tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105580992011-04-21T21:06:56.953-07:00erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1156951690445040202006-08-30T08:21:00.000-07:002006-08-30T08:28:10.446-07:00

I just yesterday received my copy of "The Blog of War" and I must say seeing my writing published in a book was thrilling. Matt was so excited, he broke out a bottle of champagne. Copies of the book can be purchased here and I can be reached via email here.

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1143659963996271002006-03-29T11:07:00.000-08:002006-03-29T11:55:04.330-08:00

Having Matt back home is incredible. Perhaps, oddly enough, the thing that's taken the most getting used to is that it feels like he's never left - I keep thinking back over the last year, wondering if it really happened. Germany came up in discussion a few days ago, and I found myself commenting that we'll have to get out there some day since neither of us have ever been. The response I got was

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1142691338041484932006-03-18T06:01:00.000-08:002006-03-18T06:15:38.063-08:00

I'm so excited I think I might throw up. I was surprised that I was able to fall asleep at all, but nonetheless, I was up bright and early (5:40 a.m.) and ready to go. I feel like a kid who knows they're going to Disneyworld today. Except for the whole nauseau thing...I don't ever recall experiencing the incredible need to vomit when going to Disneyworld as a kid. It's times like these I wish I

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1142393132401078092006-03-14T19:25:00.000-08:002006-03-17T08:30:24.970-08:00

I'm so excited I doubt my ability to form coherent sentences so if I start to blabber or make excessive typos - bear with me! After flying through numerous countries - something that began with a K or a C that I've never heard of, Germany, Ireland, Nova Scotia, Indiana (I know, not a country...) - Matt finally arrived at Ft. Lewis, Washington early early early Monday morning...so early, in fact,

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1141947001160720802006-03-09T14:29:00.000-08:002006-03-10T08:25:02.553-08:00

Well, I wasn't going to update until I got the call from Matt that he was in the states, but since some people are impatient for an update (*cough*brittkarenlaurenjennifer*cough ....just kidding, I love you guys!), I figured I'd appease everyone with a little bit of info.As far as I know, Matt is not yet back in the states nor is he still in Afghanistan. If everything went according to plan, he

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1141332202387290082006-03-02T11:55:00.000-08:002006-03-02T14:03:57.876-08:00

All day yesterday, I could not stop grinning. March. For 13 months I have waited for it to be March 2006, and it seemed reason for celebration when the date finally switched over to 3/1/06. On my desk calendar, March is already greasy with finger prints and pen marks from my constant wishing and hoping, from turning to March just to make sure the month still existed, to daze dreamily in the

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1140822348956647952006-02-24T14:22:00.000-08:002006-02-24T15:11:11.343-08:00

Nothing new. Still waiting. Dates still dancing around like unattainable goals.I hate to say it because it'll sound the way I don't mean it to, but I'm really not excited. I don't mean I'm not thrilled that Matt's coming home - because I am - but as I'm sure those of you who've been through a homecoming and those who're close know (and as those of you just starting a deployment will know in a few

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1139946017453642902006-02-14T11:21:00.000-08:002006-02-14T12:39:31.950-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, darlings! :) My second without Matt, but undoubtedly far better than last year's - this Valentine's I'm ending a deployment instead of beginning one. For the sake of nostalgia, I went back into my archives and read my angst-ridden post from last Valentine's Day and couldn't help but chuckle: Who was I angry at? The world? Of course, in defense of my anger, I had been

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1139427245115298112006-02-08T11:03:00.000-08:002006-02-08T12:28:16.710-08:00

This is getting arduous. I'm only partially successfully trying to maintain my patience through this last month, but good God, it's severe. I knew the end would be bad, but I don't think anything could've prepared me for this. The end of the deployment has become, for me, a mirage - every time we get closer to it, a reflection on the ground, a trick of the eyes, it disappears; it moves farther

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1138821087792741992006-02-01T10:53:00.000-08:002006-02-01T11:11:27.810-08:00

