The Long Day

Day 74
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I ended up taking one of my pain killers before we even left the restaurant last night because my back was in so much pain. I had gone to physical therapy on Friday, had a great work out on Saturday, a long car ride on Sunday, and then had to bend and twist for Dr. Kessler on Monday. I was sore and in need of rest and recovery time.

I finally woke up and got out of bed at 1100. Since the drug tends to stay in my body for well over 12 hours, I decided to clean my bathroom while I was still kind of numb. After showering and getting dressed, I checked my Gmail account and saw that I had an email from Stephanie the volunteer coordinator at the USO. Her email was asking for some last minute volunteers to assist with a SRP at the Panzer gym on Wednesday. I had no idea what a SRP was but I was available to help out so I told her to just send me the details and I'd be there.

She wrote me back telling me that a SRP was a "Soldier Readiness Program" and it was for a rapid deployment unit which is why it's such short notice. It sounded exciting and the other lady who volunteered was a lady who I had worked with before and we had a good time together so I was looking forward to working the event. I told Stephanie I would pick up the supplies today so we would be ready to go in the morning. I drove over to the USO center and loaded water, muffins, care packages, boxes of deployment kits, Capri Suns, and granola bars into my car. I was very grateful for the shopping cart that I was able to borrow and the fact that everything was fairly light if I only lifted one item at a time.

Website

After picking up everything from the USO, I headed directly to my doctor's appointment over on Patch to find out what was going on with me. I had felt like crap since I woke up Sunday morning and I was trying to fight it but it just wasn't working. My doctor told me I had an ear infection and prescribed me an antibiotic, nose spray, Mucinex, and more allergy meds. I wasn't completely satisfied with her diagnosis but I went ahead and filled my prescriptions. Before leaving Patch, I quickly stopped by the Commissary to do some grocery shopping for the week and then dropped it all off at home. Since we live on the fourth floor of our building, carrying the groceries upstairs is always a workout.

Once everything was put away I finally headed to the gym. I had been in my gym clothes all day and both the USO pick up and grocery shopping were great warm ups for my 45 minute elliptical workout where I burned 500 calories. I headed home to take a shower and start dinner before Matt got home from work. I was feeling so good about my workout and looking forward to helping deploying soldiers in the morning. I went to bed feeling so satisfied with my day, I wish I felt like this everyday...maybe minus the ear infection.

For a wonderful gift from your deployed spouse, check out Canvas on Demand: "Canvas on Demand wants to honor our troops who are deployed overseas… and their spouses who are holding down the home front.   Operation Hi Honey will award hundreds of our deployed men and women a free fine art canvas, printed from a favorite photo, which will be presented to their Honey on their anniversary. It’s a way for soldiers to say I love you… and it’s a way for Canvas on Demand to say to our troops, Thank You for all you do!" Operation "Hi Honey/Hi Mom"




If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?  And why are you waiting?  ~Stephen Levine

Best News, Birthday Party, & Deutsch Bier

Day 73
Monday, March 15, 2011
I got out of bed at around 0900 and made myself some eggs for breakfast. I had to be out the door by 1330 for my doctors appointment so I immediately started on some house work. I did some dishes, mopped the kitchen floor, and cleaned the bathroom. I did some laundry and then finally took a shower and got dressed to go. I was seeing Dr. Kessler, an Orthopedic Specialist at the Klinikum Sindelfingen-Böblingen for a second opinion on my back problems. Since finding out from another German doctor that I needed disc replacement surgery which is not covered by our insurance with Tricare, I figured it couldn't hurt to get a second opinion.

About two hours later I was actually scheduling (less severe) back surgery which IS covered by Tricare! This has been the best news I've ever received about my back issues which have been getting worse over the past 2-3 years. Although nothing is a guaranteed 100% fix, this should alleviation the pain, allowing me to lead a "normal" life, which is all that matters. The surgery will be a 3 day in-patient, 20 minute procedure where the surgeon removes the part of my disc that is bulging back and pressing on my spine and nerves. I guess I have one disc that is worse than the other and if it can be shaved, I shouldn't feel the pain anymore. I go in for surgery on May 2nd and the actual surgery will take place on the 3rd. I am on cloud nine after hearing this news.

