A surprise

It is typical for us, when unpacking after one of our many moves, to "re-discover" things we'd forgotten we had.  Such was the feeling when we came across this a few weeks ago:

How we managed to amass so many Chuck E. Cheese "money" while not only being unaware of such hoarding, but also while thinking we were fresh out, is beyond me.  I wish this happened with our actual money, lol.

I also noticed, for the first time, that Chuck E. Cheese coins are dated--and that they have morphed a bit over the years--some changes more subtle than others.

Reinforcing my theory that just about everything random you can think up, someone actually does, there are actually collectors of these gems.  ;o)

In any case, this discovery--and my youngest's almost-daily requests for some Chuck E. Cheese fun, games, pizza, and ice cream--has the girls and I driving to OKC tomorrow for some mommy-daughter time.  Matt has a huge test on Monday, as well.  So this will give him plenty of time to study...or to play Outland on the Xbox...  ;o)

UPT journal

For a better view of Matt's and his peers' daily routines, here is the AF-endorsed insider blog about the experience.  A pilot student Matt's 12-15 JSUPT class (12-15 means his class is the 15th [and final] to graduate in the 2012 fiscal year) was asked blog about the entire experience.  The blog is read worldwide, and is hugely popular with the retired pilot demographic.  :o)  This entire base, in fact, is hugely popular with retired pilots, and Matt has said it is not uncommon for him to be approached by one in the clinic or at the BX, eager to hear about Matt's experience and recount his own days tackling this challenging program.

Making the most out of daddy time

Although the four of us are blessed in that we live together, which was not "the plan" when Matt entered active duty in early July, "daddy time" is still a hot commodity, due largely to Matt's study time and evening residence in the mancave.  So, we really try to make the most of what we get, which includes a lot of good, old-fashioned at-home time (the girls LOVE to jump/climb on their daddy as well as watch him play Mario on the Wii).  There's not a ton of local outing-type things to do around here, so...being as we have a swing set in the backyard, and a neighborhood full of playmates, we are bona fide homebodies--more so than ever before.  Which I love!!  Definitely a lot more quality time and a lot less busy time!  Also a great opportunity to save $$.

One place we do frequent about once every two weeks (thanks to our annual membership, which has already paid for itself!) is Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse.  This facility, part of the Oklahoma Museum Network, boasts exclusively kid-friendly exhibits, including an extensive animal section (workers frequently bring the critters out to meet museum guests) and a huge outdoor castle-themed playground.  The girls' preschool/kindergarten up the street also takes frequent field trips here, and that is how I first learned of this gem.

Every fall, Leonardo's hosts an annual Princess Ball, exclusively for daddies and daughters (moms aren't even allowed in to take pictures!).  Well, this year Matt had a pair of beautiful young princesses (Snow White and Belle) as his dates and they had a marvelous time.  I spent about an hour getting them dressed/doing hair and makeup and then we did a cute photo shoot outside.  Both are huge hams and are really into dramatic princess poses.  ;o)

Daddy and his princesses at the ball:

What a night!  We are already looking forward to next year's!

Independent studies

I am often surprised by Matt's academic hours thus far into UPT.  Most days he does not report in until at least 8-8:30, and there have been many where he has not been due in until well after lunch and/or has been released substantially before the duty day ends (5pm, marked by the afternoon retreat ceremony).  He is alloted an unprecedented amount of unsupervised study and exercise.  (Of course, he will be starting 12-hour days in less than a month, when his flying phase begins.)  As enlisted airmen, our on-duty study and exercise time was fiercely monitored--and usually conducted in the shop or with the shop.  There were many days when we would just sit around the shop table with our foreman and literally wait for the day to end because we were not trusted to, for instance, not be caught at the mall or BX prior to retreat.  It is definitely nice to see that the officers, even the fresh ones, get to enjoy being treated like adults--however it makes the amazingly stark contrast between enlisted and officer life that much more apparent.