Guess what?! MATT WILL BE HOME NEXT MONTH! Yes! Finally I can say it! LOL.Anyhoo, I have been tagged by Ryan and Christy, and the opportunity to kill some time is always an appealing one...4 Jobs You Have Had in Your Life1. Ski instructor for snot-nosed little kids2. Horseback trail guide3. Weekend "on-air personality" (aka radio DJ)4. Accounting clerk4 Movies You Would Watch Over and Over1. Mean

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1138650650771854172006-01-30T10:56:00.000-08:002006-01-30T12:02:35.693-08:00

I got some much needed shut eye this weekend, but now that I'm back at work, it's like my "catch up" had little to no affect. I was chuckling to myself on my drive home Thursday after work as I tried desperately to rein in my road rage, remember how I'd just written a post about how regardless of my lack of sleep I was in such a "good mood." Yeah...that didn't last long LOL. As planned, I crawled

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1138321463302993812006-01-26T16:22:00.000-08:002006-01-26T16:28:29.660-08:00

I'm so impossibly tired. My skin is sallow and dull, make-up is hiding the bags under my eyes, my eyes are bloodshot and it's taking every ounce of my being to keep them open this last half hour or so I have left of work. I have never in my life suffered from such a serious case of insomnia, but I don't care. I feel exhaused, but I'm in a great mood - Matt will be home in 43 days or less!! It

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1137795174121372652006-01-20T13:34:00.000-08:002006-01-20T14:12:54.143-08:00

7 weeks. That's approximately how much longer it will be before I'm in Matt's arms again. It could be more. It could be less. But it will be in March, and I'm hanging on tightly to the fact that in 11 days or so I will be able to accurately state that Matt will be home "next month." Come on February!! (Really we know I'm rooting for March, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. Short term goals

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1137181191341027972006-01-13T10:46:00.000-08:002006-01-13T12:21:31.386-08:00

With every new year that rolls by, I (like many others) have the tendency to write the wrong date out of force of habit. Usually it only lasts through January - I'd write 2003 instead of 2004, 2004 instead of 2005 and so on and so forth. 2006 is the first year ever in my 23 years (well, probably more like 18 or 19 - God knows I wasn't writing dates when I was 1) that I haven't mistakenly written

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1136488118300041372006-01-05T10:45:00.000-08:002006-01-05T11:50:32.396-08:00

Well. My hiatus didn't last very long. Honestly, the way I was feeling when I made my post last week was that I'd probably feel up to blogging again around mid-January, but the truth of the matter is, I missed it, and this particular date was not one that I could just let pass unnoticed (well, that and I was really dying to see "January 2006" show up in my archive list).Matt always jokes that

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1135725009955687032005-12-27T13:26:00.000-08:002005-12-27T15:10:09.990-08:00

Christmas was good. Not great, mind you (it certainly could've been made a thousand times better by the presence of Matt), but all things considered, it was good.I woke up this morning with a vaguely familiar feeling weighing down on my chest and suddenly felt like having a good long cry. Can it be possible that I still have 2 more months to go without Matt? It just seems so unfair. Apart from

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1135363086897589592005-12-23T10:36:00.000-08:002005-12-23T10:38:06.913-08:00

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas surrounded by the people you love and those who love you! God bless :)

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1134682182384150202005-12-15T13:04:00.000-08:002005-12-15T14:26:39.313-08:00

It's strange to be in December. I can remember so vividly what last December was like - the stress, the anxiety, the fights, the worry, the fear - and time hasn't necessarily gone by fast, but it is introspective to sit down and think of the past year of my life. We've come almost full circle from the day Matt left (January 5), and I can still recall the morning of January 5, 2005 so well, it

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1133993257679023132005-12-07T13:05:00.000-08:002005-12-07T14:07:37.753-08:00

I just realized today how long it's been since I last posted. I usually try to post about once a week, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way!!I had a very nice Thanksgiving with my parents - we went skiing on what little snow we have (last winter we were wishing the snow to go away, and I think they must've put that wish on layaway to give us this year...) and my mom and I got a little

