Merry Christmas!
I'm obsessed with Mario, & you're going to have to deal with that
Anyway, where I’m at, it’s now Christmas morning (0146am-but, we go back another hour in 15 minutes as we transit through another time zone).
So, what do we get to do for Christmas here? Well, regardless of whether it fell on a Sunday or not (which it obviously does this year), we’d get Holiday Routine. Holiday Routine is when things are a bit more relaxed and less words are passed over the 1MC (think “intercom”). Fewer meetings. Essentially, I have to show up for watch and my one meeting today, and that’s it.
Yesterday (Christmas Eve), we had a Holiday party. There was karaoke, hot chocolate, christmas cookie decorating and even a raffle (I forgot to buy tickets…drats.) [the raffle ended up being on Christmas Day, and I won a 14MP camera] Today, there will be a holiday meal.
Things that make you go “awwwww….”
I’ll write more about it, but I honestly think that I have the easier job when it comes to deployment-I’m gone and working. That’s it. And, every once in a while, I get to stop in some foreign port. Mary and the kids have it far more difficult. But, again, more on that later.
Deployments, at least in my experience, affect the kids differently based on their age. When they’re real young (like Justyce, Colbi and-to an extent-Devin on my first deployments after they were born, and Logan now), they don’t notice. They don’t grasp time. They don’t realize how long you’re gone.
When kids are a couple years old (Justyce during my second deployment, Devin now), they notice more. They are used to Daddy being around, and they still don’t really grasp time-for all they know, Dad’s been gone a while and will come home in a while. They don’t realize that there’s some 170 days or so in-between that and they just don’t understand it. Also, they are more vocal and can say cute things. I can call back to them and they talk to me on the phone, instead of me just talking and repeatedly saying “I love you” and “I miss you” and “be good for momma” (like I do with Logan).
How I missed my own birthday
Now, don’t take that literally; obviously, no matter where I am, I can’t miss my own birthday. You’re with me on that, right? However, having said that…when you’re gone, it’s just not the same. If you’re not with ones you love, if nothing about your day changes whatsoever, you may as well have missed it. Honestly, for me, if I don’t get my favorite breakfast on my birthday (blueberry & raspberry pancakes), then it’s just another day as far as I’m concerned. (NOTE: Wifey takes great care of me, and I get my birthday breakfast when I’m home because she knows how much I love it). In my mind, I’m still 34, that was the last birthday I celebrated at home with my family.
Time Stands Still
I wrote a blog a few years ago, back when I was on something they called “Myspace” (no, I don’t remember exactly what that was either, little Timmy) about how detached I am from my life on deployment. I wish I had a copy of that, because I think it was likely one of the most well-written things I’ve ever produced (at least I can claim it was, right?). I’m not sure I’ll be able to recreate it here.
I’m an entertainment junkie-I love movies, TV, music, entertainment news…everything about entertainment. I’ve been to Hollywood many times, I’ve been on a Television Show, I read TMZ almost daily and I keep up with all the pop news. Having said that, if you’re going to read my blog, at some point you’re likely to have to deal with some obscure references. Kudos to you if you get them, if not, try to research them. You learn a lot of stuff when you research things you don’t know.
This is one of those times I’m going to use an obscure reference. Read the rest of this entry
A Tough Decision
No, it wasn’t a decision that I had to make…it was one that my daughters made (tough for one of them in particular).
Last deployment was brutal…Not only were things not going well on the ship, and I was out here while my beautiful wifey was pregnant and then gave birth to my awesome little boy Logan, but essentially my ex-wife and I went through a bitter custody battle via email. It was brutal. I’m not going to get into a lot of details out of respect for my ex-wife and the unfair perception that would be levied due to the fact that only my side is being portrayed, but the gist of it is that we had Joint Physical Custody since our separation (2002) where the girls would spend one week at their moms and the next week at my house. It worked out great for a long time, but for whatever reason, it was decided that it was no longer ideal and wasn’t working out. So, their mother wanted to take me to court for sole physical custody.
First off, if you know nothing about me, please understand that I’m a realist. Their mom goes to school and doesn’t currently have a job. I am in the Navy and on a ship that gets underway. It’s not that difficult for me to figure out where the pendulum was going to swing as far as custody goes-hell, if I was the judge presiding over my own case, I’d award custody to her. Second, please understand that above all else, I despise being associated with drama and did not want to drag my daughters through something that was going to get ugly like this. Nor did I want to go through it in a formal setting.