The stakes are also very high for pilot trainees.  They are required to meet rigorous physical standards (by passing the toughest physical the Air Force has to offer, every 6 months).  Many of the trainees come from a family of pilots, and Matt has informed me that on three separate occasions during the past calendar year, pilot Air Force Officer parents were given a prestigious position as a graduation speaker, only to see their son/daughter fail the final PT test--after passing all other training--and being denied a graduation slot (of course, the parent still spoke at graduation, though...gotta feel for those guys!).  Matt says he is always amazed at how few students he sees during his regular workouts at the gym.  Many may feel too overwhelmed with studies.  I can certainly relate, considering all the weight my peers and I packed on during nursing school!

Additionally, trainees are allowed to fail a maximum of three academic tests before being washed out of the program and reclassified into a different career specialty.  This may sound like a lot, but not so much after you take into consideration that Matt has taken at least one exam per week since September 8th, and there are hundreds of pages of information presented in multiple choice format on each exam.  While he probably takes a little more R&R time than I would, he is studying way way more than I have ever seen him.  He is really taking advantage of Quizlet.com to make verbal flashcards, and thus far has been doing excellent in the program, nearly acing his first "major" exam last week!  Hopefully I will be as fortunate when I take the NCLEX-PN...if I ever get board permission to take it!

Relating

While Matt was in his commissioning program, the two of us were essentially full-time students (each receiving G.I. Bill benefits) and parents.  It was a very unusual situation at times, as most young parents who are not independently wealthy are not [somewhat] intentionally unemployed and enrolled in a full college courseload.  With folks foreign to enlisted scholarship opportunities, it was sometimes uncomfortable to explain because it really comes across as one of those too-good-to-be-true scenarios.  I felt like maybe some neighbors felt like we were faking our military affiliation, as one in particular tried to trip us up on occasion with acronym-based talk.  I found myself hanging military memorabilia around the house more than usual and taking as many pix of Matt in uniform and at ROTC functions as possible to beef up our legitimacy, lol.

I joined a moms group as soon as we'd moved to Oklahoma (as I normally do, wherever we go), but found I couldn't really relate to anyone there, being in such a decidedly transition period in our lives, while most of them were much more "established".  Once I began meeting moms in my nursing program, there was definitely a lot more relatable ground, but most of them were juggling a job on top of school--however, also benefitting from a strong family network in the area.  It wasn't until our youngest's birthday celebration in July, weeks before moving 90 minutes north to Enid for UPT, that I really got a chance to get to know one of the two family's in Matt's ROTC detachment in a similar situation.  Matt was completing his B.S. through University of Central Oklahoma, however, their only ROTC is an Army detachment, so he was placed in a cross-town agreement and assigned to a dettachment in Norman (about 60-90 minutes south of where we were living).  Therefore, the majority of his ROTC buddies did not live nearby and there were really only two or three (young, single, college guys) that he introduced me to more than a time or two.

I ended up feeling like our situation was perhaps more atypical than it actually was (after all, in his detachment of about one hundred, two other guys with families were doing the exact same thing we were [and thank goodness he was the first of the group to commission--or I would have died of jealousy!!]).  Last Friday, at an informal student spouse coffee thing (about 5 or so wives plus a couple kids), I met a wife who went through almost the exact same thing--her hubby just commissioned as well and was probably on the same scholarship notification list that Matt was on in early 2009.  She also has a daughter the same age as my oldest (kindergarten) and a son slightly younger than my youngest (he is just over a year).  AND she is knocking out the prereqs to apply to nursing school [and has been for many years]--however motherhood and the crazy UPT schedule has put her aspirations on temporary hold (much like my situation as I opted to try for my LPN and finish the RN route a bit later, after working towards some form of nursing licensure for about 6 years).  AND, lol, they are also the only other family in the neighborhood with a giant swing set in the backyard!  ;o)

It's not quite the same feeling as the "small world/small Air Force" feeling we get every time we move and stumble across folks we've gotten to know at different bases over the years, but it is definitely an exciting/unusual/new one.  Makes me feel perhaps a little less crazy and a little more run-of-the-mill, lol.

