The Wandering Drays: August 2014

That's me and Krista four-wheeling in Giza in 2012.
Total rockstars.

WARNING. This entry is long with a gazillion photos.

Ok. Read on!

So there's nothing like a last-minute three-week TDY that the fab hubby has to take to Tel Aviv to remind you that it really does take a village. Last minute as in five days notice. We weren't shocked when it happened; he's TDY'd before, but it's always such a hustle for us when it really happens.

What do we do with the kids? That's always THE big question. I work full time at NIH, odd hours (afternoons) and am frequently not home between 5pm and 11pm. Our daycare closes at 6pm (the fab hubby picks him up). Plus, I had a five day solo mini-vacay planned (AND FULLY PAID...NONREFUNDABLE) during the surprise TDY in which I was headed to SoCal to see one of my Cairo besties. WAAAHHHH!!!

So I put the calls out to our posse: grandparents, friends, co-workers. And within an hour of receiving the fab hubby's "hey, I gotta TDY" call, we had it completely worked out. COMPLETELY.

We would drive the kids to Ohio to the grandparents' house where they'd stay for most of the three weeks. I would work my scheduled hours, get my trip to California (!!!), spend one of the weekends in Ohio with the kids (thanks to a co-worker who took two of my weekend shifts!), drive back to Virginia for the week for work, and then the fab hubby would return, drive to Ohio to get the kids, drive back to Virginia, and we'd all live happily ever after.

Whew.

Crazy.

I know.

We've done the crazy more times that I'd like to admit. Stressful, yeah. But doable. And like always, we'd make this doable as well. Kids get an awesome summer in Ohio with grandparents. I'd get my trip to SoCal and my job would essentially be unaffected. Fab hubby would do the TDY.

The only snafu would be if the TDY was extended.

Which, of course, it was. For nearly one week. WAAAAHHHH!! But after a few texts, our rockstar neighbors (friends from Cairo, you know!) were able to arrange it so that I'd have help during the evenings I worked until he was back. Whew.

Feel the burn? I unfortunately did.

Unknowingly feeding the ulcer in California.

During this craziness, I found myself sitting in an ER one evening, having left work with chest pain. Since I'd recently flown and taken two long car rides back and forth from Ohio, I was concerned the pain might be a possible blood clot in my lungs (pulmonary embolism). I didn't even want to contemplate the possibility of a cardiac issue; because you know, nurses aren't always good at identifying personal health issues. I begrudgingly knew I had to get it checked out. Four hours, lots of blood work, an EKG, and a X-ray later, I walked away with clean cardiac bill of health.

But my diagnosis? Gastritis. Probably an ulcer. Feel the burn indeed.

I've had low-level heartburn off and on for years. And truthfully, it typically rears its ugly head most often when I'm stressed. Thinking back, I can remember the worst of it when I was pregnant, when the fab hubby was in Baghdad, during a particularly dicey time in Cairo, and during the end of my solo stint in California, when the kids had to evacuate from Cairo. Add the crazy amounts of NSAIDS I take for my arthritis (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin) and stir in the crazy amounts of coffee I drink? It's a wonder I have a stomach lining at all. But I've only ever once had to see a doctor about it (that was when the fab hubby was in Baghdad).

This time, it was just different - a constant heaviness with lots of pressure. The burning sensation would come and go, but the pain was non-stop. Pain meds, eating, Tums. Nothing helped. The ER visit was honestly a bit embarrassing for me. I'm not one to go to the ER, and frankly I remember patients like me when I worked there. But at least I now know what's going on. The ER doc put me on something specific for GERD/ulcers and I'm following up with a gastroenterologist. No NSAIDS (or at least a lot fewer -- bad for my arthritis, good for my stomach!), but thankfully the ER doc did say he WASN'T concerned about my coffee ~~binging~~ habit. Score.

But stress? Well, some things just never change. I can't help the craziness of our lifestyle (And yeah, I know. We picked this! So I'm not complaining! Just stating the obvious.). And I like to think that I have a pretty good handle on stress, but sometimes my body just says otherwise. In any case, the fab hubby comes home tomorrow afternoon (!!!!), and we're all stoked. Pretty much half of our summer was burned away by this TDY (Again, no complaints. Just stating the obvious.). And we're looking forward to {hopefully} having a little family time. Labor Day weekend is my scheduled holiday to work, but the kids are so excited to get the weekend with their dad. And school is starting up next week, so it will definitely be nice to get back to the "normal."

The magnificent Double Double.
Best burger on the planet.

