you watching tv?" I told him that yeah, Lilly was watching Disney, "Turn on one of the news channels." He informed me. I did so, just in time to watch the second airplane crash into the other tower. I am pretty sure I screamed. He then said to me "I don't think you are going anywhere today." He was right, at least I wasn't going by plane. I stayed glued to the tv not knowing what I should do and then the towers started falling, one then the other. I cried. I cried for all those people who were scrambling to get out, for all the people who had loved ones still trapped inside, for all the people on the planes at the time of the crashes, and finally for myself. I knew my life as I knew it would never be the same.
At the time we were living on Fort Knox, where the gold depository is, they felt it was a target. I knew if I didn't leave within a few hours I would be trapped for days. I told Kale I still wanted to go to my parents as planned, but I would drive instead of fly. But we had a problem, we only had one car and since he had planned on getting off to take me to the airport he drove it to work instead of getting a ride. And he was on lock down in the jail and we had no idea when he would be able to leave. I asked one of my neighbors to drive us over to the jail to retrieve the car and she very kindly did so. We did have to do it illegally though, I only had one car seat and it was in our car. Kale and I both worried that I wouldn't be able to find gas or that it would be very highly priced, but I didn't want to be there in case terrorists had plans for other places in the country. Not to mention I would have been very claustrophobic having to stay on post for who knew how long. Turns out it was a good idea to leave, they were on lock down for quite a few days.
Lilly and I loaded up and headed out just before lunch that day. We sat, listening to the radio, listening to all the stats, listening to people talk about their missing loved ones, listening to reporters discuss who could have done it, we just rode the whole way as if in a cloud. No one was on the road, nothing was in the sky, it was just us. I was able to make really good time that day, I hardly remember the drive at all. We only stopped for gas twice, peed at the station, and just took snacks to eat. When we arrived at my parents house my mom was there to greet us. I collapsed into her arms and we cried.
During the next few weeks all I watched was the news. I drown myself in the statistics, I prayed they would find more people alive, and I waited on baited breath hoping they would. It consumed me for days until I finally had to say enough is enough and walk away from the tv.
Now, 7 years later, life for most is not effected daily by this. My life is, every time I have to stop at the front gates to my home and show my ID. And then there are the times when I fly and I swear to you every single time we have flown since 9/11 I have been "randomly selected" for additional screening. Once they even patted Sophia down, at the time she was only 7mths old. I am infuriated they do this to me every time. I know they can't profile, but please....I am a woman, a military wife, with four children, I am hardly a terroristic risk. They are "just doing their jobs" but that doesn't explain why it's always me. I am probably their "look we don't profile, look we picked her!"
Today my kids are doing their annual National Anthem Project walk for freedom. They have done it every year for three years and last year Fort Leavenworth was awarded with the "All Star City" award, even though we aren't technically a city. It's a gloomy day, I hope it doesn't rain on them too much. They are having a picnic afterwards and I don't want it to get rained out.
So, Where were you on 9/11/01?
The morning of 9/11 Lilly was sitting on my bed watching cartoons (Disney Channel) she was only just 2 at the time. I was packing for our trip later that day. We were due to fly out of Louisville International Airport later that afternoon. That's when Kale called. His first question "Are you watching tv?" I told him that yeah, Lilly was watching Disney, "Turn on one of the news channels." He informed me. I did so, just in time to watch the second airplane crash into the other tower. I am pretty sure I screamed. He then said to me "I don't think you are going anywhere today." He was right, at least I wasn't going by plane. I stayed glued to the tv not knowing what I should do and then the towers started falling, one then the other. I cried. I cried for all those people who were scrambling to get out, for all the people who had loved ones still trapped inside, for all the people on the planes at the time of the crashes, and finally for myself. I knew my life as I knew it would never be the same.
