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Unaccompanied Baggage

Posted on April 26, 2013
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“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.” ~Frederick Buechner

It sure is PCS (Permanent Change of Station) season. Neighbors are putting their houses on the market, old neighbors are moving out, new ones in…. I have been hugging friends who are leaving, bidding goodbyes, and making sure we have each other’s email addresses and phone numbers. We promise to stay in touch. Moving is a part of military life. Every few years the families pick up their stuff, move somewhere new, and rebuild their life. Our roots are grounded in our hearts are, not in physical locations.

When I got home from meetings tonight, and walked in through the garage, it hit me. Of course I knew my husband’s unaccompanied baggage had been picked up by the military movers yesterday but since I was busy with the work, I didn’t really pay attention to it. There is a huge empty spot in the garage where a few hundred of pounds of hubby’s military gear and some random stuff were piled up for the movers. It’s reality that his 6-month long Army training is starting in a few short weeks.  And before his class, we will be doing a cross-country road trip from the Last Frontier to the East Coast.

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I Need a Break

Posted on April 25, 2013
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IMG_0552_instantIt has been another crazy busy week. Past two weeks have been full of traveling, again. First Chicago, and being stuck there for a couple of extra days, then other business trips this week. While flying has been literally painful for my ears, the views have been pretty neat. The other day a pilot flew between Mt McKinley, the highest peak in North America, and Mt Foraker, the sixth highest peak on the continent. I have seen, felt, smelled and touched McKinley a few times but seeing Foraker so close was a treat. And looking at the pictures I snapped makes me long for climbing, and now I have been toying with an idea of climbing Foraker this or next season. Time will tell but its Sultana Ridge route is faintly calling my name.

I got a cold while in Chicago – apparently I was slightly too hopeful about seeing nice spring weather, and tried to dress accordingly. Major. Failure. So now I have been coughing my lungs out for a few days, and blowing my nose like an elephant. In addition to feeling like my head would explode when airplane pressure changes at landings. Constant flying, speaking for hours either in front of my class or giving tons of work presentations are not helping to kick this sickness out.

In fact I feel pretty drained tonight. So tired that I decided to reschedule my personal training clients, and head home, sit on my fat butt and eat some split pea soup. I haven’t had a single piece of energy to run this week yet I am getting anxious and stressed about missing workouts. The vicious cycle of being sick and feeling guilty about not running is not helping on the road to recovery…. oh well, tomorrow I will entertain my personal training clients and try to run a couple of miles without collapsing on the sidewalk. Fingers crossed it works out!

But one more day to the weekend… I think I can do this. And then slow down a bit before finishing up grading my students’ work, and finishing up the final exam. Tuesday is The Test Day. I have greatly enjoyed teaching this semester, and actually feel a bit sad about the semester ending. It hit me today when I walked on the empty university hallways.

Mostly I have had awesome students who are working really hard for good grades. I am very proud of my students who have relentlessly tackled sometimes complicated topics for past 3.5 months, and I am excited about seeing their enthusiasm and curiosity growing. It’s fascinating to see the development of new university educated generation.

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The G

Posted on April 12, 2013
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I don’t even remember a week when I haven’t been at the airport either for business or fun. Or both. This time I’m heading out to the Windy City, Chicago, for some work but thanks to the weekend, I will be able to squeeze in some fun too.
Those of you who know me in real life, know that I am quite a bit of a golf nut. I started playing over 10 years ago, and have maintained USGA handicap ever since. So no wonder, living in a place where winter lasts for six months (well, maybe five) is pure torture for my inner golfer. Luckily it’s “only” 7-8 hours of flying to golf meccas such as Scottsdale, AZ, Palm Springs, CA, or 12′ish hours to Hawaiian islands where I have been able to play and train with world’s leading golf professionals.

This week I have been keeping eye on the Midwest weather forecasts, and while it seems to be still chilly out there, there is no snow in the forecast and golf courses are open. That being said, it was an easy decision to pack one set of clubs, and drag them at the airports. Fingers crossed the winter weather is not following me…. I need my golf fix. And watching Masters on TV from Augusta, GA, doesn’t really cut it for me. I want to play.

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Tuesday isn’t so bad…

Posted on April 10, 2013
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Tuesday isn’t so bad…It’s a sign that I’ve somehow survived Monday.

Actually my Tuesday wasn’t bad at all, just super busy. Like every day. Except that today I didn’t have time to work out but I train for Ironman races 6-7 days a week, sometimes twice a day, an occasional rest day might even be a good thing. Some of my blogger friends have been recently telling about their day in pictures, and I figured, I could snap a pic here, another there throughout my day, and see what comes out of it. So here we go….

You may remember from yesterday that it has been snowing here in Friday night. So it was great to wake up for more snow shoveling… Sigh! Luckily the military had a delayed start for their day: hubby was home and took care of the snow while I started my work day around 6am.