And what about my mini vacay?! IT WAS AWESOME. Remember my friend from Cairo who PCS'd to SoCal last year and then took in my two oldest for nearly three weeks when they evacuated from Cairo? Yeah. THAT AWESOME FRIEND. Well, despite our kids having been able to catch up twice in the last year (summer 2013 surf camp! and spring break 2014), Krista and I had not been able to do so since I left Cairo in February 2013. Sure we did the "see ya" high five (also know as having a quick Double Double at In and Out Burger) when I picked up the kids at her home last summer before I drove cross-country to the East Coast. But other than texting and phone calls, we had not had the chance to REALLY catch up.

{{Sob.}} I missed my friend. So when some lucky scheduling at work gave me five days off in a row, the fab hubby told me I should fly out to California to see her! (As always, he's truly fabulous. He knew how much I had missed her since leaving Cairo.)

Now, I know this lifestyle of "hello! goodbye! hello! goodbye!" can make me worry that maybe things won't be the same when we catch up with our friends. I'm sure there are plenty of other FS peeps out there who feel the same. We just don't talk about it.

Yeah, I honestly was a little worried. BUT I WAS WRONG!! So wrong. It was like nothing had changed. {{Sob.}} So relieved!

Absolutely nothing had changed! We talked. And talked. And laughed. And talked some more. Four whole days and we could have done more. The beach. Old Town San Diego. We still have so much in common, even though we're not in Cairo anymore. Some things, the greatest things! They never change.

The California trip was a much-needed break. I returned home happy. Although with the kids and the fab hubby gone during this time (kids in Ohio with the fab grandparents; fab hubby in Tel Aviv), the house felt way too big and way too empty. Work was great and I got in some good trail runs, but it was just so lonely at home. The fab hubby and I? We've done some serious time apart. His training in 2008 was nine months away from us. In 2010 he did three additional months of training before leaving for Baghdad for a year. And in 2013, I departed post six months ahead of my family. Plus, don't forget the two month TDY he did in 2013, just as we were reunited! But we're good together, even when we've had a lot of time apart. It's just one of those things that never changes. And so when a "short" TDY comes up, I usually don't think much of it. Four weeks? Bah. We could do that standing on our head.

But I guess I should also be the first to admit that some TDY's are just harder than others, even if the time apart is less. And this was definitely one of them. Maybe it's because the kids were also gone - and it smarts too close to my six solo months in California. Or maybe it's just that the timing - it was super last minute and maybe I wasn't mentally prepared for summer to come to a halt so quickly. I dunno. But it's been tough.

Thankfully, I've got my village! Lots of friends checked in on me, and I did countless coffee dates and lunches. I really couldn't be more lucky!

Plus, another friend from Cairo --- she and her family just PCS'd to DC! I haven't seen them in over two years. And my high school BFF?! She had some free time and drove in for a couple of days to hang with me. And in both cases?! Yup. I was worried. I fretted. I hadn't seen either of these two friends in a long, long time. What if things just weren't the same between us?

Seems like I ought to learn. Some things, they never change, no matter what. Some friendships, they withstand the tests of time, the tests of growing older, the tests of moving and not seeing each other for long stretches of time.

And we just pick up right where we left off.

I've know Rose for nearly 30 years. 30 YEARS!
We met in 5th grade. Our friendship is still going strong.

Because you can never have too many sippy faces.

Hanging at the pool with my friend Mel and her adorable daughter.
Lazing in the pool? One of those things we did in Cairo!
I love that some things never change.

Some more crazy, beautiful moments of summer:

I know said one and done last summer. But I lied.
Krista took me to get some ink done that I'd been contemplating for awhile now.
Don't let this calm face fool you. I was only looking good for the camera.
This one HURT.

M gorgeous family tree.
Inside of my left wrist/forearm.
Love.

Loving us some Starbucks.

Old Town San Diego. Fresh, handmade tortilla.
Perfection.

Carnitas and friendship. Doesn't get better than this.

Arranged marriages are no bueno.

Blended horchata.
BLENDED HORCHATA!
(It's a traditional Mexican drink that I used to have all the time
when we lived in Los Angeles. The blended is something I've
never had before. Total awesomeness.)

San Diego, overlooking Coronado Island.
I love it here.

Yes, this. Wanderlust.
The fab hubby brought me to San Diego in 2004, long before he
joined the Foreign Service. But I remember it as being the place
that planted the seeds of travel/new careers in our minds. I loved it there
so much and because of it, I wanted to see more and do more.
But I've always wanted to go back. There's no place like it.

Treating Krista's people to some fine cupcakes in San Diego.
My kids miss these kids so much.

Because goodbyes are always easier when burgers are involved.

Had a chance to catch up with my friend Shannon in
Long Beach. At my favorite cupcake place in the whole world!
We've known each other since 2009 -- we worked in the same
ER together. She's amazing!

The extra weekend I was in Ohio? I took the kids to a petting zoo that the fab
hubby and I used to take them to all the time when we lived there.
Such a great trip down memory lane.