The "puke chair": a family experience

This weekend the girls and I got to take Matt for a spin, and try out the Barany chair for ourselves.  With his "dollar ride" (first flight, nicknamed such because the students joking "tip" their instructor a dollar when it's done--although they often "jazz it up" a bit [at IFS, Matt drew a picture of his flight instructor as a superhero superimposed over George Washington's face--he does great likenesses]).

Matt definitely seems to be getting better at both taming "flare ups" (mostly by diaphragmatic breathing) and recovering after the spins.  He was passed out in his recliner and burping all evening his first day, and on Saturday he was his usual self within a few hours, and today, after he went with one of our neighbors, I would have never guessed he'd spun at all.  Then again, the Giants also pulled off a big win this afternoon, which undoubtably bolstered his mood a bit as well!  :o)

For the spin sessions, Matt is supposed to do at least 3 reps of 10min/ea every time he rides the chair.  He warned me before we went in that he may try to talk me out of a 3rd spin after he is 2 in, and sure enough, that is what happened!  But he stuck it out and performed fantastically.  While spinning, Matt can simulate dives, climbs, and turns by positioning his head at different angles.  A major key to calming motion sickness is to keep his head as steady as possible.  Apparently, after 20 seconds at a constant pace, the fluid in his ears stabilizes, allowing him to proceed comfortably, provided his head does not move too much.  This definitely helps explain why turbulence causes his symptoms to flare up dramatically.

Spinning (first pic is simulated ascent; second is normal flight position):

Here he is, post-spin, recovering:

The girls and I also got to go for a little spin.  I got [slightly] nauseous almost immediately, but both girls described it as "fun".  The chair is set up in a small fitness room, complete with a TV/DVD player, so the girls were in heaven.  Although they enjoyed testing out a few workout machines faaaar more than Phineas and Ferb (otherwise a favorite).

Checking out the room:

Going for a ride!:

All in all, a fun and educational afternoon and I was glad we were able to help Matt out a bit.  I definitely need to give the girls more credit.  They are probably about 2 years younger in my head than in real life, and it is sometimes easy to forget how much they can handle/how patient they are.  They have also been doing an awesome job in church service lately too (and traditional Catholic, not contemporary, to boot!).

PB2X4

...in our grocery list lingo, that means four containers of:

A little less than the amount Matt goes through per week!  And his answer to living a somewhat indulgent dining lifestyle while going through UPT with motion sickness.  Prior to IFS, Matt would go through several containers of regular peanut butter a week, and was terrified he would have to eliminate this treat from his already-limited (gluten free, dairy free [except for yogurt and cheese]) diet.  However, after discovering PB2, such is no longer the case!  :o)

PB2 is peanut butter sans the peanut oils, reconstitute-able by adding water.  Until this weekend, Matt would gulp it straight from the container (calling for me to dust off PB2 from his AF uniform on at least one occasion, and causing him to erupt into inhalation-based coughing fits on far more than one).  Lately, he has started to enjoy it reconstituted, almost as a soup, and treated himself to some fun add-ons from the commissary today: unsweetened cocoa powder, ginger preserves, raisins, and figs.

The fact that our very small-scale commissary always keeps PB2 in high supply makes me wonder if this is a popular solution for other pilots/pilot students as well?  It certainly is working wonders in Matt's case and it is nice to see him enjoy something so much, even if he leaves clumps of its dust all over the kitchen/house.  ;o)

Commissary treats

I don't know if most food stores stock these, and I just haven't noticed (and maybe it is due to the extremely small size of our current commissary that causes me to notice just about everything, lol), but I can't get enough of them.  Canine cow cuts for Petunia!!  A 5 pack for about a dollar!

I got her a 2-pack of vertical cuts a few weeks ago, but she devoured those instantly, since the marrow was too easy to access.  These cross sections are great though!  Each one lasts her about 60-90 minutes, and it is nice to be able to put something aromatic in the oven--that she actually gets to enjoy (instead of just family meals, lol).  Back in the day, before the kids were born, I used to regularly cook her fresh meat/veggie patties, so maybe this takes her back a bit to her childhood.  Either way, she certainly enjoys them!