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Some time ago I got into yoga. Addicted. Big time. And ever since I have not had any kind of craving for coffee. Tea is my choice of beverage nowadays, black tea in the mornings, and caffeine free herbal in the evening. And lots of all kinds of teas in between. I have a bad habit of carrying tea mugs with me all the time, and leaving them all over the house. This morning one of the tea mugs was forgotten in the bathroom when I started to curl my hair. Hair got curly, and I burned myself with that iron – again.

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I was lucky to have time for lunch today. Lunch meaning something else than eating carrots at my desk. The only tasty and trustworthy healthy food restaurant in Anchorage is always packed at lunch time. So I spent quite some time waiting for my tacos…. but they were worth it.

Work was crazy busy, I have been glued to the email and phone a good part of the day. Even when driving. But the sun came out in the afternoon, and no more snowing. Maybe there is a slight hope for spring, and eventually summer?

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In the afternoon after work stuff I ran to the Commissary to get a couple of things. German noodles, Spaetzle were supposed to be side for our self-caught halibut. However, with all the stuff tonight, we ended up to munching leftovers from yesterday. Maybe halibut filets and Spaetzle tomorrow then.

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And it was time to wear my professor hat again…. and then work on my own research. Yes, that is a little hamster in the picture, and she is participating in a Conditioned Place Preference experiment.

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In the evening I had a few minutes to sit down and stay still, grab a quick bite and head out again – this time to the piano lesson. And our beagle, Tassu, cracked me up by wearing my tank top. He had dug it out of our bed, under the blankets. Crazy dog. Maybe I should think about some psychoanalysis sessions for him…??

Piano lesson wasn’t too bad. I am not going to be Chopin anytime soon but that probably can’t really be even expected with the amount of work and traveling I do (i.e., with the very limited time I have for practicing). But nevertheless, it is fun and relaxing.

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The last duty of the day is the medication for the dog. Ears are bugging our little guy again, and he is on antibiotics – tablets & ointment – for another 5 days, 9 down already and ears are remarkably better. In fact I did check the ear swaps in the lab the other day, and bacteria seems to be gone. While the dog doesn’t really enjoy the ointment piece of the ordeal, he absolutely loves all the extra roast beef he gets with the tablets.

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Camouflaged Life

Posted on April 8, 2013
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A while ago a friend of mine from overseas asked me what the life is like as a military family. I told about the military bases, promotions, career opportunities, travels, and moving. But really, what is it like?

Serving in the Military is, obviously, a calling. It’s a patriotic desire to serve this wonderful nation. Every morning thousands of service members lace up their boots, and step up for all of us. Serving is more than just a job to these brave men and women. But how about the families and spouses?

When one person in the family serves, the military lifestyle becomes new “normal”. Beyond washing camouflage uniforms and having military issued gear all over the house. The new normal is frequent moves, deployments to the war zones, and extended trainings in addition to lifelong friendships, battle buddies and 3- or 4-letter acronyms. The Army lets us to see the world and travel: we usually move every few years to a new duty station. For some it is a burden, for others a blessing. I belong into the latter group. In a weird, wicked way I love moving and seeing new places. I am addicted to traveling. Obviously, frequent moving often causes career  challenges for spouses – searching for new jobs every so often in this economy can be tough, and frustrating. Military can force the spouses to push back their dreams and wishes.

With my life experience – well before marrying my Army guy - I have learned  to plan for a billion different scenarios. Always. As a hardcore business woman and professional in the hi-tech industry, I haven’t had a luxury to fail nor have a way so solve any problem. So no matter what the life in the military brings, more than likely I have my ducks in a row, and back-ups for my back-up plans, without a need to put my life on hold while the husband serves the country. When there is a will, there is always a way.

As a community, military is a tight-knit group of people with some very special characteristics. I have never seen the similar sense of togetherness than among the service members and their spouses. We are always ready and willing to help each other, even with a moment’s notice. We build friendships that last through years, regardless the physical locations. Frequent moving forces us to build friendships over and over again, so the support network of friends even thousands of miles away is something we highly appreciate and preserve. These folks stick together through thick and thin.

Simply, military life is new homes, new places, hellos and goodbyes, leavings, and homecomings. It is about having battle buddies who stand by each other. The life, in military or not, is as great as you make it.

 

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First to fight for the right,
And to build the Nation’s might,
And The Army Goes Rolling Along.
Proud of all we have done,
Fighting till the battle’s won,
And the Army Goes Rolling Along.

Then it’s hi! hi! hey!
The Army’s on its way.
Count off the cadence loud and strong;
For where’er we go,
You will always know
That The Army Goes Rolling Along. 

(Army Song)

 

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