He's an Airman, not a Soldier

I'm not gonna lie. It's been a bloody long day. (If you're new to this blog, you should know that I don't count swearing in foreign languages as swearing. Although, in this case, it should definitely count as swearing. Because it really has been a BLOODY.LONG.DAY!!!)

It started at a Hampton Inn in Knoxville, Tennessee about 15 hours ago. And it's ending at a Hampton Inn in Montgomery, Alabama. And how we got from there to here, well...it's like I said;
Bloody!

But there was ONE (only one) absolutely, positively, fabulous thing that happened today.

But before I tell you what it was, I need to preface with a little history:
(I don't actually need to, but evidently I'm in an over-sharing mood because today I drank Mountain Dew. The pink kind. Yes, it was extremely disgusting.)

ANYWAY, I don't know about you, but I was not raised in or around "the military". My dad was never drafted into Vietnam, my grandpa never told war stories, (at least not to me) and as far as I knew growing up, "war" and "soldier" were terms associated with other people far removed from me. (I was in High School when I heard my Uncle's Vietnam story. Before that, I don't think I even knew he had been there.)

Fast forward to my early 20's. While living in Carlsbad, I had a few dates with Marines and even went on-base at Camp Pendelton once. (Eric, I still think you're a crazy stalker, I'm afraid of you, and I hope you never find me!) I remember thinking the Base was sorta creepy, but didn't think anymore about it.

So because I never dated a military boy seriously, I never considered being a military wife. Not ever in my entire life not even for a second!

When I married Doug, I thought I was marrying someone who wanted to be a Dentist. (A GENERAL Dentist to boot! None of this "2-year-pediatric-residency" nonsense!)
When Doug started considering the military as a means for paying for Dental school, I was totally opposed at first. It took me awhile (a long while) to warm up to the idea. (I'm still warming.) And frankly, I still think Military bases are a little creepy! (Which is unfortunate considering I'm about to move on to one.)

What I'm trying to say is...
There is nothing in my realm of experience, past or present, that could ever have prepared me for this:

or that...
Or this:
And yet, here we all are.

In Alabama.

Wearing camouflage.

(Hey, remember that 80's song "Camouflage" by Stan Ridgway? Yep. It's rad. I guess I do have some experience with Camouflage. It seems that 'Things are never quite the way they seem'.)

So anyway, it's like I said before. It's been a bloody long day. But seeing Doug, even in camouflage, made it all worth it.

The Mountain Dew has now officially warn off...

and I'm exhausted.

Good night!