Cullen's Birthday Cupcakes

This evening we got a bunch of people together and went out for our dear friend Cullen's birthday. He chose to have his birthday dinner at the Schönbuch Brauhaus & Biergarten in Böblingen. I can't believe we've been in the area for over six months and haven't eaten here before. This place is in walking distance (about 30 mins) from our house. Germans tend to walk everywhere around here so 30 minutes is nothing in case you were thinking, "that's not walking distance." In the summer they have outdoor seating and festivals. They offer brewery tours and beer tasting all year round. I can't wait to get a certificate for completing their beer pouring course.

The Brauhaus

I love getting together with friends and experiencing the German culture. It's always more fun when we have an entire fest table of Americans in a restaurant or festival. Cullen and the other guys went out for more drinks after we left the restaurant and Matt and I went home to get to bed early...it had been a long day.

Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.  ~Dion Boucicault

St. Patty's Day Parade in Munich

Day 72
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Most things off post/base are closed on Sunday in Germany. We tend to stick close to home and either go to a movie or shop for groceries at the Commissary. Not this Sunday!

I traded a sip of my beer for a photo!

I was elated to learn that there was a St. Patrick's Day parade in Munich and since it's only two hours away from where we live, I knew there was no reason not to attend. We aren't Irish, at least not on the other 364 days of the year. Apparently everybody is "Irish" on St. Patrick's Day and the good news in Munich is, they don't even care if you wear green...of course we did anyway.

We woke up at 0700 and I actually felt like complete crap; I did NOT want to get out of bed. Matt was so understanding and even said, "we don't have to go if you don't feel like it." I knew I had to get out of bed and do my best to make it to Munich. We had people meeting us there who were also driving from about two hours away, and I was picking up our friend Cullen who was just as excited as I was to go.

We were finally on the road at 1000 after some AAFES gas station drama which I will not waste any more of my time on by reliving it in writing (I'm sorry, but it was too upsetting to relive). Once we arrived in Munich (München =how we say it in German) and found a pretty awesome parking spot, we were on our way to the main event on Odeonsplatz (name of street).

The first thing we did was grab a Guinness and take a few photos, we had some time before the parade was heading our way. I called our friend Heidi to find out where she was and we got in line to watch the show.

I'm so glad we made it to this event, it was well worth the four hour car trip! We had so much fun dancing, drinking beer, and hanging out with some of the friendliest people in Germany...the Irish! I would recommend this parade & after party event to everyone living within driving distance, it's one of the largest St. Patrick's Day events in the world...according to the parade website.

I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it.  I want to have lived the width of it as well.  ~Diane Ackerman

Game Night

Day 71
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Today I spent all morning and afternoon working on a paper for my Family Systems class while Matt went exploring downtown Stuttgart with his friend and fellow Marine, Cullen. I did a little bit of house work and some laundry after I wrote seven pages and then I was mentally exhausted.

When Matt got home from exploring, we decided to go to the gym before heading over to a friends house on Base. I had a great work out and we ended the night playing games and making new friends. We ended up letting the guys play cards and drink beer while the women talked and sipped on wine. I'm not sure if the guys had too much to drink or not but the women were kicking butt!

To-morrow - oh, 'twill never be,
If we should live a thousand years!
Our time is all to-day, to-day,
The same, though changed; and while it flies
With still small voice the moments say:
"To-day, to-day, be wise, be wise."
~James Montgomery, To-day

Operation Tent Erection, Part II

Day 70
Friday, March 11, 2011
Today was day two of "Operation Tent Erection" and volunteer luncheon over on Patch, and Matt and I were both still sore and tired from yesterday. I went to my 0800 physical therapy appointment and while I was sitting in the waiting room there was a breaking news story on the TV about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I'm not very familiar with the geography of Japan but Matt's family lives on Camp Zama and as far as I was concerned, they were close enough to the devastation to be worried about their well being. Since we were away from the house most of the day we were unable to call them to make sure they were okay until after 1400.