She just ate one last night, and I was going to treat her to another tonight, until I got home from picking Matt and the girls up from the Father-Daughter Princess Ball he took them to this evening (it was marvelous, by the way!).  However, while I was gone, Petunia managed to climb from the floor to the kitchen table to the counter--where she accessed a Tupperware container full of blondies I'd baked for the girls' school lunches/after school treats.  She broke into it and devoured the whole batch!!  (Thank goodness the chocolate amount was very low!)  This is, might I add, the SECOND Tupperware container she has been able to get into over the past couple of years, despite having no hands with which to break the otherwise impressive seals...  Guess she will have to wait until tomorrow for another bone!

Combat climate

Deployments aside, in our combined 12 years' military life, neither Matt nor I have grown accustomed to evening walks or dozing off to a backdrop of intermittent spurts of gunfire.  However, we are now beginning to.  The firing ranges on other bases we've been stationed at have been beyond earshot of residential communities, however, while I don't know exactly where the range is here, it sounds like it is about 3 blocks north of us!  I imagine some sort of training exercise or deployment preparation must be going on, because we have been hearing gunfire pretty much nonstop from dusk 'til dawn.  Surprisingly, tonight is the first time the girls have noticed it.  I think they may have been attributing it to weather the past couple of nights, as thunder storms have also become a bit routine in our evening/overnight hours.

Our youngest mentioned the gunfire tonight during dinner, attributing it to airplanes soaring overhead.  The first couple of days here, both girls were so sensitive to the sounds of aircraft engines, but began acclimating to the noisier environment within days.  I remember two short years ago, we almost had to leave the Tinker AFB annual Air Show early because they were in a tizzy over the fighter jet sounds, and the in-ear earplugs did nothing for them.  However, on our way toward the exit, we stumbled across big insulated earmuff ones and they made all the difference in the world.

Anyway, as I was out walking Petunia this evening, I reflected on some of the oddities the girls may become accustomed to as the result of growing up in a military environment (such as intermittent/routine gunfire), and my oldest's "No Hunting" signs sprang to mind:

She drew this for the first time about a week ago, while sidewalk-chalking the bike path behind our house.  Curious, I asked her what is was and she explained: "No hunting at our new house" (top picture is a "No Gun" symbol, bottom picture is a house).  I asked her what gave her the idea to draw that and she stated, matter of factly: "That is the rule at our new house.  No hunting."

I left it at that, but two days later started to notice this:

The "No Concealed Weapons Allowed on this Installation" sign we pass by twice daily on our return trip from the girls preschool and kindergarten.  This kid picks up on everything!

Papa John's

Just had to give a big shout out to Papa John's.  Not only did they cater a delicious Take 'n Bake night for us base housing residents last night (and even let me bring an extra gluten free crust to decorate so Matt could indulge!), but they also offer a 40% military discount on all pies (at least in Enid).  Couple that with their commitment to all-natural, fresh ingredients, and delicious garlic butter sauce (which I enjoyed waaay too heavily during my first pregnancy--to the point where I made my own a time or two, after running out of the delivery supply, lol), and I see us enjoying somewhat guilt-free, somewhat regular Papa John family dinners during UPT.  The girls adore pizza night too, almost as much as they enjoy movie night (movie night is their Friday night treat to celebrate successful bedtimes and wake-ups during the school week; it consists of: watching movies [mostly the same one over and over again (and mostly Disney's "Three Musketeers")] until we all pass out on the sofa or recliner...however, my oldest has been developing increasing stamina, leading to next-morning sleep deprivation hangovers, which is causing me to revise the schedule to: one movie each, then a slumber party in my bed!).

Home improvements

When we first moved into our new home on base (which I LOVE, by the way), little things surprised me, such as the high volume of cigarette butts and beer caps in the yard.  In my mind, a family was living here before us, and while I am certainly used to the hubby leaving stuff around, I was trying to relate to the wife who presumably permitted her yard to get so out of hand--and the gardening was nonexistent.  We still need to finish weeding one of the beds.  In short, it was definitely lacking in feminine touch.  I also couldn't imagine moving somewhere and NOT forwarding our mail (particularly bills).  This past week has marked the first that we haven't received large amounts of important-looking mail addressed to the prior residents.