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1132699547814572322005-11-22T14:49:00.000-08:002005-11-22T14:45:47.896-08:00

Today is it - double digits! It's so hard to believe that we're so close to the end of this, that in 3 months (and 9 days) or less, Matt will be home, our lives will resume "as usual," and all this will be behind us...As I was turning out the lights in the living room last night and getting ready for bed, I was suddenly struck with this feeling...It's been 6 months since my roommate moved out and

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1132186732834944312005-11-16T16:32:00.000-08:002005-11-16T16:28:46.403-08:00

Military wives are like kindred souls. Even when Matt returns home and gets his honorable discharge - when I'm no longer a "military" bride, but rather, just a bride - I'll still have a connection to this phenomenal group of people. Though I will never truly understand all it entails to hold the title of a military wife, what it means to "keep the homefires burning" is exclusive to knowing how a

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1131477129314508762005-11-08T11:38:00.000-08:002005-11-08T11:38:51.906-08:00

First and foremost, to my darling, the love of my life, my soldier, my best friend - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I wish I could be celebrating it with you; there's so much we're missing together this year - my birthday, yours, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, 2 Valentine's Days - but we have our whole lives to spend making it up. I love you and in just about 3 and a half months, this separation

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1130960706585438062005-11-02T11:48:00.000-08:002005-11-02T11:45:06.606-08:00

"Homecoming" is the most beautiful word in the world. The feelings it emits inside me are wonderful; it's like music to my ears. A few of the wives I've befriended during this time have reached the point where their husbands are coming home; Christy will be seeing her husband in a matter of days, Brittany's hubby will home next month, and those are just to name a few. I'm so happy for them. I've

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1130273308373863892005-10-25T14:48:00.000-07:002005-10-25T14:45:55.386-07:00

Well, after a month or so at an FOB, Matt is now safe and sound back at Kandahar (err, "safe and sound," all things considered); the specifics of his trip home were a little hair-raising, and while I'm not sure I'm at liberty to divulge the details (I'm still figuring out the whole OPSEC thing, so better safe than sorry), I'll simply say I was praising God for keeping Matt safe. I worked myself

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1129160136145008052005-10-13T14:23:00.000-07:002005-10-13T14:23:04.126-07:00

On Monday I attended the funeral for CW3 John Flynn. Yesterday the funeral for SSG Patrick Stewart was held, but I did not go - I just couldn't. Two funerals in one week, and I can't help but think the most morbid of thoughts. I felt terrible for not going to the funeral yesterday, but.....I just couldn't. If you've ever had to watch a woman bury her husband, you probably understand why I

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1128627469845990632005-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:002005-10-06T16:09:28.396-07:00

As promised, I watched an episode of the epic series "Over There." Well, part of it anyway - Matt called around 9:30ish and it wasn't until a while after we hung up (or got disconnected, rather), that I remembered it was Wednesday and that I'd planned on watching the show; I managed to catch the last half hour. It's probably pretty amazing that I was able to watch the show in the first place.

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1128378097679012282005-10-03T15:25:00.000-07:002005-10-03T15:27:15.613-07:00

Here's what's new in my life from the last week: nothing. I'd feel more sorry for myself with my seemingly pitiful life if I didn't bring it upon myself. In fact, I rather enjoy it. From the beginning of this whole "adventure," my favorite person to hang out with has been me. The truth of the matter is, I'd much rather sit at home and talk to myself (I'm actually talking to Matt, but well, since

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1127754570601432482005-09-26T10:11:00.000-07:002005-09-29T06:48:37.293-07:00

One of our chinooks crashed yesterday. Matt is okay (in the lowest sense of the word). Two of the 5 guys onboard were from our small Nevada Guard unit, so needless to say, our conversation when he called last night was of the most morbid kind. When I got a call last night from our RDC confirming fears that it was our unit, my stomach dropped; I'd been praying all day that the chinook wasn't ours

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1127421817645655292005-09-22T13:47:00.000-07:002005-09-22T13:55:18.903-07:00

