So yes, now my husband is on land. He says it doesn't move right!! Poor guy -- he's been out to sea for more than 30 days.
I'm very happy that he's found the other non-drinkers on the ship. See, on this deployment, you have to have not one, but two buddies with whom you leave the ship. Of those three men, one has to abstain from drinking. For Kurt, that's no big deal. He did his drinking in his early 20s; his attitude is, "Been there, done that." The problem is, it's known on the ship that he doesn't drink. This means that everyone wants to be HIS buddy since whoever goes with him will be able to get rip-roarin' drunk.
That's one thing I don't get. Yes, I like to drink, but if I were a sailor, I wouldn't make it my mission in life to get drunk in every port. I'd much rather go around and see the sights, to be a tourist. How else would you get to see the world for free?!
But Kurt's managed to find another Chief who doesn't drink, as well as a quartermaster (no, not you, Michele!) who also doesn't drink. So they'll go off and do the touristy thing, completely sober.
This morning Kurt called me!! We got to talk for an entire hour. It was so lovely. Where he is, they sell phone card for $5 with an hour and 45 minutes to talk! CHEAP!! Not as cheap as the sailor phone on the ship, which is free... but then you only get 15 minutes at a stretch.
Speaking of which, it has been realized that using the sailor phone was apparently less than legal, so they're not allowed to do that anymore. Now if Kurt wants to call, he's going to have to do it only when he's in port. And since the last time he was in port was over 30 days ago, I doubt I'll be getting many phone calls from here on out. That's okay -- I told him he just has to ramp up the emails!
In udder news (as my good buddy Art would say), it is official! We are moving to Rhode Island in the summer. Kurt wants to move in July, so as to get out of here before his ship goes back to San Diego in August to get the flight deck resurfaced -- AGAIN! This has got to be the third, possibly fourth time, in three years. The only problem with leaving in July is it will mean that Kurt and I will have to run around like headless chickens getting the house ready to sell, selling the darn thing, moving across the country, and finding a home in Rhode Island.
I told my friend J that we were moving, and she asked if I were going to start packing up now. I sort of giggled at that. We're not allowed to pack up our own stuff. Too many people have scammed the system by packing up their own stuff already broken or not protected enough, and then when they get to their destination, here they have broken belongings and they'll sue the moving company. The day before we moved out of the apartment in Virginia, it looked like had always done. Nothing was packed or ready to move or anything. It's nice not to have to worry about that.
I think we're going to try to move into Navy housing when we get there. I'm a little apprehensive about it because I've never lived in housing. Yes, I'm a Navy brat and a Navy wife who's never lived in housing. My father didn't want us living there and being around only military kids when we were growing up, and besides, housing wasn't nearly as nice then as it is now. In fact, some of the guys on Kurt's ship have described the housing in Rhode Island to be "super ass nice." I'm just hoping to get into a townhouse-like home, as opposed as an apartment-style. I've been spoiled by being the homeowner of an unattached house for the last four years; I don't want to go back to an apartment. A townhouse will be enough of an adjustment! At least it will be less mowing!!
So there's all the news you can use for the day!! Now go watch the football playoffs on NBC!!!