First Tuesday in August

[aadler]

 
This morning, Susan (my wife) weighed in at 0.2 pounds less than my weight. In the past two years — particularly at times when I had trimmed down for upcoming Army physical fitness tests — she has outweighed me by as much as 120 pounds. Now, she is the lightest member of the family.

(This won’t last. My daughter is investigating the Army Reserve, and has lost 15 pounds in the past two weeks on her way to getting down to a qualifying weight; and, I’ll need to drop at least five pounds myself to keep myself in line with Army standards. But for now, she really is there, and she’s done it all herself.)

This past weekend, Susan and I attended a Yellow Ribbon event in San Diego. (Yellow Ribbon is a program instituted by the government to provide ‘reintegration counseling’ — mandatory — for military service members returning from deployment. It’s an annoyance, but it’s paid time and the hotel service has been nice so far.) A couple of weeks from now, I’ll be going to the next event in the series, this time in Anaheim, California, and we’re taking our daughter along as well. Something to anticipate, at any rate.

My daughter’s Irish boyfriend has now returned home. He did, however, leave behind 95% of a bottle of Jack Daniel’s for me to finish (of which maybe 80% currently remains). Man after my own heart.

I have over a year left before my next — and final — deployment. Does it mean I’m strange if I find myself wondering how I’ll ever pass the time till then?

Life goes on, and you adjust or you don’t. Right now, still up in the air.