Other quirks include: the dishwasher missing most of the pegs on the bottom row (making it difficult to wash anything but pots in that section--however because the only upward jet is on the bottom, if you wash any pots or large bowls upside down on that level, you basically take the entire top shelf out of commission), and the oven's temp being totally out of control.  The latter, I suspected as soon as we moved in; however, I confirmed it only yesterday.  I like to bake a lot, and it seemed like since we moved here, I have been burning much more food than usual, so I suspected the oven calibration might be off.  I put my oven thermometer in and set the temp to 350.  The temp reached 350 and continued to rise, so I lowered it to 325--and it STILL continued to rise, reaching over 400.  It did not drop until I lowered the temp to between warm and 250, and then it began to do a sharp dive below 300.  So, basically, if I cook something in the 300-degree range (we bake a LOT of cookies), I need to constantly adjust the temp dial every couple of minutes to balance it at about where I need it, which is fine for short things like the aforementioned cookies (which I successfully made for the first time yesterday, after overcooking a total of 4 batches since our arrival), but difficult/dangerous for things like roasts, etc.

Luckily, maintenance here is very on top of things and has already replaced the bottom dishwasher rack and should be out to check out the oven today.  :o)

It was hard for me to imagine anyone with any sort of homemaker objective either dealing with or not noticing these oddities, and then I found out that about a year ago, apparently, base housing was largely vacant and not the popular, bustling, community it is today.  In an effort to fill out the homes, many were leased to groups of pilot students, who, from what I've heard (in our house in particular), mostly partied their weekends away, probably not paying too much attention to things like baking and dishes.

I am SOOOO glad that housing has since developed a wait list of appreciative families, as we have lived next to (and called the cops on) rowdy students for the past two years, and have not really enjoyed it.  I was always grateful Matt was around to handle things, though, as I am extremely nonconfrontational regarding these manners, presuming everyone I approach is either easily offend-able and vindictive by nature and/or carrying a concealed weapon.  It was not uncommon for Matt to march right over and ask the neighbors to tone it down--or to hand-deliver piles of discarded cigarette butts and beer cans left on our porch/in our yard the next morning.  He is a real warrior when it comes to inconsiderate neighbors (and poor customer service reps--his #1 pet peeve), lol.  :o)

The "puke chair"

When Matt is not in class, at the gym, in the "mancave", or in the house, he is in the "puke chair" (more officially formally known as the "Barany chair").  Matt is probably the most prone-to-motion-sickness person I've met, and this ailment has plagued him in pretty much every vehicle he's tried: roller coasters, cars (only when a passenger), boats, and planes.  He knew his nausea would be a problem going into IFS and looked up relaxation and breathing techniques (calm demeanor and diaphragmatic breathing [to stimulate vagal nerve] are major strategies) and more or less got passenger car-sickness under control months ahead of initial flight screening.

However, airsickness was another story.  By controlling his already-limited diet (he has mild gluten and lactose intolerances) and subsisting on bland, low-acid, low-fat foods like bananas and applesauce (strong flavors like garlic and egg, acidity, and fat are nausea/vomitting stimulants), he was able to obtain clearance for and successfully complete his solo flight, however, due to his frequent status as aircraft passenger during training (and later, as copilot, during routine flights) and his own limited control of the plane when he is flying, motion sickness continues to plague him.  He is definitely a fighter, though, and was in fact the only officer in his flight screening class who opted to stick out the mid-air puking in an effort to pass screening (others voluntarily washed-out).

Vance UPT boasts a 97% success rate in "curing" motion sickness, in large part due to this chair:

Once aerophysiology has oriented you to the chair, you are free to access it (with a partner) 24/7.  You are strapped into the chair and your head rests in the black adjustable headrest in one of several positions to simulate different flight maneuvers.  Your partner manually spins you until and continues to due so until you are at the point where you are ready to vomit.  Then he/she slows you down and your body is allowed to recover...however, immediately upon doing so, you are spun again until your limit is reached...the cycle continues.  The theory is that your body will learn to self-control nausea since it can no longer rely on vomiting for relief.