At the time we were living on Fort Knox, where the gold depository is, they felt it was a target. I knew if I didn't leave within a few hours I would be trapped for days. I told Kale I still wanted to go to my parents as planned, but I would drive instead of fly. But we had a problem, we only had one car and since he had planned on getting off to take me to the airport he drove it to work instead of getting a ride. And he was on lock down in the jail and we had no idea when he would be able to leave. I asked one of my neighbors to drive us over to the jail to retrieve the car and she very kindly did so. We did have to do it illegally though, I only had one car seat and it was in our car. Kale and I both worried that I wouldn't be able to find gas or that it would be very highly priced, but I didn't want to be there in case terrorists had plans for other places in the country. Not to mention I would have been very claustrophobic having to stay on post for who knew how long. Turns out it was a good idea to leave, they were on lock down for quite a few days.
Lilly and I loaded up and headed out just before lunch that day. We sat, listening to the radio, listening to all the stats, listening to people talk about their missing loved ones, listening to reporters discuss who could have done it, we just rode the whole way as if in a cloud. No one was on the road, nothing was in the sky, it was just us. I was able to make really good time that day, I hardly remember the drive at all. We only stopped for gas twice, peed at the station, and just took snacks to eat. When we arrived at my parents house my mom was there to greet us. I collapsed into her arms and we cried.
During the next few weeks all I watched was the news. I drown myself in the statistics, I prayed they would find more people alive, and I waited on baited breath hoping they would. It consumed me for days until I finally had to say enough is enough and walk away from the tv.
Now, 7 years later, life for most is not effected daily by this. My life is, every time I have to stop at the front gates to my home and show my ID. And then there are the times when I fly and I swear to you every single time we have flown since 9/11 I have been "randomly selected" for additional screening. Once they even patted Sophia down, at the time she was only 7mths old. I am infuriated they do this to me every time. I know they can't profile, but please....I am a woman, a military wife, with four children, I am hardly a terroristic risk. They are "just doing their jobs" but that doesn't explain why it's always me. I am probably their "look we don't profile, look we picked her!"
Today my kids are doing their annual National Anthem Project walk for freedom. They have done it every year for three years and last year Fort Leavenworth was awarded with the "All Star City" award, even though we aren't technically a city. It's a gloomy day, I hope it doesn't rain on them too much. They are having a picnic afterwards and I don't want it to get rained out.
So, Where were you on 9/11/01?
Thursday, February 28
The Anniversary Post
Our Engagement Picture
Two Pictures from our Ceremony
I was HUGE!
I have now been married for nine years, woo hoo! Sense a lack of true enthusiasm? Sorry, I will try and do better next year, when I get my big honking ring! That's our deal, our ten year anniversary I get a big honking ring and he gets a new wedding band. Currently neither of us wear wedding rings, that's new though. I lost mine two years ago, I am still pretty sad about it. Even though I didn't like the style (marquis cut, not my thing) it was still my engagement ring and wedding band. Kale doesn't wear his anymore because his finger is too fat to wear it anymore. Plus he lost a diamond out of it and was too lazy to dig out the receipt and diamond bond, so it was never fixed.
Okay here goes I will list 9 things about US:
1) I met him when he came to a party at my house. His roommate was dating mine. I was really drunk and with another guy. Kale hit on my 14 year old cousin (she really did look 18) and I let him have it. I didn't like him much after that.
2) I honestly can't tell you why I gave him a second chance. Usually first impressions last a lifetime with me and he certainly didn't make a good one.
3) I can't even remember why we started dating, he wasn't my normal type. He asks me all the time why I married him and I always answer with "because you were nice to me."
4) He waited on my hand and foot while we were dating. I miss that now. I tell him all the time it was false advertising.
5) I almost broke up with him during a rough patch before we got engaged. I found out later the reason I was being such a bitch was hormones from my first pregnancy. I am lucky he stayed with me.
6) Before we were married I had only met his parents once, for dinner.
7) He didn't think my mom liked him, but she really was his biggest supporter. During our rough patch she's who made me "see the light". She told me to picture him with another woman and asked me if I could live with that picture. Obviously I couldn't.
8) He asked me to marry him on Christmas day 1998. I was 18 and he had just turned 20.
9) It took him forever to stop calling him his last name. When I was introduced to him by his buddies (all in the army) they called him by his last name, so I did. For a long time. Now it would be odd to call him that.
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