By 0930 I was back at the Community Club to help set up for lunch. I stopped by the tent set-up and said "hi" to Matt and made sure the Marines had enough bottles of water. I was the first spouse volunteer to arrive to prepare lunch so I began taking our plates, napkins, and plastic ware out of the pantry and setting the buffet table for lunch. By 1000 we had four pots of chili, steamed white rice, tortilla chips, Fritos and baked potatoes with shredded cheese butter and sour cream all ready to serve to our hungry men and woman. The dessert table was overflowing with cookies, brownies, cakes, chocolates, and German jelly-filled, sugar-coated donuts, which are called "Berliners" in German.

After lunch was served and everything was cleaned up, Matt and I headed home to check on his family in Japan. We quickly learned that his family was safe and sound thanks to Facebook...both of his parents had posted updates saying they were all right. It was already after 2200 there so we didn't bother calling them but we were glued to the TV for a while watching the updates.

The past few days have been super busy for me and my poor back was seriously aching from all the walking, bending, stretching, and heavy lifting I have been doing. I took a pain pill, made myself a comfy spot on the couch and watched the movie "Morning Glory" on my laptop while Matt played Call of Duty. I later poured myself a glass of chianti and just hung out in the living room until I was ready for bed.

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.  ~Bill Watterson,Calvin and Hobbes

An "Oorah" Kind Of Day

Day 69

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Today was such a good day, a very long and physically demanding one as well. I had signed up to volunteer today and tomorrow on Patch at the Community Club to serve lunch to our Marines who were volunteering by putting up tents for the annual Stuttgart Community Spouses Club Bazaar. Matt along with twenty-two other Marines arrived at 0745 to start on the tents; I showed up around 0945 with cupcakes, ready to help set up the lunch area. It was fun to work in a kitchen again and the other spouses who showed up to help were a blast to hang out with. Several spouses stopped by to drop off home-cooked lasagna, salads, and desserts, but only five of us were sticking around to serve and clean up afterwards.

By the time 1700 came around, I felt like I had walked for hours and I was so ready to relax on the couch and maybe take a nap (that never happens). When we got home, I mopped the kitchen floor, did some dishes, made dinner, and then baked four dozen cookies for the Marines tomorrow. Finally by 1900, I was sitting in front of the TV watching American Idol with Matt who kept falling asleep. We were both pooped after a long day and headed to bed early so we could get back up and do it all over again tomorrow.

Catch, then, oh catch the transient hour;
Improve each moment as it flies!
Life's a short summer, man a flower;
He dies - alas! how soon he dies!
~Samuel Johnson

Facebook, Friends & Flowers

Day 68
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I didn't have to work today so I slept in until 0830 and then got out of bed and ate some Kix cereal for breakfast. I was hoping to work on my Family Systems paper today so I made myself some coffee and sat down in front of my laptop. After two hours of playing on Facebook and surfing the web, I jumped in the shower and threw on some gym clothes. I had to meet a lady over at the exchange at noon to buy some jumper cables for $5. After I did that, I paid our TKS (home phone /internet) bill and then headed over to the Panzer gym for a fantastic work out. I was back home by 1400 and after I made some tuna fish for lunch I called Rhonda (our General's wife) to discuss the final details of our Marine volunteer lunches for the next two days.

I went tanning with Michelle K and Shari before making baked chicken and penne pasta for dinner. Matt came home with beautiful flowers for me and we met up with our friends Kate and Gio at ODs to have a beer. Today was another great day with some wonderful people!

Life is always walking up to us and saying, "Come on in, the living's fine," and what do we do?  Back off and take its picture.  ~Russell Baker