Worst part about not being permitted to throw up: feeling awful the rest of the day.  Matt will come home after an hour of spinning ready to pass out in his recliner, while alternately binging on peanut butter banana tortilla wraps.  Foul-tasting as vomit is, at least it regularly brought relief.  However, for obvious [control] reasons, you cannot be routinely throwing up while piloting an airplane.

I have yet to visit the chair with Matt, mostly because he is in class during my 3 hours of daily free/errand time, when our youngest is in preschool, and it is not an activity screaming "family affair".  The girls would go absolutely crazy if they saw this thing and probably beg nonstop to ride it (alas, the things we find "fun" as children, lol).  Luckily he has a buddy in his class and now one in the neighborhood as well who are also in need of spinning, so he should have plenty of opportunities to beat airsickness.  :o)

Twenty-somethings

I realized for the first time, perhaps why this base housing community seems to be so much more teeming with playmates for our girls than any other one we have lived in thus far...

Earlier, on this sunny, cool, finally-double-as-opposed-to-triple digit afternoon, as I watched two teens walk down the bike trail behind our house with their families--I realized that those were the first teenagers I'd seen thus far at Vance.  My neighbor was quick to point out that (duh!) that is because pilots must enter UPT by their 29th birthday (in other words, this time next year, Matt would be ineligible), so much like most of the new-college grad pilot students are single, most of the married couples pilot student families are young, with two or three kids at the most; primarily preschool or younger.  My oldest daughter (a new kindergartner) is the oldest of any of her friends on base.  Made me realize that, at almost-31, I am probably one of the oldest women I have met thus far as well!

Facebook fashion

Matt pointed out to me the other night that just about all his FB friends in his training class have 1 of 2 pictures as their profile:

Successful solo flight during IFS:

...or...

Oxygen mask issue prior to flying planes nearly three times that speed at UPT:

Definitely underscores the "big-dealness" of the experience for each and every guy/gal out there.  :o)

1st full week down, I-have-no-idea-how-many-more to go!

I am constantly finding myself surprised by how "out of the loop" I am regarding the pilot training process. Prior to this, Matt was an Civil Engineer Squadron Engineering Assistant, and I knew just about everything, right down to the acronyms, largely due to my 5 years' active duty experience in the same squadron (not, however, the same career field--I was a plumber...or, more officially, a Utilities Systems Craftsman).

These days, it is not at all uncommon for me to have nothing more than a general idea of what my husband is talking about.  Being as I am not at all visually-inclined when it comes to identifying things, most planes really do look the same to me, except for A-WACs [aircraft warning and control systems] and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] (the former due to their large discs and the latter due to their size and the fact that UAVs were the only aircraft I was stationed with during my sole deployment to Pakistan).

(official AF pictures):

So when a neighbor asks me, "So, what does your husband want to fly?", I initially think I have already answered the question having stated that he is interested in the cargo or personnel planes, but then realizing she is asking about what particular model within that class...because she actually knows what they are.  Supposedly I will catch onto all the terminology "in no time".  So, each night I fish around for new information, and learned just this week that his top choice is the C-17:

(official AF picture):

He will be finding out in a couple of months if he is tracking for this bad boy, but I am really hazy on the timeline.  Possibly because he is as well, lol.  All I know for sure is that he has a wonderful week and a half under his belt, seems to be loving it, and is genuinely interested in even the academics--and that time is flying by.  :o)

Moving back on base

Having always been interested in medicine/healthcare, I opted to return to school to pursue nursing a few years back and was about to begin my senior year in an RN program about 90 miles south of here.  Matt and I planned to live apart for his year in UPT, assuming the sacrifice would not be that major considering how little we expected to see him during UPT anyway, and the drive was easy enough to make every other week or so.  Well, Matt left for Vance in early July, and by his second visit home, we were realizing the drive and cost (compounded by a $182 speeding ticket for 3mph over the limit), were much more than we expected--AND the kids, particularly our oldest, suffered through a fresh separation every Sunday night/Monday morning.  