I feel a little bit like I've been neglecting updating with any real updates, mainly because my life has fallen into a routine of monotony. Since school started, everything has been a constant go go go. Every day is exactly like the day before it - Monday is like Tuesday, Tuesday is like Wednesday, and so on and so forth. The only way I differentiate the days is by class and "my" TV shows, and

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1126291557993112662005-09-09T11:49:00.000-07:002005-09-09T11:45:58.016-07:00

Sometime I wonder if the habits I've picked up in Matt's absence are worrysome. I talk to myself very regularly - we've even started to have inside jokes together, me and I, but thing about the inside jokes is that they're basically the same as the jokes I share with Matt. In my oneness, I've just found ways to chuckle over them with myself because after all, I am basically just an extension of

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1125858884818034172005-09-04T11:36:00.000-07:002005-09-04T11:34:44.830-07:00

I haven't really felt like posting lately...My first week of school wore me out! Throughout the summer months, I'd forgotten how draining it can be. I took everyone's advice and decided to drop my 3rd class, and wow! Am I glad I did! I got a phone message the other day that they'd "reinstated" my class that they'd cancelled for the semester, but I don't even have the desire to take it. I had

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1125355052818489942005-08-29T15:38:00.000-07:002005-08-29T15:37:32.826-07:00

This song haunts me. I liked it until I saw the video, and now I can't hardly listen to it period. Much to my dismay, the radio station I listen to plays it about a trillion times a day, and the thought of the video makes me cringe. What song am I talking about? Why, Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends," of course. If you haven't yet seen this video, you can get that runnin' by clicking

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1125011528626449602005-08-25T16:15:00.000-07:002005-08-25T16:12:08.636-07:00

I've been posting a lot in August 'cause I'm not sure I'll have much time to once school starts on Monday. I can't help but feeling I've totally overloaded my plate in a very successful effort to stay busy as all living hell. When I'm not at work or in class, I'll be doing homework or planning my wedding. Screw breathing and sleep - it's all just a means to an end. LOL. Everyone copes with

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1124830381461300552005-08-23T13:56:00.000-07:002005-08-24T16:23:42.356-07:00

Last week I received an email from Robert Williams, the Marketing Coordinator for the program Helmets to Hardhats asking if I would be interested in including a link to their website on my page. I'm going to go a step further and post the article he attached to the email he sent me; since Matt worked in the construction industry before being deployed and plans to not only return to that trade,

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1124402201082384972005-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:002005-08-18T15:25:17.330-07:00

Today is quite possibly one of the best days of my life. The only way it could be any better is if Matt were here to share it with me, however I have not let the fact that he's not here deter the significance of the events of this wonderful day. Despite being on the opposite side of the world and being unable to give me the congratulatory hug and kiss I absolutely crave, he can still at least

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1124142722636890492005-08-15T14:55:00.000-07:002005-08-15T14:52:02.666-07:00

I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. I slept like crap last night as vivid and grotesque nightmares have lately become a regular occurrence. I woke up around 3 a.m. last night and though I couldn't remember exactly what had happened in the dream, I had broken out in a cold sweat and my heart was racing at an alarming rate - I slept with Matt's dim reading light on for the rest of the

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1123881784585931102005-08-12T14:26:00.000-07:002005-08-12T14:23:04.593-07:00

From the beginning when I started this blog, I've opted out of using it as a resource to express my political views and instead have hoped to have it serve as somewhat of an outlet for other military wives/girlfriends/fiances. I love it when I'm emailed for advice because that was what I had hoped to achieve through my blog. However, some posts in some blogs I frequent were brought to my

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1123712380061387352005-08-10T15:23:00.000-07:002005-09-29T08:03:39.486-07:00

Ah, half way through another week. I typically hate Wednesdays - it's much easier to pull through the day with the knowledge that tomorrow is Thursday. And boy, do I love Thursdays (really).This past Sunday, some of my mom's cronies threw a bridal shower for me, and it was a great time. I got a lot of gifts - more than I ever even received for my birthday when I was young and cute and spoiled

