Whatever was wrong with my thumbs and hands appears to have gone back into the hole it crawled out from. I am able to write again and am much relieved. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again anytime soon.

Drew called this evening shortly after I spoke to my mother and seems to be in far better spirits than last week. He still has a cold that hes been fighting since he arrived in country. They all seem to be fighting it off.

He confirmed that I can write about eating sushi or el salvadorean (from El Rancho specifically) any day since he’s not find of either types of food. Well. He doesn’t like sushi at all but he does normally like Mexican and South/Latin American foods. He just doesn’t like the spice used in every dish at El Rancho.

A few minutes of listening to Drew on the phone does wonders for lightening my mood. He tells me he rides the short bus to work with his helmet on. Cracks about licking the windows *nom nom nom* are true Drew style.

I told him about a conversation I’d had with a co-worker last night. M had asked if I’d heard from Drew recently and when I’d responded in the negative he asked how I manage. I think my reply shocked him a little. I’d said that I don’t think about it. You just get on with life per normal. You get used to not knowing what’s going on and relying on faith that everything is ok. If you dwell on the absence I don’t think it would be possible to function. I’d probably never leave the house. Drew agrees.

I like to think that we’ve developed this safety mechanism through years of being apart for months on end. For most of my time in the States, and all of my time in India and the Phillipines, were separated by large physical distances (oceans too) and often went days without being able to communicate with each other. Then, there’s all the times Drew has been out in the field, away on course, in the US or Bosnia… we’ve had lots of practice leading up to this tour. We’ve done this before. We can survive it this time and in the future.

It is nice to get a chance to talk about nothing at all. Most of today’s conversation centered on what renovations to the house (new insulation, new furnace and a/c unit, and siding the garage) that we’ll do when Drew comes home. These have been plans in the works for months before he left. Talking about them just continues a pre-established pattern.

Then there are vacation plans.

We can’t really afford to do the battlefield tour of France we’ve been looking forward to yet so we’ll keep dreaming and planning a big European tour to take place a few years down the road. I’ll need a lot more vacation time accrued before we can go.

Aside from visiting Europe, Drew has lots of family to reconnect with or meet in Enland and Scotland. We have lots of saving to do to manage the trip in the style we’d like to become accustomed to. Flights, hotels, train passes and car rentals. Oh, and meals. Drew’s not cheap to feed. Yep. Lots of saving to do. In the meantime we’re going to try and vacation a bit closer to home this year.

We’ve been wanting attend San Diego’s ComicCon for ages and this summer we’re going to make every effort to go. I’m in charge of getting tickets, arranging hotels and flights. Hopefully my organizational skills are up to the challenge.

Until then I wait for the next call. Hope to hear Drew joking and working to making me laugh again soon.

Shopping trip successful.  Got lots of food related goodies to go in the next few care packages.  The Canada Post service counter attendant reminded me that I only have a week left to take advantage of the shipping program. It seems like she’s a big fan of it.  She wasn’t sure why the organization doesn’t allow it year round.  I suspect the Crown Corporation can’t afford to keep using taxpayer dollars to fund a program that only benefits a small part of the country.  On the other hand, my taxes help fund child tax credits, scholarship programs, sports credits, and other child related benefits that my family doesn’t partake in, so maybe it’s not such a bad idea to support military members in this fashion after all.

While I was at the post office I picked up the course packs for my Experimental Psych and Statistics courses *shudder* I’ve spent a bit of time reviewing the course introductions, assignments and welcome messages and plan to spend a bit of time tonight and tomorrow reviewing the first units of study.  If I don’t jump in right away I’m worried I may procrastinate – definitely not a good idea by the looks of these two course packs.  Since I did manage to get so much pre-reading done for my Military Psych class I shouldn’t have any problems completing my first assignment early.  I’ll have to keep on top of the readings and assignments in that class or I have a feeling I may quickly fall behind. I think I’m beginning to quickly realize why part-time students with full-time employment are limited to a maximum of 3 courses a semester with a recommendation that they take 2 courses at a time.  This is my first semester taking 3 courses (normally I complete 2) and I have the distinct feeling that it will also be my last.  While I’d finish my degree 6 months early if I took 3 a semester for the remainder of the program, I just can’t see myself managing the workload. Especially since I’m already going to school year round.  December 2010 can’t come fast enough. It’ll make the 5 month wait from completion to graduation well worth it I’m sure.

