Homestead mailing list

[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Saying goodbye is never easy...TJ left today.  The earliest I will see
him again is in January of 2010, next year.  It could be even longer.
The good thing is that around that time, he will be not only coming back
into port after a 7-8 month patrol, but his time for sea duty might be
close to the end.  At some point in the Spring of 2010, he is scheduled
to start 3 years of shore duty, but that can change in a number of ways.
 He could actually be called early for shore duty if they need people.
He might pull into port and be ordered to report to upstate NY or
where ever immediately.  OR, he could pull into port and have orders that
make him stay on the sub and not report for shore duty.  If they are
short on the boat, he will stay there.  Right now, they are short, which
is why he has trouble getting leave.  It is a bitch to have 70 days of
leave that you cannot take.  HOWEVER, when he does go to shore duty,
because it will probably require a change of station, and in this case,
what would be considered an overseas move, he would likely get 40 days
of leave(in addition to the 70 already accrued-not that he could take
70, but 40 days is given.  So, while unlikely, it is possible that
sometime before mid 2010, he could be home for a month or so.  7 days
just wasn't enough.  He got in Xmas, slept till 5 pm on Friday, 4 pm on
Saturday, 2 pm on Sunday...Monday and Monday night was spent with
grandparents and  he came back Tuesday night.  He slept until 2pm
yesterday and until 11:30 today.  He works 120 hours a week, and with
jet lag and the lack of sleep, that's pretty much all he did.  He didn't
even have a chance to hunt or work on his ballista.  We played a few
games of chess, talked, ate, exercised, and that was about it. Oh, he
did make time to search for a Welding unit.  I don't remember exactly
what he was looking for other than it was a Hobart..wire welder I
think..I overheard a discussion about gas tanks, too...he's in the
market to buy a welder anyway.  Oh, and he attempted to fix my
dishwasher, which took a dump over the holidays, but it was a no can
do...I'm handwashing again.   It was great to have him home, though,
even if he did sleep through it.
--
"The world is my country, all mankind are my
 brethren, and to do good is my religion."
 Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809)