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1123535052783093162005-08-08T14:07:00.000-07:002005-08-08T14:04:12.793-07:00

I thought I'd copy Emmy and give making a doll of me a go. Well, that wasn't enough to appease my boredom, so I made one of Matt too. This is what we would look like if we were cartoon anime characters....Matt's hair is a little screwed up though - they have over 800 different hairs to choose from and none of them seemed to suit Matt; this was the closest I could find! Go figure. (And thank

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1123274042372974792005-08-05T14:07:00.000-07:002005-08-05T14:10:15.873-07:00

This is it! One year from today at this exact moment, Matt and I will be at our reception, blinded by love and wedded bliss :-) When I started the "wedding countdown" (back when Matt proposed on December 12), there was over 500 DAYS in the countdown - and now just look! We've past the one-year-till mark, and I'm so excited. Matt called this morning and I happily wished him a happy "

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1123017666467319212005-08-02T14:24:00.000-07:002005-08-02T14:21:06.473-07:00

Just a mere three more days till the countdown to the wedding can really begin. I haven't wanted to allow myself to get too excited over a wedding next August when this August hadn't even rolled around yet, but I think I can put my reluctancy aside now. :-) My bridal shower is on Sunday, and at the risk of sounding selfish, very few gifts have been purchased off my registry and knowing my mom's

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1122674021937977872005-07-29T15:46:00.000-07:002005-07-29T15:49:08.460-07:00

I haven't updated for a little while because everything in my life is perusual - I neglected my regular Tuesday update merely because I had absolutely nothing to post about. And as it turns out, I still don't really have anything to post about, but I am in terrible need of a good rant, and hey, that's one of the reasons I have my little nook of the internet, right?:-)~ What I'm getting at here is

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1121796717463544212005-07-19T14:31:00.000-07:002005-07-19T18:39:56.266-07:00

I miss Matt. I realize this isn't much of a news flash or anything, but after months of subduing my pain to a numb ache, the feeling has recently made itself more prominent once again. With registering and a bridal shower right around the corner and the wedding nearly a year away (and therefore more acceptable to start planning for), I'm constantly reminded that I am so very very much alone

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1121201893064125372005-07-12T16:47:00.000-07:002005-07-12T16:43:51.070-07:00

Matt called me this morning before work and as always when he calls, I was exhilerated. My heart literally picks up a few beats just at the sound of my phone ringing; it goes haywire when the caller ID shows the number of the call base that connects our calls - the number that shows up every time Matt calls (I even set a ringer to it on my cell phone). Some things in this deployment have lost

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1120607686682057882005-07-05T16:58:00.000-07:002005-07-05T16:54:46.690-07:00

I have two notably bad habits that I've decided to spend the next 8 months kicking, and the old saying is true: old habits die hard. It's funny to me how in some ways these problems are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum - one of them will affect my mentality, the other, my physical well-being. Habit A is procrastination. Habit B (and I really hate to admit this, but they say admitting you

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1120171173658829762005-06-30T18:23:00.000-07:002005-06-30T18:21:36.876-07:00

Another month down; another notch in the countdown to an undetermined (and to me, therefore, elusive) date, though I can't entirely deny that the year is moving along at a good pace. On July 5, Matt will have been away from home for 6 months, and though there's still about 8 to go after that, I no longer feel quite as devastated as I did, well, 6 months ago! Four months of his tour in Afghanistan

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1119915435647733442005-06-27T16:40:00.000-07:002005-06-27T16:37:15.656-07:00

I don't have too terribly much to post about, so I apologize in advance for this "posting for the joy of posting" post. Matt called early Friday morning and were it not for the fact that I was going to be late to work that morning anyway for a doctor's appointment, his call would've made me late. But I don't care. Matt's phone calls take priority to absolutely everything, no exception. He'd

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1119385059498672592005-06-21T13:49:00.000-07:002005-06-21T14:06:06.746-07:00