We were also denied a second housing allowance (the last time we were separated due to my schooling, we received additional BAH, so we assumed the same would happen this time around, however we did not realize that option is pretty much only available when the military member is stationed overseas and the spouse opts to remain/return stateside).  Our budget calculation had us at roughly -$500/month living apart and +$1500/month living together, all expenses considered; that realization was definitely the final straw prompting me to put the RN on hold, test for the LPN instead, and move the family in together in Enid, OK.

Living in a military community again, after 2 years in civilian ROTC life, is amazing and refreshing.  I love how easy it is to meet people and find playdates for the kids.  I love that our housing layout here is very similar to the enlisted housing scheme in the TV show "Army Wives"--where all the backyards open up on one another [separated only by a bike/walking trail]--although thankfully each home here has a dryer hookup!  It is wonderful being able to frequent the Commissary and BX again, although I have to remember the whole "no food shopping on Mondays" thing.  Hearing Revelry every morning (foolproof alarm clock), the Star Spangled Banner every afternoon, and Tap every night is refreshing and instills a sense of national pride in our children as well.

Stress and car-free walk through the block with both girls on bikes plus the dog:

Living on a base teeming with cops patrolling every street corner 24/7 and knowing most folks on the installation have passed a basic background check is a breath of fresh air when I step outside with the kids on our walks, and enjoy an evening stroll with Petunia (our dachshund) after lights out.  Although I do still need to carry pepper spray to guard against the unbelievable number of leash law violators in the base housing sector (Hana has been jumped on twice [and was not hurt!] and Petunia has had two [thankfully peaceful] encounters, but after having a pup of ours viciously shaken by a neighborhood animal that escaped its flimsy backyard fence, I err on the side of extreme caution and paranoia).

A big difference living on base this time around is that pretty much all the families on the block are guard/reserve.  Most of the active duty folks (Matt is active duty) are fresh from ROTC or the Academy, very young, and single.  So, for most of our neighbors, this is their first real moving experience with the military.  I am very impressed with how friendly and welcoming they are, considering I had attributed the easygoingness of many military spouses to their presumably frequent moves.  We have already met some great families that I certainly feel like I have known more than 3 weeks, lol.  The hard part of it is that most of them are here for UPT, meaning most of them are here for 1 year, as opposed to the 2-4 year  stint you get at most other bases.  Oh well, thank goodness for Facebook!

Another thanks to FB is that we also knew, coming into this move, that one of our enlisted friends who we were both stationed with at Misawa Air Base from 2002-2004 (back when Matt and I were still dating!) is now stationed here, too, with her cute little family and young kiddos that our two girls already adore!  Definitely a small Air Force!  :o)

Mancave: under construction

The hubby's current project is renovating our 1-car garage into a "mancave", with the intent of using it for uninterrupted study sessions, "chair flying", time on his desk-mount flight sim, and (I am sure) fantasy football and ESPN.com away from my nosy eyes.  At first I was unsure about the idea of permanently relinquishing the garage, given the intermittent hailstorms and tornadoes prone to this area, but trying to cram all of his gear into our 3bd/1ba house is a scarier proposition, and I look forward to the day when he does not drop his [germy] backpack and laptop atop my primary cooking counter as soon as he walks in the door.  ;o)

Other positives are that we have a ridiculous amount of accessories to make his mancave more habitable: many portable fans, a small heater, a window A/C unit, an air purifier, electric blankets, and more.  And it makes our already-spacious 3bdrm home feel like a wonderful 4-bedroom house.  Too bad we can't up the bathroom qty, but I must say that having 1 toilet for the 4 of us is working out waaay better than it usually does.  At our last home (a 50+ yr old rental), the plumbing was awful and root-ridden, so frequent toilet problems had us using the yard and the neighboring McDonald's more than we care to admit.  Also, with Matt out of the house so much for pilot training, the bathroom is almost always free.  Prior to his busy schedule, it was not uncommon to see him head to the john with a laptop and candle several times a day.  ;o)

Here are some "before" pix (estimated date of completion--in terms of study area setup, not box removal: this weekend).