That 2010 completion date seems awfully depressing when I think about it.  I still have 2 years of courses left before I’m finished this degree and then it seems I’ll be on to the next without much of a break. Ok – that’s not the depressing part.  The depressing part is that I could be finished in less than a year if I were attending classes full-time instead of working. Of course I need to work. In this economy the idea of NOT working to attend school just doesn’t sit well with me. Besides, I’d probably go stir crazy if I weren’t working 5+ days a week.

I do know that I’ll definitely be taking advantage of an unpaid leave when I’m working on my Master’s thesis many moons from now.  There’s no way I’m going to try writing that while working full-time!  I’m slightly bonkers but I’m not insane!

Beef Jerky is apparently on sale at London Drugs so I’m off to pick up scads of it in order to fill Drew’s next package.  They’ve got a few other things on sale that I’m sure will make for a change in the type of contents Drew’s been receiving from me.  Apparently the Canada Post free shipping of military packages option is extended until January 16th so I’ve got time for one last package (after this one) before I have to start paying shipping.  Drew is being inundated with packages at the moment – having become a depot for sending things to soldiers who aren’t getting mail and for distribution to Afghan children (Afghan? Afghani? Anyone know which is correct?) – but I’m pretty sure that will all tail off once people have to pay the crazy Canada Post shipping rates.

On the bright side, I did remember to include the letters I wrote in this package.  Nothing like getting a home video that references the letters you’re writing and then finding no letters in your package.  I forgot to include them in the last one.  I’m feeling a bit guilty about the letters.  I haven’t written one in about a week.  I tell myself the little 5-20 minute home videos I’m recording every few days to provide the around the house, neighbourhood and city updates should make up for my lack of discipline.  But it’s not really that. I am disciplined; I’ve just shifted my efforts from letter written to my fall courses.

Speaking of my courses, I received a notice in the mail that a package has arrived for me so I’m hoping this is my course pack and textbooks for two of the three classes I’m taking this semester. I’ve had the books for the third class for a few weeks and have done some pre-reading and preparation.  The class started Monday and for once I’m not behind.  Give it a few weeks. I’m sure that will change.

Three classes while working full-time.  What was I thinking?  Well, most should be over by the time Drew gets home. I just won’t have much free time at all while I’m working on these. I’ll definitely be busy most nights and weekends though.  Hopefully not too busy to post.

Damian Brooks, a Canadian blogger and part of the team at The Torch is heading to Afghanistan to become an embedded blogger with the Canadian Forces. Damian is the first blogger to be invited to blog from theatre by DND. He is responsible for covering his own expenses for the trip so if you can spare any amount, no matter how small, please visit his site and click on the PayPal donate button.

Who knows. Perhaps Damian will find the time to visit with MOT and act as MOT’s temporary escort.

More seats at the table will forever remain empty. My deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the three Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan since Friday. We must also keep the families of the Afghan soldiers, police officers, and interpreters who have also died in our thoughts and prayers.

I had hoped Drew would go his whole tour without ever witnessing a ramp ceremony and yet now he shall have attended two in less than a week.

My heart breaks a little everytime I read the news. There are times when I think I need to disconnect from the Interwebs and stop watching the news but the politics and news junkie in me is unable to do so.

There are nightmares that military families live with daily. To address them we set ground rules. The most important one when a spouse (or child, sibling, etc.) is deployed is that you never drop in unannounced for a visit. No matter where you are “in the neighbourhood” don’t ever ring my doorbell without calling first to let me know you’re visiting.

Spouses, children, parents, and siblings all dread the possibility that a padre will walk up the walk-way and ring the doorbell. Normally filling a position of comfort or joy, when a member of your family is deployed the padre is the last person you want to see near your home.

Our shared goal is to make it through the months never having heard a doorbell ring. Don’t ring mine.