Do not ever ever EVER buy a Jetta. To the people in the midst of car-shopping to whom I've suggested a Volkswagen Jetta, I vehemently revoke my vote. Before I bought the car last February, my sister-in-law (a previous Jetta owner) and a girlfriend (a current Jetta owner) were very adamant that I don't buy one. "Don't buy it," they said. "I've never had so many problems with a car!" But did I

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1119225373262829982005-06-19T17:53:00.000-07:002005-06-19T17:54:11.750-07:00

It's been life per usual this week since Matt's left. After dropping him off at the airport a week ago today, I was surprised at how quickly I got back into "the way things were." I was down in the dumps on Sunday, periodically crying on Monday, and pretty well back into routine by Tuesday. We had a great time and I already miss him like hell, and I suppose I can attribute my quick bounce back to

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1118981301818330642005-06-16T20:58:00.000-07:002005-06-16T21:08:21.820-07:00

It's been a few days since Matt's R&R ended and the army reclaimed him for another 9 months, and I don't really have an excuse for not posting an update other than sheer laziness :-) We had an unbelievable time together - undoubtedly the best 15 days of my life - but I'm not especially up for writing right now, so I figured I'd at least buy myself some time and post the pictures!! Check them out

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1116963877713402662005-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:002005-05-25T11:21:58.780-07:00

Alright, I lied. Yesterday wasn't my last post before Matt comes home and R&R bliss. Matt called last night; I knew it was him before I even looked at the caller ID, and when the phone rang, I felt a mixture of happy and sad at the exact same moment - happy that Matt was calling, yet sad because I knew it meant he wasn't en route. It was an anomaly feeling those highs and lows simultaneously, but

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1116892106472880342005-05-23T16:51:00.000-07:002005-05-23T16:48:26.490-07:00

The final hours of countdown have begun! Matt called me last night to say that he should be leaving the base in the next 48 hours (that was almost 24 hours ago), and that if he doesn't call me tonight, it means he's in the air on his way home! Now I'm just sitting around patiently waiting for my phone to ring (or rather, waiting for it NOT to ring...this is the first time I've ever hoped he

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1116356569663639292005-05-17T02:49:00.000-07:002005-05-17T14:46:15.093-07:00

Time is creeping along on its way to Matt's return home. I absolutely cannot contain myself! I'm trying to forget the unavoidable separation at the end of our 15 days, and though it's proving to be a little difficult, my feelings of excitement are definitely outweighing those of inevitable pain.He called me on Sunday night after not calling for nearly a week, and when I expressed my dislike of

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1115773813419929192005-05-10T18:08:00.000-07:002005-05-10T18:15:09.596-07:00

Well, just another three weeks or so before I'll be sprinting like a maniac through the grubby corridors of the Reno-Tahoe Airport to pick up my Matt! I'm so excited to see him, but at the same time am coping with this sickening knot in my stomach. No doubt our 2 weeks will be great - I find it absolutely adorable that Matt told me it would be okay if I went to work his first few days back into

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1115064915537854972005-05-02T16:03:00.000-07:002005-05-02T16:00:27.503-07:00

If weeks had personality disorders, last week surely would've been bipolar (warning: this is a ranting post). It seemed pretty customary that all week my days started out great, but ended terribly. After saying he probably wouldn't be able to call for about a month, I got to talk to Matt every morning last week, and it was fantastic - undoubtedly the reason my days started out so fabulously. He

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1114118479040982902005-04-21T15:22:00.000-07:002005-04-21T15:28:44.493-07:00

I'm stuck in a rut at work because our network is down, and aside from busy work that I really don't want to do (i.e. filing an insanely large stack of papers I've been neglecting in hopes that someone else will finally get sick of looking at that stack and file it themselves, making labels on a...ugh...TYPEWRITER, etc), pretty much my entire job is based around what's on the network, so since I

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1113762781242715622005-04-17T11:33:00.000-07:002005-04-17T11:51:09.663-07:00