And yes, I more than realize that we have a ridiculous amount of boxes left to unpack.  Couple that with the fact that we've been living here for nearly a month and are not really missing/searching for any of our "necessities", and I am forced to admit that we have *waaay* too much stuff!!

Networking

One thing I have grown accustomed to over the years is the fact that, to survive and thrive in a military environment, Matt needs to develop deep bonds with his coworkers--after all, in some situations, his life and theirs could literally depend on these connections.  It is also an unspoken (well, actually, very much spoken) rule that if you want to succeed in your given career field, you need to network and be a team player 24/7.  Which means, in addition to work responsibilities, attend lots of social functions.  I have always been very supportive of this practice, and, as a prior military member myself, believe I have a very realistic perspective on the matter.  I happily attend programs with Matt and encourage him to engage in and volunteer for as many activities as he wants.

A unique aspect of our current path (although ROTC was technically my first jarring introduction), however, is that Matt is very much a student right now...and the majority of his classmates are brand-spanking-new USAFA or ROTC grads (i.e., young and single guys and gals).  In other words, folks not accustomed to working family/non-personal time into their daily schedules--and it seems like they have some sort of social or study adventure scheduled every other day of the week.  I am all for study sessions--and weekly social outings, but here everything is very intertwined--such as: studying while watching football all day long at the O'Club or cracking the books in between volleyball and pizza on a Saturday afternoon....which turns the typical get-together into an all-day or all-night thing.

Matt and I butted heads about this a bit last week, and to his credit, he is really stepping up the family time and has started to balance things very well--even finding other ways to bond with his classmates--such as collaborating on computer-based study aids, which makes me feel waaaay more optimistic about our sanity and family stability over the next year.  :o)  It is definitely an adjustment, though.  Matt is 28 yrs old, my hubby, and the father of two fantastic little girls--thrust into a mix of mostly single early-20-year-olds.  It reminded me a little of my introduction to nursing school as a nontraditional student, however, not extremely outgoing by nature--and very accustomed to hands-on, full-time parenting--social activities were never something I sorely missed.  Time to crochet and cook on the other hand, I would have given anything for!  ;o)

Welcome to training!

Well, our 2 years of countdowns/meltdowns/waiting are finally through, the hubby has passed all his screenings, re-entered active duty, and pilot training has begun!  Matt was given a realistic introduction to the hazards of flight during his first day of briefings, where his footprints and photograph-in-Air-Force-blues were taken for use in the event of a worst case scenario (the former for identification, the latter for a funeral), which was a bit of a jarring wake up call for both of us (me, especially), as he has already deployed three times (including dangerous stints in Iraq and Afghanistan) where these measures were deemed unnecessary.

Now that he has passed his solo flight in Colorado-based Initial Flight Screening--and was able to accurately identify (and land thereafter) an engine malfunction while flying himself--my confidence in his abilities and this adventure has skyrocketed considerably.  Although, I do have to admit, I do not see us jumping up in the air with him any time soon, lol.  After having an ANG family from Matt's class over for dinner this weekend, and learning that Matt's classmate is a licensed pilot in civilian life, with over 300 flying hours under his belt, but that his wife and kid have still not braved the air with him, makes me think I will not be changing my mind anytime soon, lol.

Matt, in the plane he soloed in:

Interestingly, I rarely give a moment's thought to the pilots (civilian/military) who have flown us in the past, pilots who have never met us and are surely not as extra-motivated to safely perform as Matt would be, knowing we were passengers...maybe it is because I know that: a) my tendency to backseat drive might get the better of me and annoy the begeezus out of Matt (even though I would have, admittedly, no clue what I was talking about in-flight); b) in our 8 years of marriage, he has been involved in two pretty severe (yet, thankfully, injury-free) car accidents; or c) it is still hard to imagine him mastering something so amazing and cool.  I still get nerves over my abilities in nursing based on my own opinion of me and the line of thinking involved in option c, so it is probably more that than anything.  We have both worked toward and supported each other in pursuit our own respective dreams for so long that it is hard to imagine we are so close to realizing them.