I've been meaning to update for a few days now, but every time I sat down at my computer, I just couldn't find the motivation to write. I think it could very possible be spring fever - why should I be inside blogging on my computer when it's freaking gorgeous outside?!? It'll undoubtedly snow again in May as it always does, but I've been taking the opportunity to get outside and enjoy this

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1113000802029282372005-04-08T17:21:00.000-07:002005-04-08T17:20:10.530-07:00

I've had my cat, Ashes, for just over two years now. He was actually a gift from Matt for our first Valentine's day together, and ever since I got him, I've spoiled him rotten. Literally. He's a rotten little sh*t now, but I still love him, and as a result, still continue to spoil endlessly and wait for the day when he actually "goes bad."My roommate's boyfriend had to keep his puppy at our house

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1112827901918016062005-04-06T15:55:00.000-07:002005-04-06T15:51:41.920-07:00

We had another scare this morning upon receiving news of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashing in southeast Afghanistan, made even more nerve racking considering ours is a CH-47 Chinook helicopter unit. I don't know how abundant those choppers are over there, but I didn't think a helicopter that's basically a bus with rotors would be as common as, say, a Black Hawk.Lucky for me, I didn't even

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1112650608839561032005-04-04T16:01:00.000-07:002005-04-04T15:58:33.546-07:00

Ah, the beginning of another week. Not to make it sound like a good thing since I hate Mondays with a blinding passion. HATE them. It haunts me that I must deal with 52 of them a year. Nonetheless, I do enjoy getting into a new week. A new week means that it's only a matter of days before I'll hear from Matt again. A new week means I'm one week closer to getting to see him.Much to my dismay, this

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1112057595093476552005-03-28T17:55:00.000-08:002005-03-28T17:54:34.886-08:00

Oi. What a Monday it's been! You know that saying that you never know what you had till it's gone? I came home to an empty house after spending the weekend with my in-laws and absolutely rejoiced. I made myself a nice big DiGiorno pizza and lounged around in my pajamas watching "Legally Blonde 2" for this must certainly be heaven. Having the house to myself, that is.It wasn't until I went to bed

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1111704162059571342005-03-24T14:45:00.000-08:002005-03-24T14:42:42.133-08:00

I'm so sad right now I can hardly function. It's been a week today since I last talked to Matt, and I wouldn't mind it so much if I didn't feel like it was being rubbed in my face. I know it's NOT, I know it's probably crazy of me to even think that, but my heart aches because of it, and that's how I feel. I'll explain...For the most part, the families of my FRG are from Reno, but there's a

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1111643163621604432005-03-23T21:40:00.000-08:002005-03-23T21:50:06.326-08:00

There's a "Chicken Soup" book for pretty much every subject imaginable, and this one came just in the knick of time. It's not released until April 1, but you can bet I preordered my copy, and thought I'd share it with my fellow military wives/fiances/girlfriends. :-)

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1111520981298837112005-03-22T14:45:00.000-08:002005-03-22T14:43:12.083-08:00

When I woke up this morning, I got a little worried because I saw I had a missed call on my cell phone. Sometimes I sleep through my phone on nights when I'm dead tired; in fact, out of fear that I would ever sleep through a call from Matt, I set up a "sleep" profile with the most obnoxious ring turned up to the loudest volume. I recollected my phone waking me up, though, and hitting the "silent"

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1111106646127957182005-03-18T13:11:00.000-08:002005-03-21T16:36:29.016-08:00

It should be noted that never, under any circumstances, should you send an email to every single member of an FRG whose soldiers are station in Afghanistan that says (and I quote verbatim from an email received in my inbox on Thursday morning): "No to scare everyone but didn't any one hear more details on the explosion in Kandahar?"That's it. That was the entire email.This email is in response to

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1110945521912700402005-03-15T22:27:00.000-08:002005-03-21T16:33:26.523-08:00

I consider myself very lucky thusfar in the deployment. Well, "lucky" all things considered. So far Matt's called me pretty much every day since getting into Afghanistan, and I know further down the road when they start to get busy with missions or what have you, this may not always be the case, but for the time being, I'm loving it. He called me his first night in Afghanistan (actually it was

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1110562799885794242005-03-11T09:53:00.000-08:002005-03-11T09:51:16.806-08:00

So first and foremost I must apologize for how long it's been since I've posted! I've been insanely busy since I got back from Oklahoma - everyone in my office thought they'd "help" out by attempting to do my job for me and in the long run, only created MORE work for me since now I have to go back and fix everyone's errors. Ah, se la vie.Going to Oklahoma was...wow. Just wow. I can't even begin

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1109272378195209362005-02-24T11:15:00.000-08:002005-03-10T15:41:40.720-08:00

No further news on Matt's leave, but I'm perfectly satisfied with that. After all, no news is good news! He had yesterday off, so I not only got a wake up call from him, but we emailed back and forth all morning, and he called me at work. I love days when I get to talk to him a few times; he seems to be in much better spirits than he has been for the better part of his stint at Ft. Sill. I can

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1109018178856433782005-02-21T12:38:00.000-08:002005-03-06T11:02:12.006-08:00

My weekend was uneventful and drab. H didn't end up coming out to Reno, so I was forced to spend the weekend all by my lonesome though she did call me at 2 in the morning on Sunday to let me know that she was drunk and that she loved me. My friends...what a bunch.Much to my utter amazement Amanda called me on Saturday - I figured it must be because her and The Asshole had another fight or broke

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1108758187301958542005-02-18T12:25:00.000-08:002005-02-18T12:23:27.166-08:00

We're getting down to the wire here with Matt leaving...I'm starting to think that if he doesn't get leave, I'm going to fly down there anyway and spend time with him on the base when he gets done with the days' trainings. I don't know if I could handle going another 6 to 8 months without seeing him. I don't think I could handle him leaving for a foreign country without getting one more goodbye.

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1108407686159245662005-02-14T11:03:00.000-08:002005-02-14T11:01:26.220-08:00

Valentine's Day. Whoo. Made even more awful by that constant nagging reminder that I should be with Matt right now, that I should be in Oklahoma for 2 more days, but nope. I'm still in dreary old Reno (okay, so Reno's probably better than Oklahoma City, but at least Oklahoma City would have Matt). I had a street side vendor rapping on my window yesterday with a bouquet of cheap roses. "You buy

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1108236969467918522005-02-12T11:41:00.000-08:002005-02-14T09:47:50.776-08:00

Well, as you all have probably gauged from my last 3 sentence post (where I misspelled "write" haha), I didn't go to Oklahoma to see Matt. I'm still unclear on exactly what happened as I'm still unclear on the ways of the army, but if this whole ordeal has taught me anything, it's that getting my hopes up isn't super smart. And I should've known that. I shouldn't have let myself get as excited as

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1108100383242447392005-02-10T21:38:00.000-08:002005-02-10T21:39:43.243-08:00

I've been let down by the army before, but this is BY FAR the biggest let down. Too depressed to right now. I'll post more later.

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1107979256858396002005-02-09T15:11:00.000-08:002005-02-14T09:50:10.106-08:00

I didn't learn anything new at my FRG meeting - at least nothing I didn't already know. Our FRG leader didn't say anything to me about my blog because she wasn't even there! The whole meeting was ran by our RDC who told us they were uncertain of the dates the guys would get off IF they got any days off at all, and that if they were to send a plane out to pick up just the guys from Nevada it would

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10558099.post-1107812317041276122005-02-07T15:18:00.000-08:002005-02-07T15:21:05.046-08:00

I should be working right now. Working hard, too, as it were - just as soon as I get my inbox all cleared out, someone goes and stacks more paperwork in there. My desk is awry with "To-Do" post-its, and I've at least gotten so far as organizing things by priority, but I can't bring myself to do any of it. I'm so depressed today. Almost as bad as Day One. I just want to go curl up in a hole until

erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14374210276324975561noreply@blogger.com0